Regional business networks and the diffusion of american management and organisational models to Norway, 1945-65

Business History

Volumn 39, Issue 1, 1997, Pages 72-90

  Amdam, Rolv Fetter ^a   Bjarnar, Ove ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF READING   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0007406889     PISSN: 00076791     EISSN: 17437938     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00076799700000004     Document Type: Review

References (71)

1. A. Carrew, Labour under the Marshall Plan: The Politics of Productivity and the Marketing of Management Science (Manchester, 1987); M.F. Guillén, Models of Management: Work, Authority and Organization in a Comparative Perspective (Chicago, 1994); N. Tiratsoo and J. Tomlinson, Industrial Efficiency and State Intervention: Labour 1939-51 (London, 1993).
2. A. Carrew, Labour under the Marshall Plan: The Politics of Productivity and the Marketing of Management Science (Manchester, 1987); M.F. Guillén, Models of Management: Work, Authority and Organization in a Comparative Perspective (Chicago, 1994); N. Tiratsoo and J. Tomlinson, Industrial Efficiency and State Intervention: Labour 1939-51 (London, 1993).
3. A. Carrew, Labour under the Marshall Plan: The Politics of Productivity and the Marketing of Management Science (Manchester, 1987); M.F. Guillén, Models of Management: Work, Authority and Organization in a Comparative Perspective (Chicago, 1994); N. Tiratsoo and J. Tomlinson, Industrial Efficiency and State Intervention: Labour 1939-51 (London, 1993).
4. H. Glimstedt, 'Non-Fordist Routes to Modernization: Production, Innovation, and the Political Construction of Markets in the Swedish Automobile Industry before 1960', Business and Economic History, Vol.24 No.1 (1995), pp.243-5; J. Zeitlin, 'Americanization and its Limits. Theory and Practice in the Reconstruction of Britain's Engineering Industries, 1945-55', Business and Economic History, Vol.24 No.1 (1995), pp.277-86.
5. H. Glimstedt, 'Non-Fordist Routes to Modernization: Production, Innovation, and the Political Construction of Markets in the Swedish Automobile Industry before 1960', Business and Economic History, Vol.24 No.1 (1995), pp.243-5; J. Zeitlin, 'Americanization and its Limits. Theory and Practice in the Reconstruction of Britain's Engineering Industries, 1945-55', Business and Economic History, Vol.24 No.1 (1995), pp.277-86.
6. R.P. Amdam and G. Yttri, 'National Institutions and the Diffusion and Adoption of American Management Ideas: The European Productivity Agency, the Norwegian Productivity Institute, and Management Education', in T. Gourvish and N. Tiratsoo (eds.), The United States, Technical Assistance and European Management Education, 1945-1960 (forthcoming); G. Gemelli, 'American Influence on European Management Education: The Role of the Ford Foundation', in R.P. Amdam (ed.), Management Education and Competition: Europe, Japan and the United States (London, 1996); H. de Man and L. Karsten, 'Academic Management Education in the Netherlands', in L. Engwall and E. Gunnarsson (eds.), Management Studies in an Academic Context (Uppsala, 1994).
7. R.P. Amdam and G. Yttri, 'National Institutions and the Diffusion and Adoption of American Management Ideas: The European Productivity Agency, the Norwegian Productivity Institute, and Management Education', in T. Gourvish and N. Tiratsoo (eds.), The United States, Technical Assistance and European Management Education, 1945-1960 (forthcoming); G. Gemelli, 'American Influence on European Management Education: The Role of the Ford Foundation', in R.P. Amdam (ed.), Management Education and Competition: Europe, Japan and the United States (London, 1996); H. de Man and L. Karsten, 'Academic Management Education in the Netherlands', in L. Engwall and E. Gunnarsson (eds.), Management Studies in an Academic Context (Uppsala, 1994).
8. R.P. Amdam and G. Yttri, 'National Institutions and the Diffusion and Adoption of American Management Ideas: The European Productivity Agency, the Norwegian Productivity Institute, and Management Education', in T. Gourvish and N. Tiratsoo (eds.), The United States, Technical Assistance and European Management Education, 1945-1960 (forthcoming); G. Gemelli, 'American Influence on European Management Education: The Role of the Ford Foundation', in R.P. Amdam (ed.), Management Education and Competition: Europe, Japan and the United States (London, 1996); H. de Man and L. Karsten, 'Academic Management Education in the Netherlands', in L. Engwall and E. Gunnarsson (eds.), Management Studies in an Academic Context (Uppsala, 1994).
