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The Network-Firm as a Single Real Entity: Beyond the Aggregate of Distinct Legal Entities

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  • Virgile Chassagnon

    (LEFI - Laboratoire d'Economie de la Firme et des Institutions - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2)

Abstract

This paper intends to depart from a critique of the nexus of contracts theory of the firm endowed with its moral personification to propose some theoretical foundations of the firm as a real entity. Some old legal views of the corporation are mobilized to complete the conceptual vacuity of economic theories. This provides crucial insights for modern complex organizations such as the network-firm. The integrating and unifying role of intra-network power relationships is then emphasized and some law and economics of the network-firm are ultimately proposed to clarify the argument that the network-firm − as the firm stricto sensu − is a singular real entity composed from distinct legal entities.

Suggested Citation

  • Virgile Chassagnon, 2008. "The Network-Firm as a Single Real Entity: Beyond the Aggregate of Distinct Legal Entities," Post-Print halshs-00374978, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00374978
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00374978
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    Cited by:

    1. Chassagnon, Virgile, 2014. "Consummate cooperation in the network-firm: Theoretical insights and empirical findings," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 260-274.
    2. Virgile Chassagnon, 2014. "Toward a Social Ontology of the Firm: Reconstitution, Organizing Entity, Institution, Social Emergence and Power," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(2), pages 197-208, October.
    3. Virgile Chassagnon & Bernard Baudry, 2016. "American versus French labor and employment law : a critical review of the analysis of employment relationship in contract economic theories," Working Papers halshs-01371870, HAL.
    4. Virgile Chassagnon, 2012. "Pouvoir et coopération dans la firme et entre les firmes," Post-Print halshs-00818301, HAL.
    5. Chassagnon, Virgile, 2012. "Une analyse historique de la nature juridique de la firme," Revue de la Régulation - Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, Association Recherche et Régulation, vol. 12.
    6. Ivan Rodrigo Rizzo Dias & George Bedinelli Rossi, 2017. "How far is World Champion from World Class? Institutional effects on a Brazilian non-profit sports organization," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 14(Special I), pages 24-44, January.

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