ABSTRACT

The Theory of the Firm is commonly viewed as axiomatic by business school academicians. Considerations in spanning organizational structures, their boundaries and roles, as well as business strategies all relate to the Theory of the Firm. The dominant Theory of the Firm poses that markets act perfectly to maximize the well- being of society when people act to maximize the personal utility of their individual purchases and firms act to maximize financial returns to their owners.

However, burgeoning evidence and discourse across the scientific and policy communities suggests that the economic, social, and environmental consequences of accepting and applying this theory in the organization of business and society threaten the survival of the human species, among countless others. This book provides the latest thinking on alternatives to the Theory of the Firm as cornerstone of managerial decision-making. Authors explore and elucidate theories that help us understand a firm differently and suggest alternatives to the Theory of the Firm.

This book will be of value to researchers, academics, practitioners, and students interested in leadership, strategic management, and the intersection of corporate interests and the well-being of the society.

chapter |10 pages

Introduction

Alternative Theories of the Firm

chapter 4|31 pages

Theories of the Firm

The Logic of Multiple Criteria for Assessing Outcomes

chapter 5|17 pages

Qualitative Growth

An Alternative to Solely Quantitatively-Oriented Theories of Firm Growth

chapter 6|31 pages

What Are Corporations for?

Contemporary Capitalism, Authority, and a Communicative Theory of the Firm

chapter 9|23 pages

What It Means to be Truly Human in Organizations

Martin Buber's Concept of I-Thou Relations

chapter 10|40 pages

Business for Peace

A New Paradigm for the Theory of the Firm

chapter 11|23 pages

Lessons from Indigenous Social Enterprises

An Alternative Management Model?

chapter 12|10 pages

Toward a Humanistic Theory of the Firm

An Analysis of the Mondragon-Based Participative Model

chapter 14|22 pages

Capitalism as a Continuum

A Bioinspired Narrative Framework to Assess Four Functions of the Firm