Alfred D. Chandler Jr – who raise the visible hands of wealthy nations?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present Alfred Chandler's works as one of the main authors to face the business and society field. It synthesizes his conceptual achievements though national capitalisms that he has identified.

Design/methodology/approach

Alfred Chandler's works are summarized analytically. His historic comparative method pinpointed different types of capitalism through managerial hierarchy that enabled firms. National leaders were grounded in their society, and Chandler's works explain economic dominance of big business by organization form they developed.

Findings

Over his intellectual career, Alfred Chandler has conceptualized different types of capitalism related to national business history: the process of visible hands internalization, managerial hierarchy, organizational capability and path of learning; that reflect, respectively, USA, British, German and Japanese type of capitalism according to their own business history. History, society matters, due to Alfred Chandler's considerable influence could open alternative and valuable ways for management and economic studies.

Originality/value

This paper presents management and economic theoretical implications of a prominent leader of the business history field. Arguing why Alfred Chandler's concepts are unique and have opened the crucial importance of implicating management studies to society matters. These preoccupations constitute also – this paper would stress on this point – the core of Society and Business field.

Citation

Chopin, D. (2007), "Alfred D. Chandler Jr – who raise the visible hands of wealthy nations?", Society and Business Review, Vol. 2 No. 3, pp. 316-327. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465680710825497