Dr Ainsley Elbra
People_

Dr Ainsley Elbra

BEc BBA MIR Macquarie PhD Sydney
Dr Ainsley Elbra

Ainsley Elbra is a Senior Lecturer in international political economy. Her work focuses on corporate power, civil society, the politics of natural resource extraction, and shareholder activism. She has published on the power of finance post-GFC and co-led a research project on multinational corporate tax avoidance, focusing on voluntary governance solutions and firms' responses to calls for greater tax transparency. Her research has been recognised twice by the Australian International Political Economy Network, which awarded her the Richard Higgott Journal Article Prize in 2015 and 2023.

Ainsley is the author of Governing African Gold Mining: Private governance and the resource curse (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017). Her research has also been published in New Political Economy,Business and Politics, Global Policy, The Extractive Industries and Society and Resources Policy. Ainsley has degrees in business and economics and a Master of International Relations from Macquarie University. In 2015 she was awarded a PhD from the University of Sydney. Her research is informed by her previous experience working as a corporate banker with a top-tier Australian bank.

  • Constructivist International Relations
  • International Political Economy
  • Investor Activism
  • Private Governance
  • Resource Politics
  • Business-State Relations
  • Bringing the Battle to the Board: Environmental, Social and Governance Shareholder Activism in Australia
  • Global Governing Gaps and Accountability Traps for Solar Energy and Storage (Australian Research Council DP230103043)
  • Harnessing the Power of Proxy Advisors for Ethical Investment
  • Australian International Political Economy Network Richard Higgott Journal Article Prize 2023
  • Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching Leadership Award 2023
  • Australian International Political Economy Network Richard Higgott Journal Article Prize 2015
  • International Political Science Association Stein Rokkan Award 2014
Project titleResearch student
Gender, Sexuality and the IMFGeorgia PETERS

Publications

Books

  • Elbra, A. (2017). Governing African Gold Mining: Private governance and the resource curse. London: Palgrave Macmillan. [More Information]

Edited Books

  • Eccleston, R., Elbra, A. (2018). Business, Civil Society and the 'New' Politics of Tax Justice: Paying a Fair Share?. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]

Book Chapters

  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2020). Knowledge and Power: The Role of the Big Four in the Competitive Disharmonization of Global Corporate Tax Avoidance Regulations. In John Mikler and Karsten Ronit (Eds.), MNCs in Global Politics: Pathways of Influence, (pp. 159-176). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]
  • Elbra, A. (2018). Activism and the 'New' Politics of tax Justice. In Richard Eccleston, Ainsley Elbra (Eds.), Business, Civil Society and the 'New' Politics of Tax Justice: Paying a Fair Share?, (pp. 68-88). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]
  • Mikler, J., Elbra, A. (2018). Paying a 'Fair Share': Multinational Corporations' Perspectives on Taxation. In Richard Eccleston, Ainsley Elbra (Eds.), Business, Civil Society and the 'New' Politics of Tax Justice: Paying a Fair Share?, (pp. 155-176). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Journals

  • Elbra, A. (2024). Arc of avoidance: An analytical framework for analysing mining companies’ actions in the global South. Resources Policy, 96, 105232. [More Information]
  • Elbra, A. (2024). The AGM as a site of contestation: evaluating the tactics of environmental shareholder activists. New Political Economy, 29(3), 370-384.
  • Elbra, A., O'Brien, E., Boersma, M. (2024). The Political Influence of Proxy Advisors in Campaigns for Ethical Investment: Guiding the Invisible Hand. Regulation and Governance. [More Information]

Conferences

  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2023). Global Governance in Corporate Taxation: The Big Four Professional Services Firms as Rule Intermediaries. Seventh Biennial Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Standing Group on Regulatory Governance, Antwerp: European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).
  • Mikler, J., Joseph, J., Elbra, A., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2023). National Interests in the Regulation of Global Corporate Tax Avoidance. Eighth Biennial Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Standing Group on Regulatory Governance, Antwerp, Belgium: European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).
  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2023). The Big 4 Professional Services Firms and Corporate Tax Governance: From Global Dis-harmony to National Regulatory Incrementalism. Annual Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA), Montreal Canada: International Studies Association (ISA).

2024

  • Elbra, A. (2024). Arc of avoidance: An analytical framework for analysing mining companies’ actions in the global South. Resources Policy, 96, 105232. [More Information]
  • Elbra, A. (2024). The AGM as a site of contestation: evaluating the tactics of environmental shareholder activists. New Political Economy, 29(3), 370-384.
  • Elbra, A., O'Brien, E., Boersma, M. (2024). The Political Influence of Proxy Advisors in Campaigns for Ethical Investment: Guiding the Invisible Hand. Regulation and Governance. [More Information]

2023

  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2023). Global Governance in Corporate Taxation: The Big Four Professional Services Firms as Rule Intermediaries. Seventh Biennial Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Standing Group on Regulatory Governance, Antwerp: European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).
  • Mikler, J., Joseph, J., Elbra, A., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2023). National Interests in the Regulation of Global Corporate Tax Avoidance. Eighth Biennial Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Standing Group on Regulatory Governance, Antwerp, Belgium: European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).
  • O'Brien, E., Elbra, A., Boersma, M., Coneybeer, J. (2023). Political investorism in Australia: unnatural insiders and the insider/outsider dynamics of market lobbying. Australian Journal of Political Science. [More Information]

2022

  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2022). The Big 4 Professional Services Firms and Corporate Tax Governance: From Global Dis-harmony to National Regulatory Incrementalism. 2022 Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) Conference, Canberra ACT: Australian Political Studies Association.

