Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University. / This is an essay about entrepreneurial behavior in the woolen and worsted industry, which is presently in an important period of transition. For many years prior to World War II the industry lay dormant, generating no major fundamental technological or other changes. A significant post-war cluster of innovations materialized, however, which has fomented a revolution, a novel state of affairs for the traditionally conservative industry. In the study of these innovations the approach of J.A. Schumpeter and W.R. Maclaurin has been employed. These men have emphasized the role of innovation in a dynamic economy.
Descriptive material has been written, principally in technical publications, concerning mechanical, chemical, corporate, and locational changes. In areas of this study which are concerned with such description the author has drawn heavily from these sources, providing appropriate documentation. These written sources have been supplemented by the writer's personal observations of the subject matter.
The most significant portion of the work concerns behavior of entrepreneurs. Although some case studies have been made in other industries, it is the belief of the author that this type of research is unique in the woolen and worsted industry. Because of the lack of documentary material concerning entrepreneurial behavior, most of the information has been derived from personal interviews. In every case the principals and their close associates were interviewed. All findings were cross-checked in discussion with other personnel of the concern, few of whom have been given proper documentary credit. It is believed that the case histories present a fair and accurate picture and that the conclusions drawn from these are valid.
We have thus analyzed the far-reaching changes in the industry since World War II. There have been more important changes during this period than at any time since the invention of the automatic loom and (excluding this one invention) since the original development of the industry on a factory basis. [TRUNCATED]
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/19803 |
| Date | January 1961 |
| Creators | Perles, Benjamin Max |
| Publisher | Boston University |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | Based on investigation of the BU Libraries' staff, this work is free of known copyright restrictions. |
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