Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an innovative theoretical lens through which business historians can connect their work with the field of organisation theory. It explains fresh light on industrial history by providing a new approach to Chandlerian business-historical approaches, with the development of the concept of a ‘proprietorial theory’. The book presents an historical perspective on an important area of industrial history in terms of its focus on networks and trust in the Potteries. It describes case-studies of management issues in different UK industrial sectors. The book discusses growing tensions between large and small firms within the industry, foreshadowing scholarship on legitimacy. It explores the dichotomy between trust and collaboration on the one hand, and the pressures of competition and performance within industrial clusters on the other.