Leading UK professional association dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about Business History

New Events

Jun
26
to Jun 29

Call For Papers - Joint 49th Economic and Business History Society Annual Conference and Association of Business Historians Conference 2024

The Programme for the Joint EBHS-ABH 2024 Conference is now available here: https://ebhsoc.org/49th-ebhs-annual-conference-and-association-of-business-historians-conference/

Please use the same link for information about registration, recommended accommodation and further necessary information about the conference.

—**Deadline Extension to 9 February—

Call for Papers:

Tony Slaven Doctoral Workshop in Business History, 26 June 2024

EBHS YSI-iNET Doctoral Workshop, 26 June 2024

Coleman Prize 2024

Joint 49th Economic and Business History Society Annual Conference and Association of Business Historians Conference 2024 - York, UK - 27 to 29 June 2024 - ‘Connections’

Keynote speaker: Dr Susie Pak, St. John’s University, USA.

The joint 49th Economic and Business History Society annual conference and Association of Business Historians conference 2024 will be held in York, UK, from 27 to 29 June 2024 and invites submissions to the conference committee on the theme of ‘Connections’ in Economic and Business History.

Building on the themes of the previous conference of EBHS, with Building Bridges, and ABH, looking at Business History beyond the discipline, our theme of Connections aims to continue these important discussions towards the development of both disciplines. This embraces not just the connection at the conference between the two societies, but also the connections between economic and business history, and other associated strands of history including organisational, financial, banking, social, labour and management history. We also invite participants to consider the theme of connections in business and economic history, examining the historical relationships between a multitude of actors and phenomena, including people, entrepreneurs, firms, governments, clusters, knowledge, and also between geographically distant actors. We also welcome papers on any aspect of economic or business history, and proposals for full panels of three papers.

We look forward to welcoming delegates to York in 2024, a city “with Roman roots and a Viking past, offering an adventure for everyone”. The conference venue will be York St John University, just outside of the historic York city walls and in the shadow of the famous York Minster, with associated events taking place in walking distance of the main conference venue. The conference venue is also ideally placed in relation to transportation links, with the railway station a short walk from York St John. York is also well connected for rail transport from major airports including those in London and Manchester.

The President of EBHS for the 2024 Conference/ABH Conference organiser is Dr Chris Corker (Chris.Corker@york.ac.uk). Proposals should be submitted via the conference website ( https://ebhsoc.org/) and include:

·       The title of the presentation.

·       An abstract of no more than 500 words.

·       Contact details for each presenter.

The submission point will open on 15 November 2023, and the deadline for submissions is 9 February 2024. The Program Committee intend to send notifications of acceptance as soon as possible once the deadline has passed.

All questions and queries regarding the conference should be directed to Chris Corker at Chris.Corker@york.ac.uk

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Poster submissions

The conference also welcomes poster proposals from graduate students on all aspects of business history covering a wide range of periods and countries.

Poster presenters will normally be in either the First or Second Year of their PhD.  We also strongly encourage those who have previously presented a poster to submit a paper proposal to the main conference in a subsequent year.

Those wishing to be considered for inclusion in the programme must submit an application to Dr Chris Corker (Chris.Corker@york.ac.uk) by 12 January 2024.  This should provide:

·       Title of your PhD project.

·       An abstract (300 words) that explains the background to the poster; the questions addressed; the sources and methods employed; and likely conclusions.

·       A current CV.

Approved posters must be submitted by 1 June 2024, and a style guide will be circulated to all presenters selected for poster presentations.

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EBHS YSI-iNET Doctoral Workshop, 26 June 2024

Continuing from the success of the 2022 and 2023, EBHS will again be organizing a Doctoral Workshop, which will be held on 26 June at the School for Business and Society at the University of York. These will be available for any doctoral student who is undertaking a PhD in the fields of business history and economic history, broadly conceived. This includes management history, financial history, labor history, social history, the history of capitalism, as well as business history and economic history. Further news and a call for paper will be distributed at a later date. All papers proposed and accepted for the workshop will be accepted to the general EBHS-ABH conference program as well.

