IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/humman/v1y2017i2d10.1007_s41463-016-0017-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Grounding a Theory of Firms in the Natural Sciences

Author

Listed:
  • Shann Turnbull

    (International Institute for Self-governance)

Abstract

This paper grounds the theory of any type of firm in the science of control and communication described as cybernetics. It is also grounded in the physiological and neurological limitations of humans to receive, store, process and act upon data to coordinate their activities. To overcome limitations in the market failure theory of the firm identified by leading scholars, Transaction Byte Analysis (TBA) is introduced. TBA is based on economising bytes rather than costs and is applicable to all types of organisations of any specie. TBA is shown to subsume Transaction Cost Economics and explain why firms exist as hierarchies or in other forms. Inconsistent and contrary behaviour in humans are recognised. Cybernetic laws show how to minimise these problems and allow people with limited ability to transact bytes to improve their ability and reliability to manage complexity in social institutions. TBA is used to provide answers to questions raised by Zingales in his search for “new foundations” to explain how different types firms arise in the new economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Shann Turnbull, 2017. "Grounding a Theory of Firms in the Natural Sciences," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 1(2), pages 159-186, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:humman:v:1:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s41463-016-0017-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s41463-016-0017-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41463-016-0017-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41463-016-0017-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alchian, Armen A & Demsetz, Harold, 1972. "Production , Information Costs, and Economic Organization," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(5), pages 777-795, December.
    2. Michael E. Porter, 1992. "Capital Choices: Changing The Way America Invests In Industry," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 5(2), pages 4-16, June.
    3. Michael C. Jensen, 2010. "The Modern Industrial Revolution, Exit, and the Failure of Internal Control Systems," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 22(1), pages 43-58, January.
    4. Persson, T & Roland, G & Tabellini, G, 1996. "Sparation of Powers and Accountability : Towards a Formal Approach to Comparative Politics," Papers 612, Stockholm - International Economic Studies.
    5. Williamson, Oliver E, 1979. "Transaction-Cost Economics: The Governance of Contractural Relations," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(2), pages 233-261, October.
    6. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    7. Roger B. Myerson & Daniel Diermeier, 1999. "Bicameralism and Its Consequences for the Internal Organization of Legislatures," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(5), pages 1182-1196, December.
    8. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    9. Armen A. Alchian, 1950. "Uncertainty, Evolution, and Economic Theory," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(3), pages 211-211.
    10. Luigi Zingales, 2000. "In Search of New Foundations," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(4), pages 1623-1653, August.
    11. Arthur De Vany, 1998. "How Much Information is There in an Economic Organization and Why Can't Large Ones be Optimal?," Brazilian Electronic Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, vol. 1(1), July.
    12. Michael Pirson & Shann Turnbull, 2011. "Toward a More Humanistic Governance Model: Network Governance Structures," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(1), pages 101-114, March.
    13. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez‐De‐Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 1999. "Corporate Ownership Around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(2), pages 471-517, April.
    14. Radner, Roy, 2000. "Costly and Bounded Rationality in Individual and Team Decision-Making," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 9(4), pages 623-658, December.
    15. Oliver E. Williamson (ed.), 1990. "Industrial Organization," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 593.
    16. Clifford W. Smith, 2001. "Organizational Architecture And Corporate Finance," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 24(1), pages 1-13, March.
    17. Klaes, Matthias, 2000. "The Birth of the Concept of Transaction Costs: Issues and Controversies," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 9(4), pages 567-593, December.
    18. Shann Turnbull, 2007. "Analysing Network Governance of Public Assets," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 1079-1089, November.
    19. Shann Turnbull, 2002. "The Science of Corporate Governance," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(4), pages 261-277, October.
    20. Williamson, Oliver E, 1988. "The Logic of Economic Organization," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(1), pages 65-93, Spring.
