Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diaspora Entrepreneurship between History and Theory

  • Chapter
Entrepreneurship in Theory and History

Abstract

The history of diaspora entrepreneurship is becoming a vibrant area of research.2 Its intricate nature invites and challenges scholars to combine in their analyses elements from the theories of entrepreneurship and the firm; international business studies; cultural history; and the history of the rise of the world economy and the West. This interdisciplinary case study of diaspora entrepreneurship examines the organizational form of nineteenth-century trading companies (TCs). In spite of their significant contribution to global trade, these international business institutions have attracted little attention among scholars, with the notable exceptions of Chapman (1977, 1985), Casson (1990, 1997) and Jones (1996, 2000). In this chapter, through a comparison of Western and Greek diaspora TCs, we strive for a better understanding of the distinguishing features of Greek diaspora business methods. At a more general level our analysis, through the interwining of history with theory, prompts a rethinking of conventional theoretical perspectives and provides insights on how the process of formation of concrete economic organizations is related to entrepreneurship.

We wish to dedicate this piece to the memory of Elly-Eleni Pepelasis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Baghdiantz McCabe, I., Harlaftis, G. and Pepelasis Minoglou, I. (eds) (2005) Diaspora Entrepreneurial Networks: Four Centuries of History (Oxford: Berg).

    Google Scholar 

  • Brenner, R. and Kiefer, N.M. (1981) ‘The Economics of the Diaspora: Discrimination and Occupational Structure’, Economic Development and Cultural Change, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 517–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casson, M. (1990) Enterprise and Competitiveness: A Systems View of International Business (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Casson, M. (1994) ‘Why are Firms Hierarchical?’, Journal of the Economics of Business, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 47–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casson, M. (1997) Information and Organization: A New Theory of the Firm (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Casson, M. (1999) ‘The Organisation and Evolution of Multinational Enterprise: An Information Costs Approach’, Management International Review, vol. 39, pp. 77–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S.D. (1977) ‘The International Houses: The Continental Contribution to British Commerce, 1800–1860’, Journal of European Economic History, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 5–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S.D. (1985) ‘British-Based Investment Groups Before 1914’, Economic History Review, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 230–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S.D. (1995) ‘Ethnicity and Money Making in 19th Century Britain’, Renaissance and Modem Studies, vol. 38, pp. 20–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatzioannou, M. Ch. (2003) Family Strategy and Commercial Competition. The Geroussi Merchant House in the 19th Century (Athens) (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Coase, R. (1937) ‘The Nature of the Firm’, Economica, vol. 4, pp. 386–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conner, K.R. and Prahalad, C.K. (1996) ‘A Resource-based Theory of the Firm: Knowledge versus Opportunism’, Organization Science, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 477–501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demsetz, H. and Lehn, K. (1985) ‘The Structure of Corporate Ownership: Causes and Consequences’, in Journal of Political Economy, vol. 93, no. 6, pp. 1155–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fairlie, S. (1959) ‘The Anglo-Russian Grain Trade 1815–1861’, PhD thesis, University of London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greif, A. (1989) ‘Reputation and Coalitions in Medieval Trade: Evidence on the Maghribi Traders’, Journal of Economic History, vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 857–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greif, A. (1993) ‘Contract Enforceability and Economic Institutions in Early Trade: The Maghribi Traders’ Coalition’, American Economic Review, vol. 83, no. 3, pp. 525–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadziiossif, C.H. (1980) ‘La Colonie Grecque en Egypte (1833–1856)’, unpublished PhD thesis, University of Sorbonne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlaftis, G. (1990) ‘The Role of the Greeks in the Black Sea Trade, 1830–1900’, in L. Fischer and H. Nordvik (eds), Shipping and Trade, 1750–1950: Essays in International Maritime Economic History, (Yorkshire: Loftcraft Publications).

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlaftis, G. (1993) ‘Trade and Shipping in the 19th Century — the Entrepreneurial Network of the Diaspora Greeks: The Chiot Phase (1830–1860)’, Mnimon, vol. 15, pp. 69–127 (in Greek).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harlaftis, G. (1996) A History of Greek Owned Shipping: The Making of an International Tramp Fleet, 1830 to the Present Day (London: Routledge).

