British Industrialists
Steel and Hosiery 1850–1950

This 1959 book surveys the changes in the social origins and career patterns of the leaders of two British industries during the previous century.

Charlotte Erickson (Author)

9780521349482, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 14 July 2011

302 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.45 kg

Originally published in 1959, this book surveys the changes in the social origins and career patterns of the leaders of two British industries during the previous century. The biographies of about 1000 managing partners and executive directors from the hosiery industry are pieced together from a variety of sources. Changes in social origins and career patterns are analysed and comparisons made between the leaders of these two very different industries in an attempt to isolate the influence of industry's size and capital requirements on management recruitment. Where possible, comparisons are also made with various studies of American industrial leaders and with other investigations of British industrialists. The book attempts to provide an empirical basis for generalisations about British industrial leadership during the century in which her role in world manufacturing was transformed from that of quasi-monopolist to one of competitor with many other countries.

Foreword T. S. Ashton
Introduction
Part I. The Scope of the Inquiry: 1. Definitions of the industries
2. Areas of the industries covered
3. Sources and method
4. Selection of men
5. Dates covered by the study
6. Proportion of samples covered by the study
Part II. Social Origins of the Steel Manufacturers: 1. Fathers' occupations
2. Place of birth
3. Education
4. Marriages, peerages and wills
Part III. Careers of the Steel Manufacturers: 1. Early experience
2. Experience in the industry
3. Experience in the firm
4. Experience in industry and in firm of professional men
5. Age and length of service
Part IV. Social Origins of the Nottingham Hosiers: 1. The hosiery industry on the eve of the factory
2. Fathers of factory hosiers
3. Place of birth
Part V. Careers of the Hosiery Manufacturers: 1. Early experience
2. Major experience in hosiery
3. Age and term in office
Part VI. The Introduction of New Techniques in Steel-Making: 1. The Bessemer process
2. The open-hearth process
3. The men
Part VII. Hosiery Innovators: 1. The opponents of change
2. The innovators
Part VIII. The Public Company
Appendixes
List of principal works cited
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Economics [KC]