ABSTRACT
The period from 1896 to the end of the Second World War was by no means homogeneous in terms of business development. Roughly, one can distinguish three major sub-periods: The first period was a time of fast industrial growth stimulated by three wars, the Sino-Japanese, the Russo-Japanese and finally the First World War. The second period was characterised by industrial stagnation which was followed by drastic countermeasures and a turn to the right. Finally there was the period of the Second World War from 1937 to 1945. There is, however, a continuity and even unity throughout this long period in terms of business leadership and its approaches towards management of labour.
