Big business : the European experience in the twentieth century / Youssef Cassis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cassis, Youssef.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Big business--Great Britain--Cross-cultural studies.

Big business.

Big business--France--Cross-cultural studies.

Big business--Germany--Cross-cultural studies.

Corporate culture--Great Britain--Cross-cultural studies.

Corporate culture.

Corporate culture--France--Cross-cultural studies.

Corporate culture--Germany--Cross-cultural studies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 277 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1997.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The manner in which Britain, Germany and France have conducted business this century is analysed in this comparative study. It focuses on key companies and business elites and their performance at critical times

This is a major comparative study of big business in the three dominant European nations across the 20th century. In particular the author looks at the character and performance of the major companies in each country at five snapshot moments through the century. In so doing he offers a broad and sweeping analysis of European business amply supported by a wealth of empirical data. Cassis view often challenges widely held assumptions about, for example, entrepreneurial failure in Britain; the relationship between big business and the Nazis in Germany; and the rebuilding of France in the post war period. To fill out his story Cassis looks closely at the role and character of the business elites in each country and their relationship with wider social and political developments. The book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the development of European business and the links between business practice and the wider social and political environment in each country.

Contents:

Intro

Preface

Contents

List of Tables

PART I: BIG BUSINESS

1. The World of Big Business before 1914

Banking and finance

Heavy industry

The diversity of British big business

The new industries in Germany

Big business in France

2. From the 1920s to the 1950s

The rise of big business in Britain

The stability of German big business

Strengths and weaknesses of French big business

3. Recent Developments

New dimension

Convergence

PART II: PERFORMANCES

4. Profits and Profitability

Profits

Profitability

5. Survival

Longevity

Growth

PART III: BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

6. Competence

Founders, inheritors, and managers

Education and training

Career patterns

7. Decision-Making

Company boards

Organizational structures

Multiple directorships

Banks and industry

PART IV: BUSINESS, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS

8. Wealth, Status, and Power before 1914

Business fortunes

Aristocracy and bourgeoisie

Political influence

9. Business Élites in Contemporary Europe

Wealth and the corporate élite

Social status

Businessmen and politics

Conclusion

Appendix: List of Companies Included in the Samples: 1907, 1929, and 1953

Index

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Z.

Notes:

Originally published: 1997.

Wadsworth History Prize 1998

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on metadata supplied by the publisher and other sources.

ISBN:

1-281-97833-7

OCLC:

316568686