Big Business

Abstract

This is a major comparative study of big business in Britain, France and Germany across the twentieth century. It provides an analysis, based on a wealth of empirical data, of the character and performance of the major companies in each country at five benchmark years: 1907, 1927, 1953, 1972 and 1989. Particular attention is given to size, sectoral distribution, profits and profitability, and survival and growth. It also focuses on business leadership, both at professional and social levels. It considers the competence of top businessmen and major aspects of the decision‐making process, and places business elites within the context of social and political developments. It challenges widely held assumptions about, in particular, entrepreneurial failure in Britain, the power of German big business, France's backwardness and modernity, and sociocultural determinants of business performance. It concludes to a clear British advance well into the 1950s and European convergence thereafter, despite the persistence of strong national characteristics of business organization. The latter, however, are unlikely to have had much impact on the performance of each country's leading business enterprises.

Acquisitions and firm growth: Creating Unilever's ice cream and tea business

“…The knowledge being integrated was important, but not as complex as, say, product development skills embedded in teams and cultures of firms. 83 In many countries, Unilever's pre-existing operations in soap and edibles also provided a good ACQUISITIONS AND FIRM GROWTH 23 understanding of institutions and business cultures, and sometimes a cadre of local managers who could support acquired businesses.…”

“…Since its creation in 1929, it has been one of Europe's ACQUISITIONS AND FIRM GROWTH 11 largest firms. 23 It has the advantage of having several 'scholarly' histories written about it, including a recent study on the post-1960 period, which means that its acquisitions in ice cream and tea can be placed within a well understood corporate context. 24 Unilever was formed in 1929 by a merger of the Dutch-controlled Margarine Unie and the British-owned Lever Brothers.…”

The Role of Internal Labour Markets and Social Networks in the Recruitment of Top Managers in Finnish Manufacturing Firms, 1900-1975

“…The most problematic issue was that the 'parachuting' of a senior civil servant into a firm often had a negative and demoralising effect on younger employees in the firm, as they realised that they had few career possibilities. 40 Managers in privately owned firms were seldom recruited from the civil service, even though some had worked in the civil service during their early career. For instance Johan Nykopp (Oy Tampella Ab) had a long career in diplomacy, but had been managing director of the Finnish Employers' Confederation (Finlands Arbetsgivares Centralförbund) before taking over at Oy Tampella Ab in 1962.…”

In search of an integrated framework of business longevity

“…12 Although most companies die young and some in their middle age, there still is a plethora of companies that have existed not only for decades but for centuries -and have been able to maintain their vitality for decades. In Japan, for example, companies over 100 years old have a society called Shinise ("established and long standing company").…”