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Call for Tony Slaven Doctoral Workshop in Business History, 26 June 2024

The ABH will hold its eleventh annual Tony Slaven Doctoral Workshop on 26 June 2024. This event immediately precedes the EBHS-ABH Conference, and will take place at the School for Business and Society at the University of York. Participants in the Workshop are encouraged to attend the EBHS-ABH Conference following the Workshop. They will also have an opportunity to participate in the Poster Competition (explained in the main call for papers). The Workshop is an excellent opportunity for doctoral students to discuss their work with other research students and established academics in business history in an informal and supportive environment. Students at any stage of their doctoral studies, whether in their first year or very close to submitting, are urged to apply. The workshop provides new researchers with an opportunity to discuss their work with experienced researchers in the discipline, and also includes professional development sessions. The Workshop interprets the term ‘business history’ broadly, and it is intended that students in areas such as (but not confined to) the history of management and organizations, international trade and investment, financial or economic history, agricultural history, the history of not-for- profit organisations, government-industry relations, accounting history, social studies of technology, and historians or management or labour will find it useful. Students undertaking topics with a significant business history element but in disciplines other than economic or business history are also welcome. We embrace students researching any era or region of history.

Each student delivers a 15-minute presentation that is either (depending on how developed your project is) a summary of your PhD prospectus giving an overview of the overarching themes, research questions, and methodologies, or a specific chapter/paper. Time is devoted for discussion of each student’s work and the opportunity to gain feedback from active researchers in the field.

How to Apply for the Tony Slaven Workshop

Your application should be no more than 4 pages sent together in a single computer file: 1) a one-page CV; 2) one page stating the name(s) of the student’s supervisor(s), the title of the theses (a proposed title is fine), the university and department where the student is registered and the date of commencement of thesis registration; 3) an abstract of the work to be presented.

You may apply via email to Dr Michael Aldous at m.aldous@qub.ac.uk. Please use the subject line “Tony Slaven Workshop” and submit by 24 March 2024.

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Coleman Prize 2024

The ABH is pleased to announce that the 2024 Coleman Prize is open to PhD dissertations in Business History (broadly defined) having either a British subject or completed at a British university. All dissertations completed in the previous two calendar years (2022 and 2023) are eligible. In keeping with the ABH’s broad understanding of business history, applications are strongly encouraged from candidates in economic history, social history, labour history, intellectual history, cultural history, environmental history, the history of science and technology, the history of medicine, or any other subfield.

To apply for the Coleman Prize, supervisors are encouraged to nominate recent PhDs. Self-nominations are also strongly welcomed. Please send a PDF including the title of your PhD dissertation and a brief abstract (up to 2 double-spaced pages) to Dr Lewis Wade at l.m.wade@hum.leidenuniv.nl by 16 February 2024. Longlisted candidates will be requested to submit electronic copies of their theses 15 March 2024. Finalists will be notified by 10 May 2024.

In a new special series hosted by the New Books Network, Bernardo Bátiz-Lazo is interviewing prior Coleman Prize winners on their dissertations, some of which have already been published as monographs. More information on these interviews can be found at the link here: https://www.theabh.org/news/2023/8/22/coleman-prize-series-winners-podcast-by-bernardo-btiz-lazo

 

 

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Jun
29
to Jul 1

2023 Annual ABH Conference Pushing the Boundaries: Business History beyond the Discipline.

The Programme for the 2023 ABH Conference is now available here

Recommended accommodation can be found here under the “contact tab” of the Northumbria website, while the full program can also be found under the “more info” tab.

Call for Papers:

Slaven Doctoral Workshop

Coleman Prize for the best PhD Dissertation

2023 Annual Conference

Pushing the Boundaries: Business History beyond the Discipline.

Keynote Speaker: Professor Andrew Popp (Copenhagen Business School)

29 June - 1 July 2023

Newcastle Business School,

Northumbria University Newcastle.

