Merchant networks and profits on merchant capital in the Mediterranean (Majorca, 18th century)

Carles Manera, Antònia Morey and Andreu Seguí

Business History, 2024, vol. 66, issue 5, 1103-1125

Abstract: This paper considers the relationship between merchant networks and the rate of profit on merchant capital (RPMC), that is, the ratio of net profit to investment. A case study focusing on Majorca in the eighteenth century shows how merchants built up their personal networks in order to gather information and reduce the uncertainty of maritime business. The rate of profit is an additional indicator of the strength of ties and the need to diversify investments by incorporating estate and tax farming, as well as public supply contracts, all of which was only possible through the control that networks bestowed on big merchants.

Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00076791.2022.2087632 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:bushst:v:66:y:2024:i:5:p:1103-1125

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/FBSH20

DOI: 10.1080/00076791.2022.2087632

Access Statistics for this article

Business History is currently edited by Professor John Wilson and Professor Steven Toms

More articles in Business History from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().