The History of Family Business 1850-2000

This slim scholarly volume looks at the modern era of family business from the starting point of the first industrial revolution through today's technology-driven economy dominated by global conglomerates. Author Andrea Colli, from the Universitá Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan, takes an analytical look at the historical evolution of the family business, the impact of technology and market structures, and how family businesses fit with the notion of culture in different parts of the world. In Europe, says Colli, family businesses are considered in terms of the community; in the U.S. the family business is considered a commodity to be traded on the open market. This book is an interesting take on a business unit that had, until the mid-19th century, been the mainstay of many countries' economies.