Abstract

Corporations dominate our societies. They employ us, sell to us and influence how we think and who we vote for, while their economic interests dictate local, national and global agendas.

Written in clear and accessible terms, this much-needed textbook provides critical perspectives on all aspects of the relationship between business and society: from an historical analysis of the spread of capitalism as the foundation of the 'corporate' revolution in the late nineteenth century to the regulation, ethics and exclusionary implications of business in contemporary society. Furthermore, it examines how corporate power and capitalism might be resisted, outlining a range of alternatives, from the social economy through to new forms of open access or commons ownership.

‘The ideal user's guide to the modern world and how we got here. It untangles the thicket of politics and corporate power and gives readers cogent intellectual arguments and an inspiring message that change is possible and already happening.’
Katherine Trebeck, Oxfam GB

‘A fresh, topical and highly engaging introduction to the vital issues surrounding the business world. There is much food for thought in this book: every student of business should read it.’
Geoffrey Hodgson, author of Conceptualizing Capitalism: Institutions, Evolution, Future

‘Goes beyond conventional accounts to critically expose the complex realities of the relationship between business and society. With clarity and originality, the authors illuminate the role of business for shaping society both in the past and present.’
Sara Gorgoni, University of Greenwich

‘A most serviceable compass, timely and effective, for a time in which we are constantly told that society should be treated as just another type of business.’
Fabian Muniesa, Ecole des Mines de Paris

‘Offers a wide ranging introductory interdisciplinary text for the study of the modern world. Rich in conceptual debate, it provides students with incisive analysis and criticism. This is the antidote to the anodyne business school textbook.’
Liam Campling, Queen Mary University of London

'In this tremendous text, Kean Birch and his colleagues show us why we must understand economic activity as embedded in political decisions. This book should be compulsory reading for anyone who wants to understand how another business world is possible.'
Martin Parker, University of Leicester

Kean Birch is an associate professor in the Business and Society programme at York University, Canada. His recent books include: We Have Never Been Neoliberal (2015); The Handbook of Neoliberalism (2016, co-edited with Simon Springer and Julie MacLeavy); and Innovation, Regional Development and the Life Sciences: Beyond Clusters (2016).

Caroline Shenaz Hossein is an assistant professor in the Business and Society programme in the Department of Social Science at York University, Canada. She is the author of Politicized Microfinance: Money, Power and Violence in the Black Americas (2016).

Mark Peacock is professor in the Business and Society programme at York University, Canada. His research interests include the philosophy of economics and the theory and origins of money. He recently published the book Introducing Money (2013).

Alberto Salazar is an assistant professor in the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University, Canada. His most recent publications appear in the American Journal of Comparative Law and Osgoode Legal Studies Research Papers.

Sonya Scott is a sessional assistant professor in the Business and Society programme at York University, Canada. She is the author of Architectures of Economic Subjectivity: The Philosophical Foundations of the Subject in the History of Economic Thought (2013).

Richard Wellen is an associate professor in the Business and Society programme at York University, Canada. His recent research deals with the political economy of higher education as well as transformations and alternatives in scholarly publishing markets. His books include Making Policy in Turbulent Times: Challenges and Prospects for Higher Education (2013, co-edited with Paul Axelrod, Theresa Shanahan and Roopa Deesai-Trilokekar).