International Business in Australia before World: Shaping a Multinational Economy

Before 1914, a diverse community of foreign businesses operated in Australia, primarily from Britain, the USA, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Japan. These firms spread across mining, trading, shipping, insurance, finance, and manufacturing, contributing to the economic development of the country. The study challenges conventional wisdom by revealing how multinational influence was contested by domestic enterprise and other foreign firms and how governments strategically invested in network industries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 249 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2022
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

Before 1914, Australia was home to a diverse and complex community of foreign businesses, challenging prevailing notions of a nation solely reliant on domestic enterprise. These multinational companies originated from various countries, including Britain, the United States, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Japan. Their presence extended across the country, from mining and pastoral communities to portside industries and central business districts. These firms engaged in a wide range of activities, including mining, trading, shipping, insurance, finance, and manufacturing. Remarkably, they exhibited a remarkable diversity in terms of size, organizational structure, and longevity. This study, a rare examination of the impact of multinationals on a host nation, particularly prior to World War One, centers on a successful resource-based economy. By leveraging a comprehensive database of over 600 firms, supported by contemporary archives and publications, the work uncovers how multinational influence was contested by domestic enterprises, other foreign firms, and strategic investments by governments in network industries. Despite these challenges, foreign agency, particularly in terms of investment, knowledge, and entrepreneurship, played a significant role in the economic development of Australia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This book will appeal to students and researchers in Australian and international economic and business history, the history of economic growth, and scholars of international business.

Weight: 478g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811904806
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022