Knowledge and Competitive Advantage. The co-evolution of firms, technology and national institutions

Notes:

Scholarly work dealing with the emergence of the synthetic dyes industry in second half of 19th century in which Britain and France were initially leaders until soon overtaken by Germany which achieved international dominance while the USA remainder a minor participant. Seeks an explanation for this in the concept of a 'coevolution process linking firms, technology and national institutions [which] resulted in very different degrees of industrial success for dye firms in the three countries', identifying 'differences in educational institutions and patent laws as the key reasons for German leadership'. Deals especially with the British firms Levinstein Ltd, Perkin & Sons and Simpson, Maule & Nicholson / Brooke, Simpson & Spiller; with the German firms Bayer, BASF, Hoechst; with the US firms American Aniline Works, Schoellkopf Aniline & Chemical Co. Structured in five parts: Part 1]: 'Key ideas in evolutionary theory' -- Evolution of technology -- Evolution of institutions -- A sketch of coevolution -- The economics and science of dye-making -- The road ahead -- Part 2]: 'Country-level performance differences and their institutional foundations' -- Intriguing questions about industrial leadership -- Performance under the microscope -- Background information on the three countries -- National research and training systems -- Supporting organizations and the state -- The academic-industrial knowledge network -- Social organization of production at the shop floor -- Intellectual property right regimes -- Part 3]: 'Three times two case studies of individual firms' -- Purpose of the matched comparisons -- The cast of firms -- The world of pioneers (1857-65) -- Science unbound (1866-85) -- The age of Bayer (1886-1914) -- Did managerial action make a difference? -- Part 4]: 'The coevolution of national industries and institutions' -- Overview of collective strategies -- Forging a national science capability -- Lobbying for a supportive patent system -- Influencing tariff laws -- Part 5]: 'Toward an institutional theory of competitive advantage' -- Theoretical gaps -- Evolutionary interpretation of the key findings -- A theory of coevolution -- Implications for industrial organization studies -- Opportunities for future research on industrial development. Appendices include 'A technological history of dyes'