IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-02891111.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Eugen Schmalenbach, Austrian economics, and German business economics

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Olbrich

    (IWP - Institut für Wirtschaftsprüfung (Universität des Saarlandes - Saarland University))

  • David J. Rapp

    (ETHOS - Ethique, Technologies, Humains, Organisations, Société - IMT-BS - DEFI - Département Droit, Economie et Finances - TEM - Télécom Ecole de Management - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - LSH - Département Langues et Sciences Humaines - TEM - Télécom Ecole de Management - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - MMS - Département Management, Marketing et Stratégie - TEM - Télécom Ecole de Management - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - TIM - Département Technologies, Information & Management - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], IMT-BS - DEFI - Département Droit, Economie et Finances - TEM - Télécom Ecole de Management - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], LITEM - Laboratoire en Innovation, Technologies, Economie et Management (EA 7363) - UEVE - Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne - Université Paris-Saclay - IMT-BS - Institut Mines-Télécom Business School - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris])

  • Florian Follert

    (IWP - Institut für Wirtschaftsprüfung (Universität des Saarlandes - Saarland University))

Abstract

Eugen Schmalenbach was one of the founding fathers of business economics theory in the German-speaking world in the first half of the twentieth century. While Mises mentions or discusses Schmalenbach's work several times and Schmalenbach refers to, for example, Menger and Böhm-Bawerk, his opus and its significance for Austrian theorizing is largely ignored by today's Austrian scientific community. This fact is astonishing given that Schmalenbach's work smoothly integrates with and, even more importantly, enhances the reach of Austrian theory into the field of business economics, particularly with regard to the vast field of economic calculation. Based on Austrian insights, Schmalenbach published extensive approaches to both retrospective and anticipatory monetary calculation that serve the entrepreneur in making decisions on the use of scarce resources and in assessing the success of such decisions ex post. Hence, he operationalized Austrian economic calculation to enable the individual entrepreneur to concretely exercise it in his routine course of business. The conceptual ideas of Schmalenbach are cornerstones of Prussian-German business economics (Betriebswirtschaftslehre) which has been taught in universities and business schools in German-speaking countries for more than a century now. This paper, therefore, aims to introduce the Austrian community to Schmalenbach's work, to emphasize its significance for the advancement of Austrian theorizing, and to illustrate the close relations between Austrian economics and German business economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Olbrich & David J. Rapp & Florian Follert, 2022. "Eugen Schmalenbach, Austrian economics, and German business economics," Post-Print hal-02891111, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02891111
    DOI: 10.1007/s11138-020-00520-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
    1. Check below whether another version of this item is available online.
    2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
    3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gerrit Brösel & Manfred J. Matschke & Michael Olbrich, 2012. "Valuation of entrepreneurial businesses," International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(3), pages 239-256.
    2. Peter J. Boettke (ed.), 1994. "The Elgar Companion to Austrian Economics," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 53.
    3. Gerrit Brosel & Martin Toll & Mario Zimmermann, 2012. "Lessons learned from the financial crisis - unveiling alternative approaches within valuation and accounting theory," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2012(4), pages 87-107.
    4. Peter J. Boettke & Christopher J. Coyne & Patrick Newman, 2016. "The History of a Tradition: Austrian Economics from 1871 to 2016," Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, in: Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, volume 34, pages 199-243, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    5. Klein, Peter G, 1996. "Economic Calculation and the Limits of Organization," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 9(2), pages 3-28.
    6. Jack Hirshleifer, 1956. "On the Economics of Transfer Pricing," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29, pages 172-172.
    7. Jeffrey M. Herbener & David J. Rapp, 2016. "Toward a subjective approach to investment appraisal in light of Austrian value theory," Post-Print hal-02320432, HAL.
    8. Michael Olbrich & Tobias Quill & David J. Rapp, 2015. "Business valuation inspired by the Austrian school," Post-Print hal-02396880, HAL.
    9. Peter Boettke & Christopher Coyne & Peter Leeson & Frederic Sautet, 2005. "The New Comparative Political Economy," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 18(3), pages 281-304, December.
