Business History Research enters the era of "border blur"
November 25, 2019 09:27 Source: "China Social Sciences" November 25, 2019, Total No. 1822 Author: 戢 Fang

early 20th century,Business History as an emerging research field was born in the United States。,It has become a leapfrog history、Economics、Important research areas of management and other disciplines。For a century,The paradigm of business history research has gone through several major changes。Learn from these changes,The purpose of understanding the research of business history、Methods and properties are important。

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As early as the 19th century,Some European scholars' corporate history works already have some characteristics of business history。but,Scholars generally think,The term "business history" was first proposed by Harvard University of Business School, Wallace Donam, in 1926。In the same year,Harvard University Business School published the first business history academic journal "Business History Association Journalism",1954 renamed "Commercial History Review",It is still one of the most important academic magazines in the field of business history。1927,Harvard University Business School hires Norman Gras as the first business history professor,and authorized him to establish the Harvard University Business History Research Center。1931,Harvard University Press began to publish the "Harvard Business History Series Series",Live to this day。Objectively speaking,Harvard Business School is the most important academic institution to promote the development of early business history of the United States。

The rise of business history in the United States,Related to the special context of the times。In the late 19th century, I dropped,The wave of industrialization sweeps the United States,Bet365 app download A group of monopoly giant enterprises were born。Many "progressists" think,Large companies are trying to control socio -economic,Destroy the free tradition of the United States。The upsurge of corporate history research rises from this,Its purpose is to expose the scandal of the big company。After the start of the economic depression,This kind of shady unveiled business history research trend is even more prosperous。

Harvard scholars led by Norman Grasse are committed to eliminating ideological colors in corporate history research,and initially determined the paradigm of business history research。First,The focus of business history research is the company’s actual operation method,instead of the shady behind the company's "hair history"。Next,The path of business history research is from the upper manager,Describe the evolution of individual companies。again,Research on business history should follow the general specifications of history,Pay attention to the collection and preservation of data,At the same time, there must be analysis of long -term period。Last,The object of business history research is not limited to large monopoly companies,It should also include a large number of small and medium -sized enterprises。Glas and others concentratedly studied a number of manufacturing companies with a large scale but long -term successful history in the New England region,Examination of these companies' entrepreneurs、Market Development、New Product Development、Intergenerational transfer of corporate managers and operators。

The 19450s,Harvard scholars represented by Arthur H. Cole draw inspiration from social sciences,Taking the spirit of entrepreneurs as the ideological basis for the research of business history,further promoted the academicization of business history research。At that time,They have been named the name "Harvard School"。

bet365 live casino games "Harvard School" research paradigm,To a large extent, it has promoted the development of business history into a professional、Research field of ideology。but,The research theme of this paradigm is too vague,It is difficult to cause a wide range of interests。And,Compared with the business history of the shady unveiled type,This paradigm gives people a sense of being separated from real politics。In the middle of the years,Business History has gradually become a subsidiary of theoretical economics。

  Chandler opens the management revolution

After World War II,The United States enters the period of high economic development,The relationship between different class and interest groups is relatively eased。Therefore,People start looking at the big company from a more positive perspective,regards it as the contributor of wealth and social progress。At the same time,Social sciences quickly rise,Effect on the entire humanities and social sciences,Sociology steering inspired the research of business history。Alfred Chandler conforms to this social and academic context,Determined research paradigm of modern American business history。

First,Chandler has revised the theme of business history research。Since the 1950s and 1960s,The research theme of business history of American business is narrowing。On the one hand,"Is an entrepreneur and a big company a robber or a hero?",Still the theme of many business history works; on the other hand,Entrepreneur biography and research on individual companies,Corporate history has almost become synonymous with business history。Chandler posted a good medicine for these two major disadvantages。First,The research theme of business history is not a moral judgment on entrepreneurs and companies,But tell the history of entrepreneurs and companies truthfully。Second,Business history should place entrepreneurs and companies in a more complex historical context,bet365 best casino games Discover the relationship between commercial changes and historical changes。

