Description
Book SynopsisThe Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business draws together a wide array of state-of-the-art research on multinational enterprises. The volume aims to deepen our historical understanding of how firms and entrepreneurs contributed to transformative processes of globalization.
This book explores how global business facilitated the mechanisms of cross-border interactions that affected individuals, organizations, industries, national economies and international relations. The 37 chapters span the Middle Ages to the present day, analyzing the emergence of institutions and actors alongside key contextual factors for global business development. Contributors examine business as a central actor in globalization, covering myriad entrepreneurs, organizational forms and key industrial sectors. Taking a historical view, the chapters highlight the intertwined and evolving nature of economic, political, social, technological and environmental patterns and relationships.
Trade Review
"This important collection of new surveys by leading scholars represents an essential state of the art summary and reflection on the often neglected major contribution of entrepreneurs and firms to the globalisation of business and provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of global business in historical perspective, notably on the role of institutions and organisational forms." – Robert Read, Lancaster University Management School, UK
"This is a terrific contribution to the broad field of analytical business history, focused on the key actors who have created the global economy. A must read for economists, political scientists, sociologists and strategy scholars with an interest in how international business actually functions." – Alain Verbeke, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of International Business Studies
"A major contribution to the history of globalization and capitalism, The Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business brings together more than fifty scholars, writing on broad political and social issues as well as institutional and technological ones – from the Great Divergence and the histories of gender and race in global entrepreneurship, to value chains and state-owned enterprise. It is a significant and notable achievement that tells the story of how firms helped build the modern global economy." – Walter A. Friedman, Harvard Business School, US
Table of ContentsPart 1: Introduction and Context 1. Introduction to the Makers of Global Business 2. Origins and Development of Global Business 3. The Making of Global Business in Long-run Perspective 4. International Entrepreneurship and Business History 5. Gender and Race in Global Entrepreneurship Part 2: Institutions 6. Government and Regulators 7. Banks and Capital Markets 8. The Internationalization of Executive Education 9. Consultants and Internationalization Part 3: Organizational Forms 10. Guilds 11. Merchants and the Origins of Capitalism 12. Diaspora Networks 13. Trading Companies 14. Co-operatives 15. Business Groups 16. International Business Networks 17. Clusters as Spaces for Global Integration 18. Global Value Chains 19. State-Owned Enterprises Part 4: Industries 20. Global Communications 21. Electric Power Industry 22. Healthcare Industries and Services 23. Insurance 24. Entertainment and the Film Industry 25. Automobiles 26. Manufacturing and the Importance of Global Marketing 27. Luxury 28. Shipping 29. Global Commodity Traders 30. The Global Oil Industry Part 5: Challenges and Impact 31. Political Risk and Nationalism 32. Imitation and the Case of the Global Wine Industry 33. Combating Corruption 34. Multinational Management 35. Business and Sustainability 36. Pollution and Climate Change 37. The Great Divergence and the Great Convergence
