Modern Business History Research Articles

BİR YÖNETİM GURUSU OLARAK ALFRED D. CHANDLER VE İŞLETME TARİHİ ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİLERİNE YÖNELİK ANALİTİK BİR DEĞERLENDİRME

ÖzAmaç: Bu makalenin amacı, modern işletme tarihinin babası kabul edilen Alfred D. Chandler, Jr.’ın işletme tarihi üzerindeki etkilerine yönelik analitik bir değerlendirme yapmaktır. Yöntem: Bu amaçla öncelikle işletme tarihinin doğuşu ve gelişimi genel olarak ele alınmıştır. Daha sonra Alfred Chandler’in hayatı, çalışmaları, işletme tarihine yaptığı katkıları, genellemelerine yönelik tartışmalar ve itirazlar üzerinde durulmuştur. Ardından Chandler’in tarihsel bakış açısının ve fikirlerinin uluslararası düzeyde popülerliğini değiştiren faktörler değerlendirilmiştir. Son bölümde Chandlerci perspektifin işletme tarihi üzerindeki kalıcı ve belirgin etkisi incelenerek çalışma sonuç bölümü ile sonlandırılmıştır.Bulgular: Chandler yanlısı paradigma zamanla parlaklığının çoğunu yitirmiş olsa da, ekonomik olarak bilgilendirilmiş işletme tarihinin yeni tarzı, dünya çapında artan bir şekilde ilgi çekmeye devam etmektedir.Sonuç: Her ne kadar genellemelerine yönelik tartışmalar ve itirazlar günümüzde de mevcut olsa da, Chandler’in bu alanda yaptığı çalışmalarla, özellikle strateji ve yapı arasındaki ilişki, merkez ve çevre sektörler arasındaki ayırım ve büyük işletmelerin ve yönetimin yeniliklerdeki rolü konusundaki genellemeleri nedeniyle bugün hala işletme tarihindeki merkezi rolünü koruduğu düşünülmektedir.

An institutional account of governance structures in early modern business history: the Coventry business (hi)story

This paper is an account of the institutional mechanisms that have influenced business history in the early to late Middle Ages in the city of Coventry. The paper discusses socio-cultural, political, religious, and historical influences on the city's major trades during the era and incorporates analysis of governance structures in the form of Coventry's famous guilds which were instrumental in shaping the trajectory of one of England's foremost cities during the chronicled era. Through this examination we seek to complement and contribute to business history literature that is increasingly intrigued by business and economic activities pre-dating the industrial and manufacturing era, thus enriching discussion about business and institutional dynamics in the pre-modern era.

Moderne Unternehmen in der vorindustriellen Zeit: Das Beispiel der Porzellanmanufaktur Meißen

Abstract Analysis covering the early development of modern companies and the rise of strategies like marketing, pricing and product management has traditionally dated the beginning of modern business activity to the industrial revolution and the second half of the 19th century. Although this research on modern business history has recently received increasing attention, it remains rather unclear what makes a company truly “modern” and what the defining characteristics of such companies are. In addition, there is limited insight into whether the rise of modern companies might have started before the prevailing historical period of the 19th century. The following work tries to close this gap by providing a framework for identifying modern business operations and presenting a set of key elements that can be used as criteria for modern companies. It will be shown that modern companies can be traced back to as early as the beginning of the 18th century. This is achieved by presenting the case of the Meissen porcelain factory, which has been manufacturing porcelain since 1710, adopting a unique blend of modern market strategies.

Theorizing TQM: An Austrian and Evolutionary Economics Interpretation

Born out of management practice, the principles of TQM (total quality management) have had a profound and unparalleled impact on modern business history. However, as a body of practical knowledge, TQM has been largely atheoretical. As a consequence, this important management philosophy has remained amorphous and shrouded in considerable conceptual haziness and ambiguity. Recent theorizing, primarily emphasizing the application of organizational behaviour theories to TQM, has begun to provide greater clarity, but much work remains to be done. This paper attempts to contribute to this nascent theory‐building literature by employing theory from market process economics (MPE), namely, Austrian and evolutionary economics, which explains how processes of dynamic change, adaptation, and learning are driven by entrepreneurial creativity. We contend that the patterns in this body of theory match, to a remarkable degree, the patterns of practical knowledge contained in the TQM literature. We demonstrate this ‘pattern‐matching’ by showing that MPE effectively provides the theoretical underpinnings of TQM’s three main principles — customer focus, continuous improvement and teamwork — as well as the respective TQM topics of customer perceptions, adaptation in dynamic environments, and knowledge creation. Having established MPE as a credible theoretical lens for interpreting TQM, it can be used to clarify fuzzy areas that have remained in the TQM literature with the potential to take us beyond what we know now. We illustrate this with three examples that show how we can resolve debates in TQM over incentive systems, recognize that TQM embraces methodological pluralism in the collection and analysis of data, and highlight hidden dangers that attend benchmarking. While MPE has no monopoly on theoretical interpretations of TQM, it is unique in its ability to comprehensively cover the incredible breadth of this practical body of knowledge, and in its interpretation of TQM as a dynamic economic endeavour.

When giants stumble

A noted business historian presents captivating profiles of corporate blunders, with illuminating insights into the misguided motives that make promising concepts fail and industry giants crumble. Packard, E.J. Korvette, RCA, Drexel Burnham Lambert, Pabst, Schwinn. Once industry leaders, these companies all suffered devastating--and, in some cases, fatal--setbacks because of one pivotal mistake. A renowned writer and speaker who has traced the missteps of corporate America, Robert Sobel offers a fascinating look at 15 glaring and enlightening product flops and management foibles. Rather than call attention to corporate greed or foolishness, the author reveals surprisingly sound reasoning behind some of the worst moves in modern business history. Capturing tragic mistakes in the making, each chapter spotlights a key blunder committed by a onetime mover and shaker. Critical errors include: tinkering with winning products--or marketing downscale versions; getting blindsided by rivals or government regulations; striving to outdo a famed predecessor; fighting technology--or sheepishly following every innovation; and mistaking temporary industry changes for permanent ones--or vice versa. Lively and eye-opening, WHEN GIANTS STUMBLE explores a side of business history too seldom discussed, with valuable lessons for both thriving and floundering companies.

The Leadership Principles Used by Jack Welch as he Re-energized, Revolutionized, and Reshaped General Electric

Starting in the early 1980s till now, Jack Welch, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the General Electric Corporation (GE), has led his company through one of the most revolutionary and far-reaching changes ever witnessed in modern business history. Under Welch's leadership, GE rose to be ranked No. 1 among the world's most valuable companies based on a combination of revenues, profits, market value, and assets. This article will discuss some of the leadership principles that Welch used to cause such a major revolution in the social, political, and economic climate at GE.

Promising and Stimulating: Modern Business History in Germany and the Netherlands

Promising and Stimulating: Modern Business History in Germany and the Netherlands

The Entrepreneurial Spirit in Colonial America: The Foundations of Modern Business History

This wide-ranging discussion of the extent of entrepreneurship in colonial America surveys the recent historiography of the field and offers a reconceptualization. The article advances the view that a society “with pervasive entrepreneurial values” existed from the first years of English settlement in North America, and it examines the activities and goals of the primary occupational groups to demonstrate that thesis.