In the 2020s, business history remains ‘in an inventive mood, bursting with multiple futures and paths forward’ (Kipping et al., 2016; 19). Having moved on from the 20th century preoccupation with large corporations, business historians now engage with a multiplicity of themes and topics. While the discipline has yet to make a significant impact on the curricula of most business schools, and few schools of history teach the subject, judged from the perspective of the high ranking of its major journals business history has established a highly credible position across the social sciences and humanities. On the other hand, many have questioned whether the discipline has adapted sufficiently to what remains a highly challenging environment for business historians (Scranton and Fridenson, 2013; Wilson et al., 2022). Are we merely preaching to ourselves? Have we engaged with society’s biggest issues, and thereby limited the opportunities of influencing practice in an effective way? Is the preoccupation with the USA, Europe and Japan restricting our understanding of the many paths taken by business in other socio-cultural and political contexts?

In searching for answers to these questions, the conference will assess the extent to which the discipline ought to be more ambitious in developing its research agendas. This builds effectively on the themes of last year’s ABH conference at Strathclyde, when we debated the theme of ‘Turning points and persistent problems’. Crucially, we need to change the attitudes of senior university managers to the subject by demonstrating its considerable relevance to students’ intellectual development, as well as influencing the worlds of practice that rarely consider historical perspectives. Although this will provide business historians with major challenges, achieving these aims will generate much greater credibility and offer rich opportunities for the discipline. Above all, we want the discipline to have a wider impact, whether this be on other disciplines or the various worlds of practice, thereby extending the barriers that have limited business history’s potential to influence the world around us.

What are the areas into which business historians might delve?

- The Worlds of Practice: In recognition of the ways in which ‘uses of the past’ have infiltrated disciplines such as strategy, corporate identity and human resource management, we need to investigate how business historians can work more extensively with practitioners, whether they be policy-makers, corporate executives or archivists. As impact is such an important issue, especially in the UK, business history must respond to the challenge.

- Emerging Markets: we agree with Friedman and Jones (2017; p. 455), who strongly encourage business historians to engage in research projects that encompass economies outside the United States, Western Europe and Japan; ‘the future of business history rests in part on recognizing the centrality of this alternative business history, rather than treating the business history of Africa, Asia, and Latin America as tangential to the central themes of the discipline’. Scranton (2019, 2020) has already made this move, putting into practice what he and Fridenson (2013) noted in Reimagining Business History.

- Sustainability: while Jones and Lubinski (2014; p. 18) made a strenuous appeal for business historians to analyse ‘why some firms become “greener” than others’, apart from the work of Bergquist (2017) and of Jones (2022), relatively little effort has been made to develop this theme and assess the wide sustainability agenda and corporate responses. The forthcoming book by Jones (2022) will no doubt stimulate much wider interest in the role business has played in accommodating the environmental agenda into corporate strategy and performance, focusing especially on the term ‘deep responsibility’.

- Corporate Ethics and Corporate Governance: while there has been extensive work done in these fields, given the extent of corporate misbehaviour and violations of corporate codes it is vital that business historians participate in these debates. For example, the British Academy’s Future of the Corporation project (2021) would benefit from greater historical insights into context and behaviour.

- Gender and Race: again, while the literature on women and racial issues in business have expanded over the course of the last thirty years, these remain significant areas for investigation because of the way they open up our understanding of how business and society interact. This would also link with the decolonization agenda that is now sweeping the world. One might also add that masculinity is another neglected area of study; even though sociologists have written extensively about ‘hegemonic masculinity’ (Connell & Wood, 2005), the business history literature has failed to assess how this influenced the achievement and execution of power.

- Social Science Theory: Following the ‘historic turn’ in organization studies (Clark and Rowlinson, 2004) and the recent surge in interest amongst strategy and international business scholars in the incorporation of historical analysis into research agendas (Perchard et al., 2017), a substantial debate has been occupying a lot of space in prominent journals. Although the methodological issues arising from this work have yet to be resolved, it is essential to assess how business historians can engage with theoretical concepts when conducting research.