Next,Chandler expanded the content of business history research,Incorporate management into the research field of business history。1962,He published "Strategy and Structure -Chapters of the Growth of American Business Enterprises",For the first time, management is the focus of business history research。He thinks,The management structure of the enterprise must follow the strategy and change,When the enterprise adopts an expansion investment strategy,The bigger the target,The more you need to develop a management structure that can coordinate input traffic and output distribution。

Based on this,Chandler opened the "Management Revolution" in the research of American business history,The inspection of corporate managers and organizational systems has become the core of business history research。Since Adam Smith,People generally think,The self -regulation and distribution mechanism of the market is a "invisible hand",It can coordinate the allocation of economic resources at the highest efficiency。Chandler challenged this concept。He thinks,Since the late 19th century,American companies have undergone fundamental changes in organizational structure and management methods。First,A professional management level in many companies,They become the core and soul of the enterprise。Next,Little function、Operating a single traditional small enterprise,Gradually by a large multi -unit、Multifunctional modern industrial and commercial enterprises replaced。These two changes,enable enterprises to supply raw materials internally、Production、Control of the overall process of allocation and final consumption。Compared with the market,This "visible hand" is more efficient、The cost is lower。This view shakes the foundation of mainstream Bet365 lotto review economics,Let people realize for the first time,The process of market regulation is not automatically occurred,Market structure is not the decisive factor of economic performance,Instead, the results of management decision -making and influencing institutional frameworks that affect corporate organizations。

The late 20th century,Almost all American business history works have obvious Chandler Seal,Some scholars directly refer to American business history research methods as "Chandler paradigm"。His research is also for Britain、Business historians in Germany and Japan have had an important impact,So as to international business history research, "management steering"。

  Try to surpass Qian Deller

Since the end of the 20th century,There are constant scholars who point out the problem of Chandler mode。For example,Ignore the personality of the manager; almost completely ignore the company's underlying employees; it has obvious "de -political" characteristics; ignore the inspection of government and public policies。On the basis of making up for these shortcomings,Scholars try to surpass Qian Deller,Build a new research paradigm of business history。

First,Studies on the history of traditional corporate history of a single enterprise have the trend of revival。Many researchers think,Chandler's paradigm is too much emphasized in the activity mode of internal and enterprises,Can't show the uniqueness of the enterprise。Therefore,They re -study the history of a single enterprise。These studies often focus on the behavior of the upper management personnel、The development of special products and services of enterprises and important external events。

Second,The degree of attention to small and medium -sized enterprises continues to increase。Always,Most business history researchers are concerned about large companies,In recent years,Many scholars point out,A large number of small and medium -sized Bet365 app download enterprises, especially family businesses,Have lasting vitality,Created a huge value,worthy of attention。Current,The hottest theme is to examine how small companies can adapt to the country and large enterprises。

third,Research on multinational companies in the ascendant。This trend has emerged in the 1970s。Before that,Scholars focus on the transnational flow of capital。Since then,The research field of scholars expands from overseas investment to a wider range of areas。For example,Scientific management concepts in the United States、Communication between Japan and European countries; international differences in higher commercial education; the influence of corporate culture of large companies within the scope of transnational scope; heterogeneous influence on multinational companies。

Fourth,The relationship between the government and business activities is one of the popular research fields in the United States。where,Fusion of business history and public policy history,It is considered to be the most promising research direction。The latest research believes,Commercial decision -making is deeply influenced by public policy; at some specific historical stages,The relationship between commercial decision -making and public policy is often complex and changeable。

Fifth,Business history began to participate in the latest historical research trend。Women's History、History of multinational countries、Emerging historical trends such as emotional history,Both the attention of business historians。The leading scholar of the history of new capitalism Sven Baker Yingying Harvard Business School Invitation,Leading students to jointly study the history of business and capitalism。

Overall,The research of business history in the United States is entering an increasingly diverse、The era where the border is getting blurred。Large companies and small and medium -sized enterprises bet365 Play online games are important research objects,Technical innovation and management changes are all research focus,Two perspectives from bottom to top and top -down,Political factors and business behaviors are no longer split。but,In these fields,Scholars who can define the research field like Chandler。Although some scholars tried to build a new business history research paradigm,But can you succeed,It is far unknown。

 (Author Unit: School of Business Administration, Hubei Institute of Economics)

Editor in charge: Wang Ning
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