Business history is an open discipline that can include, in addition to the issues related to the evolution of economy, enterprises, market and business world, other institutional, cultural and social areas related to contemporary events resulting from the long process of industrialization. The first industrial revolution started at the end of the 18th century, followed by a profound industrial transformation that took place in the second half of the 19th century, the mass industrialization of the 20th century and the new post-Fordist scenario of the 21st century are the historical milestones of a phenomenon that has accompanied the various stages of development and the world economy over the period characterized by the supremacy of capitalist production. In short, Business History is an essential element in terms of quality for understanding the economic structure of a country from a dynamic and comparative point of view. Not surprisingly, early in the 20th century Business History sprang out from the United States in relation to the “big business” model, as an analysis and in-depth examination activity, even of a critical aspect, addressed to some kinds of development and business strategies. As written by Alfred D. Chandler: «Business History appeared first as a distinguishable sub-field of economic history in the late 1920s and the 1930s. Its parent, economic history, became an identifiable discipline only a few years earlier». The first Chair of Business History was activated in 1927 at the Harvard Business School, and was covered until the middle of last century by Norman S. B. Gras, who used to divide Business History in six different periods: “Pre-business capitalism”, “Petty capitalism”, “Mercantile capitalism”, “Industrial capitalism”, “Financial capitalism”, “National capitalism”. After World War II, Joseph Schumpeter and Arthur H. Cole founded the Center for Research in Entrepreneurial History where scholars like Alfred D. Chandler, Thomas Cochran and David Landes were trained. They were involved in the analysis of entrepreneurship, the relationship between business and society, the role of innovation, the relationship between strategy and structure, and the training for the organizations. Therefore, the American experience served as a pacesetter in many other countries, where Business History had known a large diffusion from the second half of last century. The possibility to use corporate archives in a systematic way has started to become effective in Germany as from 1907, when the Rheinisch-Westphalisch Archiv was established. This has become a point of reference for the opening of similar institutions in many countries. In general terms, sources for Business History can be divided in four different types: those generated by the company itself – classified into primary and secondary –, those originated outside the enterprise – for example, public institutions, trade unions and associations – and oral sources. The traditional methodology of research in Business History focuses on the use of major sources, represented, above all, from business archives. The advent of “information society”, not only focused on changing traditional economic paradigms, but also a profound rethinking of scientific, manufacturing and distribution of knowledge. The introduction and use of electronic sources is not a mere effect replacement of old tools, but an extraordinary help for further advancing a discipline such as Business History. These innovative techniques and technologies are a completion and improvement of traditional sources, in addition, they favor, of course, openness to new and wider experience of study and research, especially on the side comparative and global scale, offering a set of tools, textures and materials of great significance for the discipline. Referring to the opportunities provided by these innovative guidelines, there is the possibility of identifying a route entirely new, very useful for Business History. The diffusion model of the so-called “long tail”, i.e., a tool that can provide a new interpretative key for understanding the transition from Fordist society to the “post-industrial”, represents a significant opportunity to examine the phenomenon of evolution of companies, using the latest sources, such as electronic. In any case, the path is traced, opening new perspectives of study for many different themes of Business History, a discipline coming from afar, but very current and intended to draw a not short future.