    10. Florian Follert & Jeffrey M. Herbener & Michael Olbrich & David J. Rapp, 2018. "Agree or disagree? On the role of negotiations for the valuation of business enterprises," Post-Print hal-02320355, HAL.
    11. Peter Lewin & Nicolás Cachanosky, 2018. "Value and capital: Austrian capital theory, retrospect and Prospect," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 31(1), pages 1-26, March.
    12. Braun, Eduard & Lewin, Peter & Cachanosky, Nicolã S, 2016. "Ludwig von Mises's approach to capital as a bridge between Austrian and institutional economics," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(4), pages 847-866, December.
    13. Jerome E. Hass, 1968. "Transfer Pricing in a Decentralized Firm," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(6), pages 310-331, February.
    14. Peter J. Boettke & Ennio E. Piano, 2019. "Capital, Calculation, and Coordination☆," Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, in: Including a Symposium on Ludwig Lachmann, volume 37, pages 9-24, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    15. Ronen, J & Mckinney, G, 1970. "Transfer Pricing For Divisional Autonomy," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(1), pages 99-112.
    16. David J. Rapp & Michael Olbrich & Christoph Venitz, 2018. "Subjectivity, arbitrariness, Austrian value theory, and a reply to Leithner," Post-Print hal-02320399, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michael Olbrich & David J. Rapp & Florian Follert, 2022. "Eugen Schmalenbach, Austrian economics, and German business economics," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 205-233, June.
    2. Peter C. Dawson & Stephen M. Miller, 2009. "International Transfer Pricing for Goods and Intangible Asset Licenses in a Decentralized Multinational Corporation: Review and Extensions," Working Papers 0901, University of Nevada, Las Vegas , Department of Economics.
    3. Pfeiffer, Thomas, 1999. "Transfer pricing and decentralized dynamic lot-sizing in multistage, multiproduct production processes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(2), pages 319-330, July.
    4. William J. Luther & J. P. McElyea, 2018. "Austrian Macroeconomics in Search of Its Uniqueness," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 33(Summer 20), pages 1-20.
    5. Lantz, Björn, 2009. "The double marginalization problem of transfer pricing: Theory and experiment," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 196(2), pages 434-439, July.
    6. Sprinkle, Geoffrey B., 2003. "Perspectives on experimental research in managerial accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 287-318.
    7. V. G. Narayanan & Michael Smith, 2000. "Impact of Competition and Taxes on Responsibility Center Organization and Transfer Prices," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(3), pages 497-529, September.
    8. Clemens Löffler & Thomas Pfeiffer & Ulf Schiller & Joachim Wagner, 2011. "Zentralisierung, Transferpreise und spezifische Investitionen: Ein selektiver Verfahrensvergleich," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 63(63), pages 1-33, January.
    9. Christian Toll & Thomas Hering, 2017. "Valuation of Company Merger from the Shareholders’ Point of View," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 19(46), pages 836-836, August.
    10. Darcy W E Allen, 2020. "When Entrepreneurs Meet:The Collective Governance of New Ideas," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number q0269, January.
    11. John Christensen, 2019. "Corporate choice and individual values: using accounting to align incentives," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 95-114, April.
    12. Nicolai J. Foss, 1998. "Firms and the Coordination of KnowledgeSome Austrian Insights," DRUID Working Papers 98-19, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    13. Avila, Marcos & Ronen, Joshua, 1999. "Transfer-pricing mechanisms: An experimental investigation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 689-715, July.
    14. Erickson, Gary M., 2012. "Transfer pricing in a dynamic marketing-operations interface," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 216(2), pages 326-333.
    15. Eric John Slof, 1999. "Transfer prices and incentive contracts in vertically-integrated divisionalized companies," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 265-286.
    16. Peter Lewin & Nicolas Cachanosky, 2020. "Entrepreneurship in a theory of capital and finance—Illustrating the use of subjective quantification," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(5), pages 735-743, July.
    17. Edward Johnson & Nicole Bastian Johnson & Thomas Pfeiffer, 2016. "Dual transfer pricing with internal and external trade," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 140-164, March.
    18. Nicholas Dopuch, 1992. "Discussion of “Incentive compensation schemes: Experimental calibration of the rationality hypothesisâ€," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(2), pages 409-414, March.
    19. Liu, Guowei & Zhang, Jianxiong & Tang, Wansheng, 2015. "Strategic transfer pricing in a marketing–operations interface with quality level and advertising dependent goodwill," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-15.
    20. William J. Luther, 2021. "Two paths forward for Austrian macroeconomics," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 34(2), pages 289-297, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02891111. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.