Employing historical methods and perspectives in corporate governance

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors explore the contribution that historical methods and perspectives can offer to the study of corporate governance. We first consider how the corporate governance literature has engaged with history. We then outline what historical methods are, what it is to think historically and why history matters to an understanding of corporate governance as indeed to all areas of business and management. This is followed by a discussion of how understanding has evolved between history and business and management studies. We then consider what historical perspectives and methods have offered to the study of corporate governance in a variety of organisational settings and environments over time and how history might contribute to posing new sets of questions and developing methods and analytical frameworks for the field.