Comparing evolutionary dynamics across different national settings: the case of the synthetic dye industry, 1857–1914
Journal
Journal of Evolutionary Economics : JEE
ISSN
0936-9937
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2001-02
Author(s)
Abstract
Current models of industry evolution suggest that development patterns should be the same across different levels of analysis. In comparing the evolution of the synthetic dye industry at the global level and in the five major producer countries before World War I (Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland and the United States), it is shown that patterns of industry evolution differed significantly across national contexts. Based on a quantitative and qualitative database of all firms and plants in the industry, the paper analyzes how German firms came to dominate the industry and identifies factors such as availabilities of crucial skills, economies of scale and scope, and positive feedback mechanisms between firms and national institutions that likely produced these national differences. The empirical analysis calls for formal models of evolution that incorporate differences in institutional environments.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Springer
Volume
11
Number
2
Start page
177
End page
205
Pages
28
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Contact Email Address
peter.murmann@unisg.ch
Eprints ID
255427
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Name
Murmann_JEE.pdf
Size
165.01 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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