2021

  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2021). Knowledge and Power: The Role of the Big Four in the Competitive Disharmonization of Global Corporate Tax Avoidance Regulations. 26th International Political Science Association (IPSA) World Congress of Political Science, Lisbon: 26th International Political Science Association (IPSA) World Congress of Political Science.

2020

  • Elbra, A. (2020). Fool's Gold: Business Power and the Evolution of the Conflict‐free Gold Standard. Global Policy, 11(3), 336-346. [More Information]
  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2020). Knowledge and Power: The Role of the Big Four in the Competitive Disharmonization of Global Corporate Tax Avoidance Regulations. In John Mikler and Karsten Ronit (Eds.), MNCs in Global Politics: Pathways of Influence, (pp. 159-176). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]
  • Murphy-Gregory, H., Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Johnson, L. (2020). The Australian campaign against corporate tax avoidance: agenda-setting, narratives, and political opportunities. Australian Journal of Political Science, 55(4), 399-415. [More Information]

2019

  • Mikler, J., Elbra, A., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2019). Defending harmful tax practices: mining companies' responses to the Australian Senate Inquiry into tax avoidance. Australian Journal of Political Science, 54(2), 238-254. [More Information]
  • Elbra, A., Mikler, J., Murphy-Gregory, H. (2019). Knowledge and Power: The Role of the Big Four in Global Corporate Tax Avoidance. Tenth Australian International Political Economy Network (AIPEN) Conference, Perth: Australian International Political Economy Network (AIPEN).

2018

  • Elbra, A. (2018). Activism and the 'New' Politics of tax Justice. In Richard Eccleston, Ainsley Elbra (Eds.), Business, Civil Society and the 'New' Politics of Tax Justice: Paying a Fair Share?, (pp. 68-88). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]
  • Eccleston, R., Elbra, A. (2018). Business, Civil Society and the 'New' Politics of Tax Justice: Paying a Fair Share?. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [More Information]
  • Mikler, J., Elbra, A. (2018). Defending Harmful Tax Practices: Multinational Corporations. 25th IPSA World Conference of Political Science, Brisbane: International Political Science Association.

2017

  • Elbra, A. (2017). Civil Society and the Emergence of the New Politics of Tax Justice. European Consortium for Political Research General Conference, Oslo, Norway: European Consortium for Political Research. [More Information]
  • Elbra, A. (2017). Governing African Gold Mining: Private governance and the resource curse. London: Palgrave Macmillan. [More Information]
  • Mikler, J., Elbra, A. (2017). Multinational Corporations' Perspectives on Taxation. 3rd International Conference on Public Policy, Singapore: International Public Policy Association (IPPA).

2016

  • Mikler, J., Elbra, A. (2016). Paying a Fair Share: Global Corporations versus National Taxation Regulations. Sixth Biennial Conference of the Standing Group on Regulatory Governance of the European Consortium for Political Research, Tilburg, The Netherlands: European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).
  • Mikler, J., Rajendra, S., Elbra, A. (2016). Perceptions of the global financial crisis in the US, UK, Canada and Australia: a comparative editorial analysis of the legitimacy of finance. Business and Politics, 18(1), 1-25. [More Information]

2015

  • Mikler, J., Elbra, A. (2015). Corporations Strategies and Perspectives on a Global Taxation Regime. 2nd International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP 2015), Milan: International Public Policy Association (IPPA).
  • Elbra, A. (2015). Empirical Developments in Voluntary Global Corporate Taxation Initiatives. 2nd International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP 2015), Milan: International Public Policy Association (IPPA).
  • Mikler, J., Rajendra, S., Elbra, A. (2015). Perceptions of the Global Financial Crisis in the US, UK, Canada and Australia: A Comparative Editorial Analysis of the Legitimacy of Finance. ISA 56th Annual Convention 2015, New Orleans: ISA.

2014

  • Elbra, A. (2014). Agenda Setting and Private Governance in sub-Saharan Africa’s Gold Mining Industries. IPSA World Conference of Political Science, Montreal, Canada.
  • Elbra, A. (2014). Gold mining in sub-Saharan Africa: Towards private sector governance. The Extractive Industries and Society, 1(2), 216-224. [More Information]
  • Elbra, A. (2014). Interests need not be pursued if they can be created: private governance in African gold mining. Business and Politics, 16(2), 247-266. [More Information]

2013

  • Elbra, A. (2013). The forgotten resource curse: South Africa's poor experience with mineral extraction. Resources Policy, 38(4), 549-557. [More Information]

Selected Grants

2024

  • Global Governing Gaps and Accountability Traps for Solar Energy and Storage, Park S, Elbra A, Australian Research Council (ARC)/Discovery Projects (DP)

2022

  • COVID Kick Start, Elbra A, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/FASS COVID Kick Start Fund 2022