Edward Elgar Publishing FAMILY BUSINESS (The International Library of Critical Writings in Business History series)

Review '. . . the collection is an excellent introduction to the issues and literature on the history of the family firm.' -- David J. Jeremy, Business History Product Description Family businesses, have been instrumental in the industrialization of most countries and remain an important dimension of modern economies world wide. Yet analyses of international differences in Western micro- and macroeconomic performance, since the late nineteenth century, have usually been focused upon the rise and capabilities of the American-style business corporation. In this context, while family business has not been without its champions, these firms were often dismissed as inferior alternatives to managerial capitalism and the source of economic decline. As a result they have received, until comparatively recently, less attention than they deserve. This collection of essays which spans more than forty years of scholarship on family business is not confined to the discussion of Western firms. Instead contributions cover their role, capabilities and performance on four continents and include the work of leading institutional and development economists and sociologist as well as business and economic historians. About the Author Edited by Mary B. Rose, Senior Lecturer in Business History, Economics Department, Lancaster University, UK