This book provides an essential historical framework for understanding global business. The author shows how entrepreneurs built a global economy in the nineteenth century by creating firms that pursued resources and markets across borders. It demonstrates how firms shifted strategies as the...

This book examines the evolution of multinational trading companies from the eighteenth century to the present day. During the Industrial Revolution, British merchants established overseas branches which became major trade intermediaries and subsequently engaged in foreign direct investment....

Merchants to Multinationals examines the evolution of multinational trading companies from the eighteenth century to the present day. During the Industrial Revolution, British merchants established overseas branches which became major trade intermediaries and subsequently engaged in foreign...

This is a study of the emergence, growth and performance of British multinational banks from their origins in the 1830s until the present day. British owned banks played leading roles in the financial systems of much of Asia and the Southern hemishere during the nineteenth century and after. In...

Unilever is one of the world's largest suppliers of fast moving consumer goods in foods, home and personal care. It operates in over 100 countries. Its scope and scale make it a unique global corporation. Yet the story of Unilever is not simply a tale of corporate evolution: Unilever is a...

The global beauty business permeates our lives, influencing how we perceive ourselves and what it is to be beautiful. The brands and firms which have shaped this industry, such as Avon, Coty, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, and Shiseido, have imagined beauty for us. This book provides the first...

This Handbook provides a state-of-the-art survey of research in business history. Business historians study the historical evolution of business systems, entrepreneurs and firms, as well as their interaction with their political, economic, and social environment. They address issues of central...