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The enduring logic: the history of business groups in Italy

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  • Andrea Colli
  • Michelangelo Vasta

Abstract

This paper, by merging a qualitative and quantitative approach, focuses on the evolution of business groups (BGs) in Italy along the XX century. By adopting the network analysis, and by using a large and comprehensive dataset (Imita.db), this paper provides various proxy measures of the relevance of the largest BGs in the Italian economy. The analysis, by also providing a taxonomy, clearly shows the persistence of large and entangled BGs in the Italian economy. Moreover, it shows that BGs are present not only among large firms, but in almost all the dimensional and juridical forms of the Italian firms. The paper, by challenging the conventional wisdom, confirms that BGs is neither limited to the less developed countries, nor is simply a second best functional substitute of the M-form characterizing big business around the world

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Colli & Michelangelo Vasta, 2015. "The enduring logic: the history of business groups in Italy," Department of Economics University of Siena 723, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    • Handle: RePEc:usi:wpaper:723
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    File URL: http://repec.deps.unisi.it/quaderni/723.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Federico, Giovanni & Vasta, Michelangelo, 2015. "What Do We Really Know about Protection before the Great Depression: Evidence from Italy," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 75(4), pages 993-1029, December.
    2. Whittington, Richard & Mayer, Michael, 2000. "The European Corporation: Strategy, Structure, and Social Science," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199242085.
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    Cited by:

    1. Asli M. Colpan & Takashi Hikino, 2016. "Diversified Business Groups in the West: History and Theory," Harvard Business School Working Papers 17-035, Harvard Business School.
    2. Peter J. Buckley, 2018. "Internalisation Theory and Outward Direct Investment by Emerging Market Multinationals," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 195-224, April.

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    Keywords

    business groups (BGs); network analysis; Italian capitalism;
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