This article analyzes the attitudes of Dutch employers toward social policyin the early twentieth century. Recent literature has evolved from an emphasis onpower to an emphasis on preferences.... Show moreThis article analyzes the attitudes of Dutch employers toward social policyin the early twentieth century. Recent literature has evolved from an emphasis onpower to an emphasis on preferences. Moving away from the traditional view thatunions and social democrats forced social laws on employers, recent scholars suggestthat firms saw specific advantages in the introduction of social laws.However, I showthat the attitudes of Dutch business representatives, rather than seeking these specificadvantages, merely reflected a willingness to consult, inspired by their macroeconomicview. Employers expressed the wish to attain an organized form of capitalismand accepted regulated forms of codetermination. Once the consultative platformswere in place, employers pursued strategic goals, such as labor peace and discipliningthe unions. This paved the way for accepting welfare state expansion. In sum, midtwentiethcentury business interests were strongly oriented toward coordinatedcapitalism. Show less
Davids, C.A.; Hart, M.C. te; Heijden, M.P.C. van der; Lucassen, L.A.C.J.; Heerema van Voss, L.; Touwen, L.J. 2023
Je kunt onmogelijk voorspellen waar toekomstige generaties historici zich mee bezig zullen houden maar je kunt wel stilstaan bij waarneembare trends in het vakgebied. Omdat veranderingen in thema’s... Show moreJe kunt onmogelijk voorspellen waar toekomstige generaties historici zich mee bezig zullen houden maar je kunt wel stilstaan bij waarneembare trends in het vakgebied. Omdat veranderingen in thema’s of methodes zich relatief traag voltrekken en voor een belangrijk deel worden gevoed door de belangstelling van de onderzoekers, is het nuttig om zo nu en dan stil te staan bij de ontwikkelingen in het onderzoek en daar een agenda aan vast te knopen. De inzendingen van deze prijsvraag over nieuwe ontwikkelingen in de Economische en Sociale Geschiedenis blijken gefascineerd door Piketty, door maatschappelijke problemen en door de nieuwe methoden die digitalisering mogelijk maakt. De studiemiddag op het IISG in november 2017 leidde tot een oogst aan fraaie artikelen die in dit nummer gebundeld zijn. Show less
From Filament Bulb to Agneta Park: Dutch Capitalism in the Twentieth CenturyIn this review article, Jeroen Touwen discusses a series of seven books published between 2008 and 2015 under the title... Show moreFrom Filament Bulb to Agneta Park: Dutch Capitalism in the Twentieth CenturyIn this review article, Jeroen Touwen discusses a series of seven books published between 2008 and 2015 under the title Bedrijfsleven in Nederland in de Twintigste Eeuw (Business in the Netherlands in the Twentieth Century), and the edited volume in English that contains the major conclusions and has some further reflections on the characteristics of Dutch capitalism. To which extent does the series meet recent demands of business history? Is the narrative connected with the characteristics of the national business system and the origins and development of economic growth? And does this business history transcend the microeconomic history of the individual company? This review article positions the series, with its wide and colourful range of facts and events, in the context of recent literature on business history. It particularly examines the conclusions on comparative capitalism. Show less
