A counter-example in the development of Great Lakes shipping: the case of Kingston Shipping Company Limited

Abstract

This paper examines the early-twentieth century development of shipping on the Great Lakes in the context of one organisation, Kingston Shipping Company Limited (KSCO). While Great Lakes shipping expanded, and its market base switched from forest products to agricultural and manufactured goods, KSCO proved to be a short-lived and non-profitable entity. An organisational-economics framework is adopted to examine KSCO’s evolution, its strategies and the role of the accounting system. While contributing to our general historical understanding of shipping on the Great Lakes, the research informs methodological debates in accounting history by utilising a theoretical framework to guide the analysis and to draw conclusions. Lastly, the study underscores the role of accounting records in business history research. Accounting records are prepared within a specific organisational context. Their analysis and interpretation provide insights into actions of individual firms. It is at this level that choices and decisions were made in terms of the environmental context.