Strategic Ownership Positions in U.S. Industry and Banking

Strategic ownership positions in corporations do not necessarily imply "control" but rather participation in corporate decision-making. Strategic positions in the nation's 500 largest industrial corporations and 153 largest financial institutions are described and classified. Types of owners include banks and employee stock plans, financial holding firms, insurance companies, families and individuals, pension funds, and foreign owners. Results indicate that families continue to hold significant strategic positions in industry (28.5%) and banking (20.4%). These results have certain implications for the theory of "managerialism."