The Corporation: Its History and Future

· Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Ebook
180
Pages
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

This publication traces the corporate path to power and influence in the modern world, and explores whether corporations of the future will become superpowers in their own right or, like the dinosaurs, give way to superior forms. It examines how the emergence of empire-building firms in 16th century Europe gave way to the dominance of American corporations in the 19th and 20th centuries, which is now under threat as new types of corporations arise in China and elsewhere.

The book offers surprising insights, such as why the explorer Sebastian Cabot incorporated while Christopher Columbus did not, how the US Constitution’s silence on corporations gave rise to America’s industrial dominance, and how a 19th century company making matches emerged as the Amazon of its day only to later lose its technological edge. It also discusses the many ways in which societies attempt to reign in corporate power, and the strategies of corporations to bypass controls. The text, furthermore, considers the startling ways in which new social movements, emerging business models and developing technologies—from bitcoin to artificial intelligence—will shape the corporations of the future.

This book will introduce readers to the legal concept of a corporation, along with the economic and societal factors that gave rise to it as the primary means of conducting business in the modern world. With its broad sweep of history, current relevance, and insightful look to the future, this text will appeal to both scholarly and general audiences.

About the author

David Sarokin has a long history of promoting corporate transparency. As an environmentalist, he was instrumental in developing the right-to-know program, adopted internationally to require companies to report their handling and releases of toxic chemicals. He is the author of Missed Information (2016), detailing how society in general, and corporations in particular, can improve decision-making and promote accountability through better collection and management of information. He has worked with major companies in the chemical, automotive and aerospace industries on making their operations safer and less polluting while actually improving their bottom lines.

Jay Schulkin is a noted neurobiologist with wide-ranging interests in how science, technology and philosophical orientation have profoundly influenced human developments in many fields. He is the author of numerous papers and books, including, as co-author with David Sarokin, works on banking, pollution, environmental justice, and, in Missed Information (2016), the central role of information management in business.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.