9. For a more detailed study, see Amdam and Yttri, 'National Institutions'; also J. McGlade, 'The Illusion of Concensus: American Business, Cold War Aid and the Industrial Recovery of Western Europe, 1948-1958' (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, George Washington University, 1995).
10. For a more detailed study, see Amdam and Yttri, 'National Institutions'; also J. McGlade, 'The Illusion of Concensus: American Business, Cold War Aid and the Industrial Recovery of Western Europe, 1948-1958' (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, George Washington University, 1995).
11. Glimstedt, 'Non-Fordist Routes to Modernization'; Zeitlin, 'Americanization'.
12. Glimstedt, 'Non-Fordist Routes to Modernization'; Zeitlin, 'Americanization'.
13. W. Byrt, 'Management Education in Australia', in W. Byrt (ed.), Management Education: An International Survey (London, 1989), p.80.
14. This is discussed in Zeitlin, 'Americanization'.
15. Guillén, Models of Management.
16. R.P. Amdam, For egen regning: B I og den økonomisk-administrative utdanningen 1943-1993 (Oslo, 1993).
17. Amdam and Yttri, 'National Institutions'.
18. Zeitlin, 'Americanization'.
19. H.W. Andersen, 'Producing Producers: Shippers, Shipyards and the Cooperative Infrastructure of the Norwegian Maritime Complex since 1850', in C. Sabel and J. Zeitlin (eds.), World of Possibilities (forthcoming).
20. M.G. Blackford, 'Small Business in America: A Historiographic Survey', Business History Review, Vol.65 No.1 (1991), pp.1-26.
21. A.D. Chandler, Jr., The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business (Cambridge, MA, 1977).
22. T.J. Hanisch and E. Lange, Veien til velstand: Industriens utvikling i Norge gjennom 50 år (Oslo, 1986), pp.9-10.
23. Hanisch and Lange, Veien til velstand, p.8.
24. K. Walderhaug, 'Storforetakets betydning i norsk industri: En sammenligning mellom 1936 og 1990', Working Paper SNF Bergen, 70 (1992).
25. Norsk Produktivitetsinstitutt, Underleverandørsystemet (Sub-contracting) i De Forente Staters industri: Rapport fra den norske studiegruppe (TA 48-147) som etter Mutual Security Agency's program besøkte USA i tiden 24. april til 26. juni 1953 (Oslo, 1954).
26. The numbers for 1968 only include joint-stock companies.
27. Norges 500 største bedrifter (Oslo, 1968).
28. E. Hope, Nœringsøkonomiske oversikter: Sekundœrnœringene (Oslo, 1972), Table 42.
29. P.E. Innvik and J.L. Kamsvåg, Verket: Sunndal Verks historie gjennom 40 år (Sunndal, 1993).
30. Norges 500 største bedrifter.
31. M.J. Piore and C.F. Sabel, The Second Industrial Divide: Possibilities for Prosperity (New York, 1984).
32. Andersen, 'Producing Producers', in Hanisch and Lange (eds.), Veien til velstand; E. Lange, 'Småbedrifter og moderne teknologi', in F. Sejersted (ed.), Vekst gjennom krise: Studier i norsk teknologihistorie (Oslo, 1982).
33. Andersen, 'Producing Producers', in Hanisch and Lange (eds.), Veien til velstand; E. Lange, 'Småbedrifter og moderne teknologi', in F. Sejersted (ed.), Vekst gjennom krise: Studier i norsk teknologihistorie (Oslo, 1982).
34. National Archives (hereafter NA), Norsk Produktivitetsinstitutt (hereafter NPI), Box 1, Annual Meeting, 'Orientering ved administrerende direktør', 23 Feb. 1962.
35. R.P. Amdam, 'Teknologi og planøkonomi', in Arbeiderhistorie. Årbok for Arbeiderbevegelsens Arkiv og Bibliotek (1988), pp.107-23.
36. Hanisch and Lange (eds.), Veien til velstand.
37. St.meld. 83 (1954), 'Om tiltak for å fremme rasjonalisering og økt produktivitet', pp.20-22.
38. St. meld. 39 (1967-68), 'Om visse strukturproblemer i norsk industri', pp.42-3.
39. USRO, European Productivity and Technical Asistance Programs, A Summit Up, 1948-1958 (Paris, 1958), p.291.
40. G. Utnes' summary of Dunlap Smith's report, 15 July 1970. Utnes, who worked at the NPI has kindly given us a copy of his summary.
41. G. Yttri, 'From a Norwegian Rationalization Law to an American Productivity Institute', Scandinavian Journal of History, Vol.24 No.4 (1995), p.231.
42. NPI, Norsk Produktivitetsinstitutt gjennom de første ti år (Oslo, 1963), p.29.
43. Norsk Produktivitetsinstitutt, pp.38, 53.
44. Definitions used by the SBA were: small firms had less than 250 employees, middle-sized were in the range from 250 to 1,000 workers. This was according to a paper presented by Hauge at NPI's conference for smaller business managers in 1963.
45. NA, NPI, Box 410, L 457, 1964. This document was a preliminary version of a paper presented at NPI's conference for smaller business managers in 1963.
46. See NA, NPI, Box 479, L 858, 1972-74, for the report from this project.
47. NA, NPI, Box 271, letter from the local branch of NPI in Sunnmøre and Ålesund to NPI in Oslo, 24 March 1958.
48. NA, NPI, Box 271, Pro Memoria 31 Oct. 1959.
49. See for example NA, NPI, Box 261, 8 L 4, revealing the work carried out in the northern subregion, Nordmøre.
