The trees of the forest: uncovering small-scale producers in an industrial district, 1781-1851

Lane, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0216-1508 (2023) The trees of the forest: uncovering small-scale producers in an industrial district, 1781-1851. Enterprise & Society, 24 (3). pp. 702-730. ISSN 1467-2227 doi: 10.1017/eso.2022.7

Abstract/Summary

This paper uses trade directories and notifications in the London Gazette to reconstruct the Potteries industrial district at the firm level for 1781- 1851, a dynamic period of growth for a knowledge-intensive industry. It cuts across the organisational spectrum of the district in terms of the scale and scope of firms traditionally examined by including not just the larger lead-firms, but also the firms for whom limited material or business records survive. It addresses difficulties associated with analysis of early clusters before the later nineteenth century: directories offer a consistent series of records which, when cross-referenced with the Gazette and local newspapers, allow for detailed examination of firm behaviour and the structure of the district during a formative growth period. Analysis highlights patterns of cooperative competition in an industry where tacit knowledge played a crucial role as a source of competitive advantage, raising questions for future research and providing an empirical base upon which to consider further investigation of the trees that made up the forest.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/102725
Identification Number/DOI	10.1017/eso.2022.7
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Henley Business School > International Business and Strategy
Uncontrolled Keywords	Industrial Districts; Manufacturing; Trade Directories; Pottery
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
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