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Careers and wages in the dutch east india company

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  • Claudia Rei

    (Department of Economics, Vanderbilt University)

Abstract

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, inter-continental trade brought with it a novel form of organizing business: the multinational firm. Headquartered in Europe and operating in Asia, the success of the East India Companies depended largely on the management of overseas outposts, as well as their labor force. Using a dataset of 115 workers hired in Europe to work in Asia, I present the internal structure of civil servants careers and wages in the Dutch East India Company in the eighteenth century. This early modern firm mimics well current theories of internal labor markets: there are stable career paths, fast tracks in promotions, and sizable returns to tenure.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Rei, 2012. "Careers and wages in the dutch east india company," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 12-00007, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:van:wpaper:vuecon-12-00007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    merchant empires; careers; returns to tenure;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General

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