As the 20th century drew to a close, the trend to globalisation became the focus of vigorous debate across the economic and political spectrum. It fascinated businessmen, intoxicated stock markets, angered trade unions, confused politicians and divided academic commentators. Everybody agreed, however, that one key element of the process of globalisation was the role played by new technology. Clearly, technological change has driven globalisation forward, but is it new? Does the evolution of 'globalised technology' have earlier, historical origins? Putting the transfer of technology between nations into historical context, this book considers the degree to which global technologies have made national institutions and traditions of technology redundant. We know that globalisation erodes national cultural values and even the sovereignty of nation states; does it also lead to standardised global technology? Bringing together a cross-disciplinary gathering of scholars from both sides of the Atlantic, this book addresses these questions within a broad historical framework.

This collection of fresh, incisive scholarship, by some of the leading business historians, critically examines the nature of economic recovery in Britain in recent years. Covering the key issues for business history in this period, the book confronts the traditional literature on conclusions of relative decline, and monocausal, simplistic explanations. It provides an impressive range of studies forming a platform for a new debate on the nature of British business in the 20th century.
Themes include productivity, management, research and development, marketing, regional clusters and networks, industrial policy, the use of technology, and gender. Sector studies include newer, post-war hopefuls and successes including:
* aerospace,
* IT,
* retail,
* banking,
* overseas investment,
* the creative industries.
The book demonstrates that our understanding of the historic strengths and weaknesses of business in Britain, and the shifting balance between sectors of the economy, has until now been poorly understood, and that British business history needs a fundamental reappraisal.