Governmental environment and nongovernmental behavior: Corporate responsiveness to formal integration of the European community

Although it has been argued that the governmental environment has an important influence on corporate activities, limited systematic and empirical research has been undertaken to study this relationship. This is especially true for regional integration efforts where it is widely assumed that enterprises (and particularly transnational ones) quickly take advantage of new regional opportunities created by government policies. This article examines therefore the question of whether or not integration (more specifically, the European community) affects the behavior of corporate elite members in the Federal Republic of Germany and their enterprises-important nongovernmental actors within the integrating area. First, a theoretical framework is introduced that analytically and phenomenally distinguishes formal governmental and behavioral aspects of integration. Subsequent analysis suggests, among other things, that the strategies of enterprises do not necessarily follow (respond to) governmental integration. The impact of governmental integration on the attitudes and behavior of nongovernmental actors appears to be limited, selective, and uneven in character.