Refers to the act of bundling things together, or figuratively to controlling/managing people or an organization. Often used in compounds like 束ね役.
He is trusted as the person who holds the team together.
I bundled the documents and put them on the desk.
shock grain; bind and stack sheaves
Noun form of the verb 束ねる (たばねる), from 束 (たば, 'bundle') + ね (nominalizing suffix).