Strong Managers, Weak Owners

No one before has ever written a comprehensive poltical history of the fragmentation of stock ownership nor demonstrated the critical role that this fragmentation has played in shaping the power of managers in the American business system. Roe has provided a powerful and original explanation of the emergence and persistence of managerial autonomy in the United States. -- David Vogel, University of California, Berkeley A seminal work that should become [a] mainstay for years to come. -- Peter H. Aranson, Emory University

Demonstrates that the ownership structure of large U S firms owes its distinctive character as much to politics as to economics and technology. This title addresses issues facing American businesses as they compete in the new international marketplace.In this major reinterpretation of the evolution of the American corporation, Mark Roe convincingly demonstrates that the ownership structure of large U.S. firms owes its distinctive character as much to politics as to economics and technology. His provocative examination addresses essential issues facing American businesses today as they compete in the new international marketplace.