Anatomy Of Big Business

First published in 1962, Anatomy of Big Business was long an influential portrait of power and control in the Canadian corporate economy. The Parks demonstrate how, during the course of the twentieth century, major Canadian corporations formed interconnecting groups around the chartered banks as centres of finance. They also show how Canadian business sought out alliances with U.S. capital, and promoted the increased economic dependence of Canada on the U.S. "Our concern," write Libbie and Frank Park in their foreword to this reprint, "was with two related questions: Who owns Canada? and Can Canada survive?" These are questions that remain relevant today.

On Canadian economic problems and the influence of the United States in Canada.

The manner in which Britain, Germany and France have conducted business this century is analysed in this comparative study. It focuses on key companies and business elites and their performance at critical times.

Written in nontechnical terms, Big Business and the Wealth of Nations explains how the dynamics of big business have influenced national and international economies in the twentieth century. A path-breaking study, it provides the first systematic treatment of big business in advanced, emerging, and centrally planned economies from the late nineteenth century, when big businesses first appeared in American and West European manufacturing, to the present. These essays, written by internationally known historians and economists, help one to understand the essential role and functions of big businesses, past and present.

This collection of fresh, incisive scholarship, by some of the leading business historians, critically examines the nature of economic recovery in Britain in recent years. Covering the key issues for business history in this period, the book confronts the traditional literature on conclusions of relative decline, and monocausal, simplistic explanations. It provides an impressive range of studies forming a platform for a new debate on the nature of British business in the 20th century. Themes include productivity, management, research and development, marketing, regional clusters and networks, industrial policy, the use of technology, and gender. Sector studies include newer, post-war hopefuls and successes including: * aerospace, * IT, * retail, * banking, * overseas investment, * the creative industries. The book demonstrates that our understanding of the historic strengths and weaknesses of business in Britain, and the shifting balance between sectors of the economy, has until now been poorly understood, and that British business history needs a fundamental reappraisal.

From the birth of international trade along such exotic trails as the Silk Road to the economics of running a lemonade stand to a day in the life of a CEO, Anatomy of a Business traces the evolution of modern business practices and how they are applied today, in enterprises of all shapes and sizes. Through dozens of examples and illustrations, Anatomy of a Business defines the major types of business (including corporation, partnership, privately-held company, and non-profit) and then metaphorically takes the roof off an office building to peer inside, explaining how each business function, department, and unit—from marketing to finance, executive to human resource management—works. Clearly explaining popular theories and approaches to management; highlighting contemporary issues (such as executive pay and corporate ethics); and featuring such elements as charts and diagrams, interviews, sidebars, illustrations, a glossary, references, career resources, and index, Anatomy of a Business is a colorful introduction to business life for anyone researching or considering a career in business. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary contains no less than a dozen definitions for business, including commercial or mercantile activity, dealings and transactions, and an immediate task or objective. Anatomy of a Business considers these and many other dimensions of business as it takes the reader on a tour of the corporate world. From the birth of international trade along such exotic trails as the Silk Road to the economics of running a lemonade stand to a day in the life of a CEO, Anatomy of a Business traces the evolution of modern business practices and how they are applied today, in enterprises of every shape and size, from the one-person garage operation to the multi-national conglomerate. Through dozens of examples and illustrations, Anatomy of a Business first defines the major types of business (including corporation, partnership, privately-held company, and non-profit) and then metaphorically takes the roof off an office building to peer inside, explaining how each business function, department, and unit—from marketing to finance, executive to human resource management—works, asking such questions as: What does this department do? Why is it vital to the business? What positions and roles do people play? What type of education, knowledge, or experience do they need to succeed? Clearly explaining popular theories and approaches to management; highlighting contemporary issues (such as executive pay and corporate ethics); and featuring such elements as charts and diagrams, interviews, sidebars, illustrations, a glossary, references, career resources, and index, Anatomy of a Business is a colorful introduction to business life for anyone researching or considering a career in business.