The convergence between continental and anglo-saxon models of governance: The role of Banks in Spain and the United Kingdom

Abstract

This study tests the thesis of convergence between the Continental European model and the Anglo-Saxon one. To do so, we use the social network analysis to conduct a comparative study between the networks formed by firms listed on the IGBM index in Spain, and those listed on the FTSE 100 index in the United Kingdom, both in 2009. Our results support the convergence hypothesis as we find that financial corporations have disappeared from the central positions of Spanish networks of firms, and the number of privatized firms in central positions of the networks is similar to the British case.