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlaftis, G. (2005) ‘Mapping the Greek Maritime Diaspora, from the early 18th to the Late 20th Century’, in I. Baghdiantz McCabe, G. Harlaftis and I. Pepelasis Minoglou (eds), Diaspora Entrepreneurial Networks: Four Centuries of History (Oxford: Berg).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, O. (1995) Firms, Contracts, and Financial Structure (Oxford: Clarendon Press).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Herlihy, P. (1979–80) ‘Greek Merchants in Odessa in the Nineteenth Century’, Harvard Ukranian Studies, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 399–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson, G.M. (1998) ‘Competence and Contract in the Theory of the Firm’, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, vol. 35, pp. 179–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson, G.M. (1999) ‘Evolutionary and Competence-Based Theories of the Firm’, Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 25–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ioannides, S. (2002) ‘Owners, Managers, and Entrepreneurship in the Corporate Firm ‘Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 107–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, G. (1996) The Evolution of International Business: An Introduction (London: Routledge).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ioannides, S. (2000) Merchants to Multinationals: British TCs in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandylis, G. (1994) Three Families of the Great Diaspora: Chios, Pontos, Russia, 1822–1924 (in Greek) (Athens).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kardasis, V. (1998) The Greek Diaspora in Southern Russia 1775–1861 (Athens) (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsiardi-Hering, O. (2003) ‘The Networks of Greek Movement’, in S. Asdrachas (ed.), Greek Economic History, 15th to 18th Centuries (in Greek) (Athens).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirzner, I.M. (1973) Competition and Entrepreneurship (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsiardi-Hering, O. (1979) Perception, Opportunity, and Profit (Chicago, ILL.: University of Chicago Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, F. (1921) Risk, Uncertainty and Profit (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kremmydas, V. (1996) Merchants and Merchant Networks during the War of Independence (1820–1835): Merchants and Shipowners from the Cyclades (Athens) (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamoreaux, N. (1998) ‘Partnerships, Corporations and the Theory of the Firm’, American Economic Review, vol. 88, no. 2, pp. 66–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Light, I. and Gold, S. (2000) Ethnic Economies (San Diego, CA: Academic Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandilara, A. (1998) ‘The Greek Business Community in Marseille, 1816–1900: Individual and Network Strategies’, unpublished PhD thesis, European University Institute, Florence.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, R.R. and Winter, S.G. (1982) An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlides, E. (1953) The Greeks of Russia (Athens) (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pepelasis Minoglou, I. (1998) ‘The Greek Merchant House of the Russian Black Sea. A 19th Century Example of a Traders’ Coalition’, International Journal of Maritime History, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pepelasis Minoglou, I. (2002) ‘Ethnic Minority Groups in International Banking: Greek Diaspora Bankers of Constantinople and Ottoman State Finances c. 1840–1881, Financial History Review, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 125–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pepelasis Minoglou, I. (2005) ‘Towards a Typology of Greek Diaspora Entrepreneurship’, in I. Baghdiantz McCabe, G. Harlaftis and I. Pepelasis Minoglou (eds), Diaspora Entrepreneurial Networks: Four Centuries of History (Oxford: Berg).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pepelasis Minoglou, I. and Louri, H. (1997) ‘Diaspora Entrepreneurial Networks of the Black Sea and Greece, 1870–1917’, Journal of European Economic History, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 69–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricketts, M. (1992) ‘Kirzner’s Theory of Entrepreneurship — a Critique’, in B.J. Caldwell and S. Böhm (eds), Austrian Economics: Tensions and New Directions (Boston, MA: Kluwer).

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumpeter, J. (1934) The Theory of Economic Development (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrover, M. (2001) ‘Entrepreneurs and Ethnic Entrepreneurs. What is the Difference? German Entrepreneurs in the Netherlands in the Nineteenth Century’, unpublished paper, N.W. Posthumus Institute, Netherlands Graduate School for Economic and Social History.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selekou, O. (2004) Every Day Life of the Diaspora Greeks, Public and Private Life (19th to Start of 20th Century) (Athens) (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Shane, S. and Venkataraman, S. (2000) ‘The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of Research’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 217–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoianovich, T. (1992) ‘Between East and West: The Balkans and Mediterranean Worlds’, in S. Vryonis (ed.), The Greeks and the Sea (New Rochelle, NY: A. Karatzas).

    Google Scholar 

  • Syngros, A. (1998) in A. Angelou and M.C. Chatzioannou (eds), Reminiscences (Athens) (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompstone, S. (1992) ‘British Merchant Houses in Russia before 1914’, in L. Edmondson and P. Waldron (eds), Economy and Society in Russia and the Soviet Union: Essays for Olga Crisp (London: Macmillan).

    Google Scholar 

  • Vlami, D. (2000) Greek Merchants in Livorno 1750–1868 (Athens) (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Vourkatioti, K. (1999) ‘Anglo-Indian Sea Trade and Greek Commercial Enterprises in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century’, International Journal of Maritime History, vol. 11, no. 1 pp. 117–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waldinger, R., Aldrich, H. and Ward, R. (2000) ‘Ethnic Entrepreneurs’, in R. Swedberg (ed.), Entrepreneurship (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster, A. (2003) ‘An Early Global Business in a Colonial Context: The Strategies of Management, and Failure of John Palmer and Co. of Calcutta, c. 1800 to 1830’, paper presented at the BHC and EBHA joint conference, Lowell, MA, 26–28 June.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, O.E. (1975) Markets and Hierarchies: Analysis and Anti-trust Implications (New York: Free Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, O.E. (1981) ‘The Modern Corporation: Origins, Evolution, Attributes’, Journal of Economic Literature, vol. 19, pp. 1537–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, O.E. (1994) ‘Visible and Invisible Governance’, American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings: pp. 323–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, O.E. (1996) The Mechanisms of Governance (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yiannitsi, T.K. (1995) ‘The Greek Diaspora in Southern Russia: The Activities of the Rodocanachi Family in Odessa and the Mesaxoudi Family in Kertch in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries’, University of the Moscow Region, unpublished thesis Department of History.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Stavros Loannides
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ioanna Pepelasis Minoglou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Geneva, Switzerland

    Youssef Cassis (Professor of Economic and Social History) (Professor of Economic and Social History)

  2. Athens University of Economics, Greece

    Ioanna Pepelasis Minoglou PhD (Assistant Professor of Economic History) (Assistant Professor of Economic History)

Copyright information

© 2005 Stavros Ioannides and Ioanna Pepelasis Minoglou

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Loannides, S., Minoglou, I.P. (2005). Diaspora Entrepreneurship between History and Theory. In: Cassis, Y., Minoglou, I.P. (eds) Entrepreneurship in Theory and History. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230522633_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation