Daniel M. G. Raff, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Enterprise and Society, Volume 14, September 2013, pp. 435-456
Abstract: Sample selection bias is a common problem in the business history literature. This paper proposes methods for researching and writing the history of firms and industries designed to address the problem. The key elements are a forward-looking perspective and close attention to the development over time of selection environments, the resources individual firms can mobilize, and understanding an agency within the firm or firms.