The performance of European business in the twentieth century / edited by Youssef Cassis, Andrea Colli, Harm G. Schröter.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Cassis, Youssef.

Colli, Andrea, 1966-

Schröter, Harm G., 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Business enterprises--Europe--History--20th century.

Business enterprises.

History.

Europe.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 359 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2016.

Summary:

This book originated from the idea that performance is what really matters in business and thus in business history. Yet, surprisingly, the analysis of performances has been neglected by economic and business historians. This book is a first attempt to fill this gap and in doing so provides a totally new approach to European business history. Rather than bringing together national studies, it is based on a single database, measuring performance in eight European countries according to identical criteria. The study spans the entire twentieth century, with particular attention to five benchmark moments: the height of the first globalisation on the eve of the First World War; the late 1920s boom preceding the Great Depression; the European reconstruction of the mid-1950s; the end of 'Golden Age' in the early 1970s; and the height of the second globalisation at the turn of the twenty-first century. The analysis is based on a sample of 1,225 companies, belonging to the three major European economies, Britain, France and Germany; two large south European latecomers, Italy and Spain; two smaller north western countries, Belgium and Sweden, and one small Nordic country, Finland. Performance has been measured using two ratios of profitability: return on equity (ROE) and holding return (HR), thus providing a complementary measure of profitability, the former as seen from the firm's perspective, the latter form the investor's perspective. The book's findings, at times surprising, at once confirm and infirm widely held assumptions regarding business performance - regarding strategy and structure, ownership and control, old and new industries, emerging and advanced economies.

Contents:

Part I Overview and Methodology

1 The Performance of European Enterprise during the Twentieth Century: General Overview / Youssef Cassis Cassis, Youssef, Andrea Colli Colli, Andrea, Harm G. Schröter Schröter, Harm G. 3

2 Methodology and Traps / Michele D'Alessandro D'Alessandro, Michele 21

3 Ownership and Performance in European Big Business: The Longitudinal Perspective / Andrea Colli Colli, Andrea 33

Part II Countries' Performance

4 The Performance of Belgian Enterprises in the Twentieth Century / Frans Buelens Buelens, Frans, Ludo Cuyvers Cuyvers, Ludo, Marc Deloof Deloof, Marc, Helma De Smedt Smedt, Helma De 55

5 The Performance of British Business in the Twentieth Century / Youssef Cassis Cassis, Youssef, Terry Gourvish Gourvish, Terry 72

6 The Performance of French Business in the Twentieth Century / Youssef Cassis Cassis, Youssef, Anne Dalmasso Dalmasso, Anne, Pierre Vernus Vernus, Pierre 81

7 The Performance of German Big Business in the Twentieth Century / Diane Dammers Dammers, Diane, Hendrik K. Fischer Fischer, Hendrik K. 91

8 Big Business Performance in Twentieth-Century Italy / Carlo Brambilla Brambilla, Carlo, Andrea Colli Colli, Andrea 110

9 Spanish Business Performance in the Twentieth Century / Veronica Binda Binda, Veronica, Albert Carreras Carreras, Albert, Xavier Tafunell Tafunell, Xavier 136

10 Growth and Profits in Swedish and Finnish Big Business in the Twentieth Century / Riitta Hjerppe Hjerppe, Riitta, Mats Larsson Larsson, Mats 151

Part III Industries' Performance

11 Old Industries in Europe, 1911-2000 / Toni Pierenkemper Pierenkemper, Toni, Helma De Smedt Smedt, Helma De, Frans Buelens Buelens, Frans, Ludo Cuyvers Cuyvers, Ludo, Marc Deloof Deloof, Marc 171

12 The Performance of 'Chandlerian Enterprises' / Harm G. Schröter Schröter, Harm G. 190

13 The Performance of European Transport and Utilities in the Twentieth Century / Anna M. Aubanell-Joubany Aubanell-Joubany, Anna M., Terry Gourvish Gourvish, Terry 226

14 Commercial and Financial Services / Mats Larsson Larsson, Mats, Edoardo Altamura Altamura, Edoardo, Youssef Cassis Cassis, Youssef 256.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780198749776

0198749775

OCLC:

934617570