Nuove prospettive per la storia d'impresa

LEPORE, Amedeo
2010

Abstract

Business history is an open discipline that can include, in addition to the issues related to the evolution of economy, enterprises, market and business world, other institutional, cultural and social areas related to contemporary events resulting from the long process of industrialization. The first industrial revolution started at the end of the 18th century, followed by a profound industrial transformation that took place in the second half of the 19th century, the mass industrialization of the 20th century and the new post-Fordist scenario of the 21st century are the historical milestones of a phenomenon that has accompanied the various stages of development and the world economy over the period characterized by the supremacy of capitalist production. In short, Business History is an essential element in terms of quality for understanding the economic structure of a country from a dynamic and comparative point of view. Not surprisingly, early in the 20th century Business History sprang out from the United States in relation to the “big business” model, as an analysis and in-depth examination activity, even of a critical aspect, addressed to some kinds of development and business strategies. As written by Alfred D. Chandler: «Business History appeared first as a distinguishable sub-field of economic history in the late 1920s and the 1930s. Its parent, economic history, became an identifiable discipline only a few years earlier». The first Chair of Business History was activated in 1927 at the Harvard Business School, and was covered until the middle of last century by Norman S. B. Gras, who used to divide Business History in six different periods: “Pre-business capitalism”, “Petty capitalism”, “Mercantile capitalism”, “Industrial capitalism”, “Financial capitalism”, “National capitalism”. After World War II, Joseph Schumpeter and Arthur H. Cole founded the Center for Research in Entrepreneurial History where scholars like Alfred D. Chandler, Thomas Cochran and David Landes were trained. They were involved in the analysis of entrepreneurship, the relationship between business and society, the role of innovation, the relationship between strategy and structure, and the training for the organizations. Therefore, the American experience served as a pacesetter in many other countries, where Business History had known a large diffusion from the second half of last century. The possibility to use corporate archives in a systematic way has started to become effective in Germany as from 1907, when the Rheinisch-Westphalisch Archiv was established. This has become a point of reference for the opening of similar institutions in many countries. In general terms, sources for Business History can be divided in four different types: those generated by the company itself – classified into primary and secondary –, those originated outside the enterprise – for example, public institutions, trade unions and associations – and oral sources. The traditional methodology of research in Business History focuses on the use of major sources, represented, above all, from business archives. The advent of “information society”, not only focused on changing traditional economic paradigms, but also a profound rethinking of scientific, manufacturing and distribution of knowledge. The introduction and use of electronic sources is not a mere effect replacement of old tools, but an extraordinary help for further advancing a discipline such as Business History. These innovative techniques and technologies are a completion and improvement of traditional sources, in addition, they favor, of course, openness to new and wider experience of study and research, especially on the side comparative and global scale, offering a set of tools, textures and materials of great significance for the discipline. Referring to the opportunities provided by these innovative guidelines, there is the possibility of identifying a route entirely new, very useful for Business History. The diffusion model of the so-called “long tail”, i.e., a tool that can provide a new interpretative key for understanding the transition from Fordist society to the “post-industrial”, represents a significant opportunity to examine the phenomenon of evolution of companies, using the latest sources, such as electronic. In any case, the path is traced, opening new perspectives of study for many different themes of Business History, a discipline coming from afar, but very current and intended to draw a not short future.
2010
Historia de la empresa es una disciplina abierta que puede incluir, además de las cuestiones relacionadas con la evolución de la economía, las empresas, el mercado y el mundo empresarial, otros ámbitos institucionales, culturales y sociales relacionados con los acontecimientos contemporáneos como resultado de un largo proceso de industrialización. La primera revolución industrial se inició a finales del siglo XVIII, seguido por una profunda transformación industrial que tuvo lugar en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, la industrialización masiva del siglo XX y el nuevo escenario post-fordista del siglo XXI son los hitos históricos de un fenómeno que ha acompañado las diferentes etapas de desarrollo y la economía mundial durante el período que se caracterizó por la supremacía de la producción capitalista. En resumen, la historia de empresa es un elemento esencial, en términos de calidad, para la comprensión de la estructura económica de un país desde una perspectiva dinámica y un punto de vista comparativo. No es sorprendente que, a comienzos del siglo XX la historia de la empresa saltó de los Estados Unidos en relación con el modelo del "big business", como un análisis y un profundo examen de la actividad, incluso de un aspecto crítico, se dirigió a algunos tipos de desarrollo y estrategias de la empresa. Como está escrito por Alfred D. Chandler: «La historia de la empresa apareció por primera vez como distinguible sub-campo de la historia económica a finales de los 1920 y en los 1930. Su predecesor, la historia económica, se convirtió en una disciplina identificable sólo unos años antes». La primera Cátedra de Historia de la Empresa se activó en 1927 en la Harvard Business School, y fue cubierta hasta mediados del siglo pasado por Norman S. B. Gras, que se ha decidido dividir la historia de la empresa en seis periodos diferentes: “Pre-business capitalism”, “Petty capitalism”, “Mercantile capitalism”, “Industrial capitalism”, “Financial capitalism”, “National capitalism”. Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Joseph Schumpeter y Arthur H. Cole han fundado el Center for Research in Entrepreneurial History, donde especialistas como Alfred D. Chandler, Thomas Cochran y Landes David fueron capacitados. Ellos estuvieron involucrados en el análisis de la iniciativa empresarial, la relación entre empresas y la sociedad, el papel de la innovación, la relación entre estrategia y estructura, y la capacitación para las organizaciones. Por lo tanto, la experiencia de Estados Unidos sirvió como marcador de pauta en muchos otros Países, donde la historia de la empresa había conocido una amplia difusión de la segunda mitad del siglo pasado. La posibilidad de utilizar archivos corporativos de una manera sistemática ha comenzado a entrar en vigor en Alemania desde 1907, cuando el Archivo de Renania-Westphalisch se estableció. Esto se ha convertido en un punto de referencia para la apertura de instituciones similares en muchos Países. En términos generales, las fuentes para la historia de la empresa se pueden dividir en cuatro tipos diferentes: los generados por la propia empresa - clasificada en primaria y secundaria -, las originadas fuera de la empresa - por ejemplo, las instituciones públicas, sindicatos y asociaciones - y las fuentes orales . La metodología tradicional de investigación en Historia de la Empresa se centra en el uso de las fuentes principales, representadas, sobre todo, de los archivos de empresas. El advenimiento de la "sociedad de la información", no sólo se centra en el cambio de paradigmas tradicionales económico, sino también un profundo replanteamiento de la producción científica, y la distribución del conocimiento. La introducción y el uso de fuentes electrónicas no es un mero efecto de sustitución de antiguos instrumentos, sino una ayuda extraordinaria para seguir avanzando en una disciplina como la historia de la empresa. Estas técnicas y tecnologías innovadoras son una realización y mejora de las fuentes tradicionales, además, desean que se convoque, por supuesto, la apertura a nuevas y más amplias experiencias de estudio y investigación, especialmente en el lado comparativo y la escala global, ofreciendo un conjunto de herramientas, texturas y materiales de gran importancia para la disciplina. Refiriéndose a las oportunidades que ofrecen estas directrices innovadoras, existe la posibilidad de identificar una ruta totalmente nueva, muy útil para la historia de la empresa. El modelo de difusión de la llamada "long tail", es decir, una herramienta que puede proporcionar una nueva clave interpretativa para la comprensión de la transición de la sociedad fordista a la "post-industrial", representa una importante oportunidad para examinar el fenómeno de la evolución de empresas, utilizando las últimas fuentes, tales como electrónica. En cualquier caso, el camino está trazado, la apertura de nuevas perspectivas de estudio de diferentes temas de la historia de la empresa, una disciplina que viene desde lejos, pero muy actual y con la intención de dibujar un futuro no muy corto.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11591/198285
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