The International Library of Critical Writings in Business History series – serie

The last decade has witnessed a burgeoning interest in the history of marketing. This authoritative two volume set provides a comprehensive collection of important articles which illuminate the history and development of marketing and marketing thought during the past century. A unique reference tool, this book will be indispensable to marketing researchers and others interested in marketing history. The articles contained within its covers are international in scope, spanning a range of European countries, Japan and the US.This major new collection of articles was compiled and edited by Stanley C. Hollander - eminent marketing historian - and Kathleen M. Rassuli. The editors provide an introduction to the literature followed by chapters on the history of marketing thought, the historiography of marketing as well as chapters prepared by marketing speciality area, consumer behaviour, channels of distribution, retailing, product development, pricing and advertising, and promotion.

This important volume illustrates the diversity of scholarship which has been directed towards understanding the complex process of technology transfer in its business context. The first part considers the theory and process of technology transfer as developed by economists, sociologists and historians. The remainder of the volume presents essays and excerpts on the agencies of technology transfer: artisans and professionals, the state, private business and multinational enterprise. The papers range from the eighteenth century to the present and cover industries from coal and textiles to computers and motor vehicles, in countries as diverse as Britain, the US, Japan, South Korea and India.

This volume contains a selection of the most influential literature on the historical evolution of collaborative agreements in international business. Strategic alliances and other forms of collaboration are prominent features of contemporary business life, but it is seldom realized that such strategies have been extensively employed by firms throughout the twentieth century. This collection of papers - drawn from all periods of the last hundred years to the present day - seeks to explore this rich experience and highlight its importance to present-day debates and to consider the strategies of a wide range of American, Japanese and European firms and industries.

This important two volume set focuses on the functional relationship between the entrepreneur and the growth of the business firm. These papers trace the process through which scholars first brought entrepreneurs from the twilight of historical obscurity, broadening our understanding of their crucial role and rediscovering the entrepreneur as the prime mover of economic invigoration in the late twentieth century.Professor Livesay has chosen a selection of key articles and papers in this area - many of which are only available in specialized journals and not accessible in every library. He has also written a new comprehensive introduction to accompany the piece.

In an age of intense international competition, enterprises, regions and nations depend on their organizational capabilities to gain competitive advantage in global markets.This volume brings together critical scholarly contributions to historical and contemporary debates over the origins and characteristics of organizational capabilities that result in competitive advantage. Included are case studies drawn from textiles, chemicals, automobiles, computers and agriculture that illustrate how organizational capabilities generate sustained competitive success. In a new introduction, the editors, who have themselves been in the forefront of analysing the dynamics of innovation and industrial development, provide a state-of-the-art survey of the subject.

Women in Business is an extensive collection of significant papers which explore the work of women in a wide range of businesses. The selection encompasses path-breaking articles covering all aspects of women's work in The Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.Key Features:-Women in Business documents and evaluates the business activities of women from around the world who have contributed to the building of business institutions, industries and economies from the 11th to the late 20th centuriesThese volumes assemble for the first time an international collection of English-speaking articles from scholars in economics, psychology, literature, anthropology, history, management and industrial organization, that prepare a ground work for a gendered history of businessThe volumes suggest the basic tools and the knowledge necessary to bring women into business and bring business people and institutions back into societyWomen in Business will be particularly welcomed by business people, women in business, policy professionals and scholars and graduate students.

A key element in the development and competitiveness of businesses rest on the management and enhancement of 'human resource'. Although it is a subject very much in vogue, the organisation of human resources is too rarely grounded in the relevant historical and comparative contexts which shape their practice. Furthermore, there is a need to counter the over-simplistic 'one best way' views and management exhortation so common to this topic, and historical comparisons offer insight into the nature, scale and long-term impact of trends, whilst uncovering the complex interaction of differing circumstance and 'optimum practice'.This important new two volume set presents key reading in paternalism and industrial welfare; employee relations and the professionalisation of management; Taylorism and flexibility: technological change and the division of labour; industrial training and skills; and labour and politics are covered in a theoretically informed and critical fashion.

This important collection presents in two volumes the most significant papers on the history of mass production and highlights crucial debates in the attempt to understand the phenomenon and its social and economic effects. The selection focuses on six important themes. Volume I opens with an exploration of the antecedents to mass production and an investigation of the mechanical, economic and social roots of the transformation in production methods at the beginning of the 20th century. The following section examines the emergence of ‘Fordism’ and the fundamental elements of the new system. The final section describes the extent to which mass production has spread through the wider economy and the ways in which it has changed in the process.In Volume II, the first section covers the impact of mass production on work and the workers. The second section looks at how Japan has exploited the principles of mass production and may indeed have evolved a new form of productive organisation. The concluding section raises the question of whether in the late 20th century the dominance of mass production is in decline.

Family businesses, have been instrumental in the industrialization of most countries and remain an important dimension of modern economies world wide. Yet analyses of international differences in Western micro- and macroeconomic performance, since the late nineteenth century, have usually been focused upon the rise and capabilities of the American-style business corporation. In this context, while family business has not been without its champions, these firms were often dismissed as inferior alternatives to managerial capitalism and the source of economic decline. As a result they have received, until comparatively recently, less attention than they deserve. This collection of essays which spans more than forty years of scholarship on family business is not confined to the discussion of Western firms. Instead contributions cover their role, capabilities and performance on four continents and include the work of leading institutional and development economists and sociologist as well as business and economic historians.