    21. Siti Nuryanah & Sardar M. N. Islam, 2015. "Corporate Governance and Financial Management," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-43561-3, September.
    22. Shann Turnbull, 1995. "Case Study: Innovations in Corporate Governance: The Mondragón experience," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(3), pages 167-180, July.
    23. Simon, Herbert A., 1984. "On the behavioral and rational foundations of economic dynamics," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 35-55, March.
    24. Lex Donaldson & James H. Davis, 1994. "Boards and Company Performance ‐ Research Challenges the Conventional Wisdom," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(3), pages 151-160, July.
    25. Kester, W Carl, 1992. "Industrial Groups as Systems of Contractual Governance," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 8(3), pages 24-44, Autumn.
    26. Masahiko Aoki, 1998. "An Information Theoretic Approach to Comparative Corporate Governance," Working Papers 99004, Stanford University, Department of Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bayrak, Tuncay, 2021. "A framework for decision makers to design a business analytics platform for distributed organizations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shann Turnbull, 2007. "Analysing Network Governance of Public Assets," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 1079-1089, November.
    2. Iavor Marangozov, 2005. "From Practice to Theory of the International Joint Ventures," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 44-77.
    3. Gérard Charreaux, 2002. "Variation sur le thème:"À la recherche de nouvelles fondations pour la finance et la gouvernance d'entreprise"," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 5(3), pages 5-68, September.
    4. Attiya Y. Javid & Robina Iqbal, 2010. "Corporate Governance in Pakistan : Corporate Valuation, Ownership and Financing," Governance Working Papers 22830, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    5. Naeem Tabassum & Satwinder Singh, 2020. "Corporate Governance and Organisational Performance," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-030-48527-6, June.
    6. Wu, Hsueh-Liang, 2011. "Can minority state ownership influence firm value? Universal and contingency views of its governance effects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(8), pages 839-845, August.
    7. Christian Engelen, 2015. "The effects of managerial discretion on moral hazard related behaviour: German evidence on agency costs," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 19(4), pages 927-960, November.
    8. Claudio Loderer & Lukas Roth & Urs Waelchli & Petra Joerg, 2010. "Shareholder Value: Principles, Declarations, and Actions," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 39(1), pages 5-32, March.
    9. J. Mulherin, 2005. "Corporations, collective action and corporate governance: One size does not fit all," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 179-204, July.
    10. Sellami Basma, 2008. "Gouvernement D'Entreprise Et Investissement En R&D : Une Etude Sur Le Sbf 250," Post-Print halshs-00525983, HAL.
    11. Dorothee Feils & Manzur Rahman & Florin Şabac, 2018. "Corporate Governance Systems Diversity: A Coasian Perspective on Stakeholder Rights," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(2), pages 451-466, June.
    12. Heinrich, Ralph P., 1999. "Complementarities in Corporate Governance - A Survey of the Literature with Special Emphasis on Japan," Kiel Working Papers 947, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    13. Pascal Louvet & Ollivier Taramasco, 2004. "Gouvernement d’entreprise:un modèle de répartition de la valeur créée entre dirigeant et actionnaire," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 7(1), pages 81-116, March.
    14. Goergen, Marc & Manjon, Miguel C. & Renneboog, Luc, 2008. "Recent developments in German corporate governance," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 175-193, September.
    15. Rimon Emile & Aiman Ragab & Sandy Kyaw, 2014. "The Effect of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance, Evidence from Egypt," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(12), pages 1865-1877, December.
    16. Heugens, P.P.M.A.R. & Kaptein, S.P. & van Oosterhout, J., 2007. "Contracts to Communities: A Processual Model of Organizational Virtue," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2007-023-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    17. Constant Djama, 2008. "Fraude A L'Information Comptable Et Financiere : Le Role Des Autorites De Regulation," Post-Print halshs-00522510, HAL.
    18. Martin Conyon & Annita Florou, 2002. "Top executive dismissal, ownership and corporate performance," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 209-225.
    19. Chen, Anlin & Kao, Lanfeng & Lu, Cheng-Shou, 2014. "Controlling ownership and firm performance in Taiwan: The role of external competition and internal governance," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 219-238.
    20. Bansal, Shashank & Thenmozhi, M., 2020. "Does Concentrated Founder Ownership Affect Related Party Transactions? Evidence from an Emerging Economy," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:humman:v:1:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s41463-016-0017-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.