Author : Raymond G. Stokes
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521451246
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (512 download)
Book Synopsis Opting for Oil by : Raymond G. Stokes
Download or read book Opting for Oil written by Raymond G. Stokes and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994-01-28 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the causes, course, and consequences of the shift in West German chemical technology from a coal to a petroleum basis between 1945 and 1961. It examines the historical underpinnings of technological culture of the German chemical industry; changing political and economic constraints on technological decision-making in the postwar period; and the actual decision-making process within five individual firms. The study's main importance lies in its detailed portrayal of decision-making within individual chemical firms. By addressing a wide variety of broader issues, as well--including the origins and impact of the division of Germany; the effects of the Wirtschaftswunder, or economic miracle; European integration; and the changing role of the West German Federal Republic in the international political order--this book explains how West German industry regained and then retained a competitive position in world markets.