50. For an elaboration of this concept, see B.-Å. Lundvall, 'Introduction', in B.-Å. Lundvall (ed.), National Systems of Innovations: Towards a Theory of Innovations and Interactive Learning (London, 1992), p.5. Although this concept is applied to the national level in this study, it can also be used to depict regional institutional arrangements and set-ups.
51. NA, NPI, Box 271, Summary of a meeting of the local branch in Sunnmøre and Ålesund, 26 March 1958. See, furthermore, letters to the NPI in Oslo from the local branch 29 May and 5 August 1958, and letter to the local branch from NPI in Oslo, 24 Oct. 1957. The reason why Småindustrikontoret was denied membership in the local branch of the NPI is not easy to determine from the sources. It seems, however, that the NPI considered Småindustrikontoret to be too directly involved in the daily economic activity of the small businesses, sometimes acting almost as sales offices for these firms. Likewise, we have not yet been able to find documents that clearly reveal why Småindustrikontoret wanted to set up an alternative organisational network. The most interesting fact in our context is, though, that this process serves as an illustration of the far-reaching networking capability of the NPI.
52. We have not at this stage been able to research the relations between these organisations and regional and local governmental authorities. In further research on regional level, this topic should, however, be considered important.
53. NA, NPI, Box 261, 8 L, 1961-66, Annual Reports from the local branch of Nordmøre and Kristiansund. Further diverse documents concerning a rationalisation project in the fishing industry. The project was carried out partly financed by a state funding institution, Distriktenes Utbyggingsfond. The expectations were that the industrial laboratory should play a major role in this project, see NA, NPI, Box 376, Correspondence May 1963.
54. NA, NPI, Box 271, Pro Memoria from the local branch of Sunnmøre and Ålesund 1 Oct. 1959; also see its Annual Report for 1958.
55. NA, NPI, Box 271, Pro Memoria from the local branch of Sunnmøre and Ålesund 1 Oct. 1959; also see its Annual Report for 1958.
56. NA, NPI, Box 410, L 459, document from the local branch of Sunnmøre and Ålesund.
57. NA, NPI, Box 271, Pro Memoria from the local branch of Sunnmøre and Ålesund, 1 Oct. 1959.
58. See NA, NPI, Box 261, 8 L, Annual Report from the local branch of Nordmøre and Kristiansund, 1962. Furthermore consult Box 421, internal report from the NPI, 1964, and Box 261, different documents, 1960-64.
59. NA, NPI, Box 261, 8 L, Annual Report from the local branch of Nordmøre and Kristiansund, 1964.
60. See e.g. NA, NPI, Box 271, Annual Report from the local branch of Sunnmøre and Ålesund, 1958.
61. Consult NA, NPI, Box 271, Pro Memoria by Lars Elvsaas, secretary of the branch of Sunnmøre and Ålesund.
62. E.g. NA, NPI, Box 261, 8 L, different reports and Annual Reports, 1956-62.
63. A satisfactory answer to the details of these projects can only be achieved by utilising different supplementary sources, which would require considerable new research. The main sources used here are NA, NPI, Box 279, Overview of co-operative projects in industry, produced by the research department of the NPI (Samarbeidstiltak innen Industrien, utredningsavdelingen, Kontoret for generell utredning), Sept. 1963, and Report on co-operative projects and mergers, NPI, Oslo, 10 Sept. 1962 (Oversikt over nye samarbeidsavtaler og fusjoner mellom industribedrifter), the scope of the last mentioned report was wider than describing NPI projects only.
64. NA, NPI, Box 279, 'Different Forms of Cooperation between Small and Medium Sized Manufacturing Enterprises', manuscript, 1963.
65. Participating in this 'Nordmo Group' from Møre and Romsdal were Brødrene Brunvoll Motorfabrikk, Molde, Hjelset Motorfabrikk, Ålesund, and AS Volda Mekaniske Verksted, Volda. Consult NA, NPI, Box 279, Overview, 10 Sept. 1962.
66. These firms were Hadar Trikotasjefabrikk AS, O.A. Devold's Sønner AS, T. Krabbe Knudsen Trikotasjefabrikk, Alv Opsvik Skjortefabrikk, Knut Stoknes Trikotasjefabrikk, and P.A. Øvstegård & Co.
67. As was the case in setting up the 'Nordwool Group' within the textile industry in 1959 in order to be more competitive especially on the West German market, consult NA, NPI, Box 271, Overview, 10 Sept. 1962.
68. NA, NPI, Box 279, Overview, 10 Sept. 1962. Participating were P.I. Langlos Fabrikker, Stranda, Møre Lenestolfabrikk AS, Ørstavik, Stokke Møbler, Spjelkavik, and Vestlandske Stol- og Møbelfabrikk, Sykkylven.
69. NA, NPI, Box 279, Manuscript, 1963.
70. NA, NPI, Box 279, Overview, 10 Sept. 1962
71. NA, NPI, Box 261, 8 L, Project 307, letter to NPI, Oslo, from the local branch of Nordmøre and Kristiansund, 31 Oct. 1961.