Needless to say, there could well be other agendas that need to be incorporated into the ambit of business history, an issue that will no doubt be raised at the conference. The key issue here is finding a place for business history in debating the ‘Big Issues’ that face society, applying our skills and knowledge to finding solutions that are both effective and sustainable. By pursuing this strategy, we might better engage with both the worlds of practice and senior university managers, demonstrating our credibility and relevance to the major debates of our time.

Sources:

British Academy (2021), Future of the Corporation, British Academy.

Clark, P., & Rowlinson, M. (2004). The treatment of history in organization studies: Towards an ‘historic turn’? Business History, 46(3), 331–352.

Connell, R.W., & Wood, J. (2005). Globalization and business masculinities. Men and Masculinities, 7(4), 347–364.

Friedman, W.A. and Jones, G. (2017). Time for debate. Business History Review, 85 (Spring), pp.1-8.

Jones, G. (2022). The Search for the Deep Responsibility of Business. Boston, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

Jones, G. & Lubinski, C. (2014). Making ‘Green Giants’: Environment sustainability in the German chemical industry, 1950s–1980s, Business History, 56(4), pp.1-14.

Kipping, M., Kurosawa, T., & Wadhwani, R. D. (2016). A revisionist historiography of business history: a richer past for a richer future. In J.F. Wilson, S. Toms, A. de Jong, & E. Buchnea (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Business History (pp. 19–35). Routledge.

Perchard, A., MacKenzie, N.G., Decker, S., & Favero, G. (2017). Clio in the business school: Historical approaches in strategy, international business and entrepreneurship. Business History, 59(6), 904–927.

Scranton, P., & Fridenson, P. (2013). Reimagining Business History. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press.

Scranton, P. (2019). Fixing holes in the plan: Maintenance and repair in Poland, 1945–1970. Enterprise et Histoire. 103, pp.54-72.

Scranton, P. (2020). Collaboration, coordination, cooperation and subversive entrepreneurship in Socialist Hungary’, paper given to the Business History Conference.

Wilson, John F. Ian G. Jones, Steven Toms, Anna Tilba, Emily Buchnea and Nicholas Wong (2022), Business History. A Research Overview, Routledge, pp.148.

 

How to submit a paper or session proposal

The programme committee will consider both individual papers and entire panels. We are keen to encourage both developmental and mature papers. Individual paper proposals should include a one-page (up to 300-word) abstract and brief biographical note. Panel proposals should include a cover letter stating the rationale for the panel and the name of its contact person; one-page (300-word) abstract and author's CV for each paper; and a list of preferred panel chairs and commentators with contact information. The deadline for submissions is 27 January 2023. Please use the conference e-mail address (below) to submit proposals.

Poster submissions

The ABH also welcomes poster proposals from graduate students on all aspects of business history covering a wide range of periods and countries.

Poster presenters will normally be in either the First or Second Year of their PhD.  We also strongly encourage those who have previously presented a poster will submit a paper proposal to the main conference in a subsequent year.

Those wishing to be considered for inclusion in the programme must submit an application by 27 January 2023.  This should provide:

  • Title of your PhD project.

  • An abstract (300 words).*

  • A current CV.

*The abstract should explain the background to the poster; the questions addressed; the sources and methods employed; and likely conclusions.

Approved posters must be submitted by 1 June 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact the Conference Organisers via:

