Conclusion
By looking at the strategic management of government affairs, this article applies a micro-level approach to the study of CPA in the EU. This approach moves the attention from organizational resources, such as the development of professional government affairs, to the allocation of capabilities at the microlevel, such as the allocation of human capital with determined skills and functions in charge of government affairs. Our main theoretical contribution is looking at how the strategic management of government affairs at the microlevel varies according to the macro-business–government relationships, which in turn provides the opportunity for more systematic comparative analysis. In the United States, it has been demonstrated that CPA can be seen as an economic transaction between business and government. The most valuable political resource is unique access to key decision makers. As such, we observe a great deal of traffic through revolving doors as companies seek to hire managers with work experience in the public sector. The lobbying industry is therefore characterized by former politicians and bureaucrats running government affairs offices and is subject to high turnover.
