Enterprises, incentives and networks: The formative years of the electrical network in Portugal, 1920-1947

Path-dependence, the formation of technological irreversibilities and ownership patterns, have recently been salient aspects in the study of historical networks. This article analyses the formative years of public utilities in a period where the advantages of co-ordination, interconnection or integr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Business history 2007-09, Vol.49 (5), p.625-645
Main Author: Madureira, Nuno Luís
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Business Strategies
Company business management
Electric power systems
Electricity Diffusion
Management
Network Externalities
Networks
Portugal
Strategic planning (Business)
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Summary:Path-dependence, the formation of technological irreversibilities and ownership patterns, have recently been salient aspects in the study of historical networks. This article analyses the formative years of public utilities in a period where the advantages of co-ordination, interconnection or integration between enterprises was still incipient. The purpose is to understand what happens when the competition to expand the physical extensions of nodes and links is suddenly blocked, and the enterprises can only compete to increase supply. The theme is thus of network enterprises operating without some of the standard incentives to economies of scale. The allocational and distributional consequences of this particular situation are exposed through an examination of the case study of Portuguese electrification in the first half of the twentieth century.
ISSN:0007-6791
1743-7938
DOI:10.1080/00076790701427820