Business Structure, Business Culture and the Industrial District

"North Staffordshire has been synonymous with the manufacture of pottery for more than 200 years. This book is the first comprehensive business history of the North Staffordshire pottery industry during a critical period in its development, from the nineteenth century to the eve of World War I. Adopting an explicitly regional perspective, the work focuses on the interaction of business structure and business culture in the context of an intensely clustered industry. Major themes include personal capitalism, networks, business strategy and technological change, each explored in terms of the rapidly changing environment faced by the industry in this period. A detailed reconstruction of the structure of the industry is augmented by several important firm case studies, from high-class manufacturers Mintons Ltd to the auxiliary firm of Jesse Shirley & Co. Making a significant contribution to our knowledge of the potteries, the book also provides insights into the nature of industrial districts."--Jacket.