Firms lobby public institutions even when associations they are members of are lobbying those same institutions. This is what we conceptualize as ‘parallel lobbying’. Firms engage in parallel lobbying to monitor associations they are members of, reinforce the message delivered by the associations, provide additional or nuanced information that goes beyond the lowest common denominator, or even to break ranks from the collective position and signal a different message to the one provided by the association. Regardless of what the rationale behind these parallel meetings is, this article intends to bring new light into this phenomenon by examining the extent to which parallel lobbying occurs at the EU level and, more importantly, unveiling what firm – and association-level characteristics explain why firms exercise parallel lobbying.

Angel Saz, Professor at Ramon Lulull University and Director of EsadeGeo – Centre for Global Economy and Geopolitics, a leading B-school in Spain, discusses his work in parallel lobbying and how it is playing out in the world of global business. He speaks with Bloomberg's Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec, and Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Editor Dimitra Kessenide