Big Business and the Wealth of Nations - Paperback

by Alfred D. Chandler (Editor), Franco Amatori (Editor), Takashi Hikino (Editor)

Written in nontechnical terms, this book explains how the dynamics of big business have influenced national and international economies. A path-breaking study, it provides the first systematic treatment of big business in advanced, emerging, and centrally-planned economies from the late nineteenth century, when big businesses first appeared, to the present. Large industrial enterprises play a vital role in developing new technologies and commercializing new products in all of the major countries. How such firms emerged and evolved in different economic, political, and social settings constitutes a significant part of twentieth century world history. These essays, written by internationally-known historians and economists, help one understand the essential role and functions of big business.