Call for papers
Transactions and interactions - the flow
of goods, services, and information
Imports and exports, wholesale and retail - what research suits
more a maritime city such as Bergen? Since the industrial revolution
the flow of exported/imported goods grew faster than production
of goods. Foreign direct investment (FDI) grew even faster than
trade, while services overtook FDI. The headline of our congress
addresses the most dynamic part of the economy. Also inside enterprise:
During the 19th century on-lookers were amazed how much faster
the amount of white-collar workers accelerated compared to blue-collar
workers. Today even many industrial firms employ more of the latter
than of the former. The flow of information, control, advice and
monitoring became ever more important. This includes also external
services for instance in finance, business consultants, lawyers,
and others offering arbitration or technical advice. The flow
of information is not only essential for the stock exchange, but
for instance for shipping, hospitals, retail-trade, fire-brigades,
or taxation. It includes ideas, all kinds of networks, intangible
assets (e.g. trade marks) their development and their protection.
Bergen as a maritime city is the right place to deal with such
transactions: In medieval times it became Norway’s largest
city because of its trade in fish and grain. Today just one station
outside the town pumps about one percent of the whole world’s
gas into export-pipelines. The Hanseatic League, once representing
the backbone of the city’s trade, became so powerful that
it could decisively influence the policy; a fact, which reminds
us of political intervention by transnational enterprise in more
recent years. We call for papers on all types of flows of goods,
services, and information, including interaction between politics
and economics. Well designed suggestions on other fields of research
are also welcome.
The following list is designed just to generate inspiration for
single presentations as well as for sessions:
One of the most visible issues concerning the congress is trade
in all its facets: international, national, regional, local, and
illegal trade. Trade is carried out by means of transport, on
sea, air, road, railroad, rivers & canals, animals and even
man; making use of ports, airports, distribution centers, ware-houses,
using the most different techniques from face-to-face conversation
to GPS (Global Positioning System).
Up to the 1980s finances more or less followed trade. However,
since then financial activities have emancipated themselves from
the “real economy” and trade in financial goods has
outgrown trade in goods many times. We consequently need contributions
dealing with this sector, such as financial centers, insurance,
special financial institutions, accounting, stock exchanges for
goods, derivates and so on.
Transfer and interaction is a topic addressing technology also.
The spread of technology, its often incremental improvement, R&D,
both internal and external of enterprise, on a national and on
an international level, its accelerations and retardations as
well as its barriers and interdictions are topics at the congress.
We can think of networks such as internal IT-solutions of organizations
up to the World Wide Web, of physical networks made of pipelines,
electric grids, telecommunication, rail and road as well as line-
and tramp-shipping, covering the whole world or small parts of
it. There are personal networks of information and official networks,
such as the European Round Table of Industrialists. There are
local, national and European networks of labour unions, influencing,
for instance by European Works Councils, decision-making in enterprise.
Disposal and ownership of information became a key to success
in business and institutions. We can imagine contributions concerning
its internal flow in organizations, by news-agencies, property
rights on pictures, films, broadcasting, TV, telecommunication,
advertising, trade marks, market research, trade (and insider-trade),
or the general principal-owner relationship and many more.
A centerpiece for success or failure is security. Thus, contributions
concerning law, (national and international), law-enforcement
(state and private), policing as business, conventions, arbitration,
insurance and so on are welcome.
Last not least: We will again have our competition on the best
PhD-thesis in Business History for the EBHA-prize – trust
yourself and send your thesis!
Proposals
Those interested in presenting a paper should prepare a one-page
abstract. Proposals for panels should contain the abstracts of
the individual papers as well as a short summary explaining the
rationale of putting these together in one panel. Suggestions
for chairs and discussants of the panel will also be welcomed.
Please e-mail your abstracts or panel proposals to ebha2008@uib.no. The new deadline is February 15, 2008.