Offers a comprehensive international survey of contemporary research and debates in business history.

Acknowledgments; List of contributors; 1. Introduction Franco Amatori and Geoffrey Jones; Part I. General Issues, Open Questions, Controversies: 2. Identity and the boundaries of business history: an essay on consensus and creativity Louis Galambos; 3. Understanding innovative enterprise: toward the integration of economic theory and business history William Lazonick; 4. Productive alternatives: flexibility, governance, and strategic choice in industrial history Jonathan Zeitlin; Part II. Area Patterns: 5. Business history in the United States at the end of the twentieth century William J. Hausman; 6. British and Dutch business history Geoffrey Jones and Keetie E. Sluyterman; 7. Scandinavian business history at the end of the 1990s: its prior development, present situation, and future Håkan Lindgren; 8. Business history in German-speaking states at the end of the century, achievements and gaps Harm G. Schröter; 9. Business history in France Youssef Cassis; 10. Business history in Italy at the turn of the century Franco Amatori and Giorgio Bigatti; 11. Business history in Spain Albert Carreras, Xavier Tafunell, and Eugenio Torres; 12. Business history in Greece: the state of the art and future prospects Margarita Dritsas; 13. The state of business history in Japan: cross-national comparisons and international relations Akira Kudô; 14. Chinese business history: its development, present situation, and future direction Chi-Kong Lai; 15. Business history in Latin America: issues and debates María Inés Barbero; Part III. Comparative Business History: 16. Family firms in comparative perspectives Andrea Colli and Mary B. Rose; 17. Multinationals Geoffrey Jones; 18. Business-government relations: beyond performance issues Mathias Kipping; 19. The opportunities for business history at the beginning of the twenty-first century Alfred D. Chandler, Jr.; Index.