bl.abh.conference@northumbria.ac.uk

Call for Tony Slaven Doctoral Workshop in Business History, 29 June 2023

The ABH will hold its tenth annual Tony Slaven Doctoral Workshop on 29 June 2023. This event immediately precedes the 2023 ABH Annual Conference at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University. Participants in the Workshop are encouraged to attend the main ABH Annual Conference following the Workshop. They will also have an opportunity to participate in the Poster Competition (explained in the main call for papers). The Workshop is an excellent opportunity for doctoral students to discuss their work with other research students and established academics in business history in an informal and supportive environment. It is important to note that this will not be a hybrid event and all participants need to attend the workshop in person. Students at any stage of their doctoral studies, whether in their first year or very close to submitting, are urged to apply. In addition to providing new researchers with an opportunity to discuss their work with experienced researchers in the discipline, the Workshop will also include at least one skill-related session. The Workshop interprets the term ‘business history’ broadly, and it is intended that students in areas such as (but not confined to) the history of management and organizations, international trade and investment, financial or economic history, agricultural history, the history of not-for- profit organisations, government-industry relations, accounting history, social studies of technology, and historians or management or labour will find it useful. Students undertaking topics with a significant business history element but in disciplines other than economic or business history are also welcome. We embrace students researching any era or region of history. Skills sessions are typically led by regular ABH members; in the past these have included ‘getting published’, ‘using historical sources’, and ‘preparing for your viva examination’ sessions. There will be ample time for discussion of each student’s work and the opportunity to gain feedback from active researchers in the field.

How to Apply for the Tony Slaven Workshop

Your application should be no more than 4 pages sent together in a single computer file: 1) a one-page CV; 2) one page stating the name(s) of the student’s supervisor(s), the title of the theses (a proposed title is fine), the university and department where the student is registered and the date of commencement of thesis registration; 3) an abstract of the work to be presented.

If selected for the workshop, you will be asked to prepare a 15-minute presentation that is either a summary of your PhD project (giving an overview of the overarching themes, research questions, and methodologies) or a chapter/paper.

You may apply via email to Dr Michael Aldous at m.aldous@qub.ac.uk. Please use the subject line “Tony Slaven Workshop” and submit by 24 March 2023

Call for Coleman Prize for Best PhD Dissertation, Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, 30 June-1 July 2023

Named in honour of the British business historian Donald Coleman (1920-1995), this prize is awarded annually by the Association of Business Historians to recognise excellence in new research in Britain. It is open to PhD dissertations in Business History (broadly defined) either having a British subject or completed at a British university. All dissertations completed in the previous year (2022) to that of the Prize are eligible. In keeping with the ABH’s broad understanding of business history, applications are strongly encouraged from candidates in economic history, social history, labour history, intellectual history, cultural history, environmental history, the history of science and technology, the history of medicine, or any other subfield. The value of the prize is £500, sponsored by the Taylor & Francis Group, a scholarly publisher. To be eligible for the Prize, finalists must present their findings in person at the Association’s annual conference, held on 29th June-1st July 2023. A complete list of previous winners may be found here

How to Apply for the Coleman Prize

Supervisors are encouraged to nominate recent PhDs, and self-nominations are also strongly welcomed. Please send a PDF including the title of your PhD dissertation and a brief abstract (up to 2 double-spaced pages) to christine.leslie@glasgow.ac.uk by 24 February 2023. Shortlisted candidates will be requested to submit electronic copies of their theses 17 March 2023. Finalists will be notified by 14 April 2023.

Everyone appearing on the programme must register for the meeting. PhD students whose papers are accepted for the meeting may apply for funds to partially defray their travel costs by applying to the Francesca Carnevali Travel Grant for PhD Students. A limited number of scholarships are available from the Francesca Carnevali fund of the ABH to contribute towards the travel, accommodation and registration costs of students doing a PhD in the United Kingdom, who are presenting in the Slaven Workshop, the ABH conference or the Coleman Prize.

Further details can be found here

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BUBBLES AND CRISES; MAYHEM AND MISERY; CORRUPTION AND DISRUPTION
Jun
26
to Jun 27

BUBBLES AND CRISES; MAYHEM AND MISERY; CORRUPTION AND DISRUPTION

  • Nottingham University Business School (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

As we continue to live with the worldwide fallout of the 2008 economic crisis, we have to wonder whether we have learned anything about business, bubbles, and crises over the centuries. This conference will address the historical consequences of bubbles and crises and their ramifications in terms of human and financial misery and the difficulties caused at national level (e.g., in respect of lower tax revenues and consequent reductions to public goods and services) and to businesses, communities and individuals.

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