Firm development as an integrated process: with evidence from the General Motors - Fisher Body case

Michael Dietrich and Jackie Krafft

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Abstract: This paper argues that an adequate approach to the firm should be able to accommodate the complexities of actual firm development. The latter is conceptualized in terms of three general stages: prime movers or drivers of change, change processes, and change attractors. Furthermore, any "real-world" firm is both a technical and an institutional unit. To emphasize the importance of "real firm" analysis, the discussion presented here revolves around an understanding of the much considered case of General Motors and Fisher Body integration has developed over time. Generalization from this case suggests that an integrated view of the firm is necessary that combines the three stages and the two bases (technical and institutional). Six general perspectives on the firm are identified as having technical or institutional bases that are relevant in each of the three stages. This integrated approach to the firm is explored in terms of the general topic of firm development. It is concluded that, without an integrated approach to firm development, a potentially biased or incomplete analysis can result.

Keywords: economics of the firm; firm development; vertical integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00538414v1
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Published in Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 2011, 21 (4), pp.665-686. ⟨10.2007/s00191-010-0195-z⟩

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Journal Article: Firm development as an integrated process: with evidence from the General Motors–Fisher Body case (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00538414

DOI: 10.2007/s00191-010-0195-z

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