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Organizational Capabilities and the Economic History of the Industrial Enterprise

Author

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  • Alfred D. Chandler

Abstract

In my book Scale and Scope (1990), I focused on the history of the modern industrial firm from the 1880s, when such firms first appeared, through World War II. I did so by comparing the fortunes of more than 600 enterprises—the 200 largest industrial firms at three points in time (World War I, 1929, and World War II) in each of the three major industrial economies (those of the United States, Britain, and Germany). In this paper, I first describe the similarities in the historical beginnings and continuing evolution of these enterprises and then outline my explanation for these similarities. Next, I relate my explanation of these "empirical regularities" to four major economic theories relating to the firm: the neoclassical, the principal-agent, the transaction cost, and the evolutionary. Finally, I suggest the value of the transactions cost and evolutionary theories to historians and economists who are attempting to explain the beginnings and growth of modern industrial enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Alfred D. Chandler, 1992. "Organizational Capabilities and the Economic History of the Industrial Enterprise," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 79-100, Summer.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:6:y:1992:i:3:p:79-100
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.6.3.79
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    File URL: http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jep.6.3.79
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1991. "Takeovers in the '60s and the '80s: Evidence and implications," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S2), pages 51-59, December.
    2. Winter, Sidney G, 1988. "On Coase, Competence, and the Corporation," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(1), pages 163-180, Spring.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N01 - Economic History - - General - - - Development of the Discipline: Historiographical; Sources and Methods
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • N62 - Economic History - - Manufacturing and Construction - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • N64 - Economic History - - Manufacturing and Construction - - - Europe: 1913-

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