Trading companies

Abstract

Business and economic historians are concerned with explaining the growth of international trade and subsequent effects on economic development and processes of globalization. This chapter details how historical analysis has identified trading companies as key makers of global business prior to the twentieth century, integrating international markets and enabling foreign direct investment. These explanations are, however, limited by methodological challenges of definition derived from the highly diversified nature of trading companies’ operations. The chapter uses current research on the nineteenth century Anglo-Indian trade to highlight possibilities for improving explanations through analysis of changes in organizational form, to better understand the evolution of trading companies and their effect on international trade.