History 512:475 American Business History, Spring 2000

Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:20-2:40

Professor Phil Scranton - scranton@crab.rutgers.edu

This course provides an opportunity to critically evaluate the development of the American economy and business system from the colonial era into the 1980s and to place our history in an international context. We will trace the transformation of key US institutions (the firm, market, government) and themes (strategy, finance, organization) across two centuries, discussing both their meanings and implications in historical periods and their relevance to current debates. We will also compare and contrast the

American business system with those in Britain and Japan, over several centuries of their evolution. This course is primarily based on the case method, exploring primary materials and commentaries on them through class discussions. There will be no extended lectures, though I will regularly offer opening, introductory remarks.

Format

Two thirds of the class sessions will focus on individual cases from the core text, Chandler and Tedlow, The Coming of Managerial Capitalism. This book was a grossly overpriced hardcover, but is now out of print, so you will be able to secure at-cost photocopies of the case materials we will use. Study questions will be distributed for each case, to aid you in reading cases and preparing for discussions. There is one book in the bookstore for you to purchase, Mansell Blackford, The Rise of Modern

Business in Great Britain, the United States and Japan. It's a paperback and we will discuss sections of it as we go along, in order to develop a cross-national perspective.

Each Monday that we do a case from Chandler and Tedlow, starting January 31, you each will be asked to prepare and bring to class one additional discussion question (beyond those on the study question sheets), based on your reading of the case. I will collect these at the beginning of class and use a number of them to add student voices to our explorations. Over the course of the term, this will involve your creating a total of 10 questions for 11 Mondays (Jan. 31, Feb, 7, 14, 21, 28, March 6, 22, 29, and April 3, 10, 17) Thus you may skip one question preparation without penalty. However, no questions may be submitted at the end of these classes or on later days.

Exams, Grading, et al.

There will be a midsemester exam (March 20) and a final. Both will be essay in form - no IDs, short answers, or multiple choice. The midterm will count 20 percent toward your semester grade, the final 30 percent, your ten questions 10 percent. A short paper (4-6 pages, see below) will count 15 percent. The remaining 25 percent will be based on my evaluation of your contributions to class discussions. A first-half grade on the discussion segment will be noted on your returned midterm.

The midterm will be an in-class, open book exam. The final will be take-home, due at 2:00 p.m. on Monday May 8th. We will devote the last class of the term to creating "candidate" exam questions for the final. I will ask each of you to come to class with two questions you think would be good ways of testing student knowledge, integration of various ideas, and understanding of the historical dynamics we have encountered. We will discuss your proposals, and I will make a selection from them for the exam

(retaining the option to edit/rework your draft questions). I'll send out the final exam to all students by email on May 2nd, and give History department secretary Loretta Carlisle a stack of hard copies. You will have six days to write your answers, which should be printed out or typed, not handwritten. The exam will include at least five essay questions; you'll be required to write responses to three of them.

Short paper: Thousands of corporations have websites, but a small proportion of these give serious attention to history, including the history of the company. IBM is one firm that takes its history quite seriously. I'd like each of you to visit the IBM website (www.ibm.com) and tour it, then compare its attention to historical issues with that of any other major corporate website you select. Pick your second site early, as each paper has to have a separate second website to contrast with IBM. Notify me of your

choice in class (with a copy of the website url, so I can visit it too) or by email. First come, first served on these picks. To tour the history portion of the IBM site, use www.ibm.com to get to the home page, click on "About IBM" in the top bar, then click on "History" in the side bar on the About IBM mainpage. This will bring up a wide array of information about the company's history, leaders, innovations, etc. since the early 20th century.

Your comparative paper should be not less than four nor more than six

double-spaced pages. It is due April 19th, about one month after the midterm.

Email list: I'd appreciate it if you would provide me your email address (mine is at the top of page 1), so I can create a list-serve to share information with you - if I'm sick and have to cancel a class, for example. The final exam will also be distributed by email, though hard copies will be available at the History Department office.

Schedule of classes and cases:

January 19 - Introduction

24 - Preindustrial Business, Blackford, Ch 1.

26 - Chandler & Tedlow, Case 2 (photocopies of these and other cases)

31 - Ch&Ted, Case 3 (questions)

February 2 - Industrialization and Big Business, Blackford Chs 2 & 3

7 - Ch&Ted, Case 5 (questions)

9 - Ch&Ted Case 6

14- Ch&Ted Case 7 (questions)

16 - Ch&Ted Case 8

21 - Ch&Ted Case 9 (questions)

23 - Ch&Ted Case 10

28 - Ch&Ted Case 11 (questions)

March 1 - Britain and Japan during Industrialization, Blackford, Chs 4 & 5

6 - Ch&Ted Case 14 (questions)

8 - Ch&Ted Case 15

13,15 - No Class, spring break

20 - MIDSEMESTER EXAM

22 - Ch&Ted Case 18

27 - Ch&Ted Case 19 (questions)

29 - Ch&Ted Case 21

April 3 - Ch&Ted Case 22 (questions)

5 - Business between the World Wars, Blackford, Ch. 6

10 - Ch&Ted Case 26 (questions)

12 - Ch&Ted Case 27

17 - Ch&Ted Case 28 (questions)

19 - Business in the Postwar Years, Blackford, Ch. 7 (Website comparative

papers due.)

24 - Ch&Ted, Case 29

26 - International Biz, 70s & 80s, Blackford, Ch 8 & Conclusion

May 1 - Final exam design class, website papers returned.

May 2 - Final exam distribution - email list and hard copies at the

History Department

office.

May 8 - Final exam due, 2 p.m., in this classroom.

Final exams may be submitted earlier, if completed. Drop them off to Loretta Carlisle in the History Dept. office, third floor, Armitage Hall. If you wish to know your final grade before the registrar's mailings, include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your final exam and I will send you a card giving your exam and semester grade.

My office is room 440 Armitage. You may leave messages with Ms. Carlisle at 225-6080, but it's usually quickest to contact me by email. Office hours are Mondays, 2:50 - 4:00 p.m., Wednesdays 12-1:20, or by arrangement.