Blending personal and managerial capitalism: Bertelsmann's rise from medium-sized publisher to global media corporation and service provider, 1950–2010.

This article suggests that the distinction between family and managerial capitalism is not as clear as often assumed and presents empirical evidence for hybrid forms of governance. It is based on a case study of Europe's largest media company, Bertelsmann AG, which grew from a mid-sized firm into a...

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Publicado en:Business History Vol. 55; no. 6; pp. 855 - 875
Autor principal: Berghoff, Hartmut
Formato: Case Study
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Sep2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        au: Berghoff, Hartmut
        affil: German Historical Institute, Washington DC / University of Göttingen
      su:
        Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
        Management of family-owned business enterprises
        Family-owned business enterprises
        Business enterprises
        Mass media industry
        Publishing
        Capitalism
        Organizational structure
        Corporate history
        History
        Europe
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          Europe
          Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
          Management of family-owned business enterprises
          Family-owned business enterprises
          Business enterprises
          Mass media industry
          Publishing
          Capitalism
          Organizational structure
          Corporate history
          History
      keyword:
        Bertelsmann
        book clubs
        family firms
        governance
        managerial capitalism
        managers
        media
        organisation
        personal capitalism
        publishing
        television
      ab: This article suggests that the distinction between family and managerial capitalism is not as clear as often assumed and presents empirical evidence for hybrid forms of governance. It is based on a case study of Europe's largest media company, Bertelsmann AG, which grew from a mid-sized firm into a large multinational after 1950. Family-led until 1981, Bertelsmann is still family-controlled today. The article analyses the structure of the family, the remodelling of ownership and controlling rights, the methods of financing, and the role of non-family managers. On all levels, creative solutions were found that overcame traditional forms of patriarchal family capitalism and introduced strong elements of managerial capitalism into a family business. Managers enjoyed considerable space for autonomous action providing they did not challenge the ground rules set by the family.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Case Study
      src: R
    language: English
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