SAGE Business Cases: Economic History Series

Books on business history tend to be long and dull, while published articles in the history of business, management, and economics, are often too technical and advanced for undergraduate students. Historians face a similar problem in developing content: peer-reviewed articles are currency in the field, and books make careers, but shorter pedagogical pieces have few potential outlets for publication. Often, historians know enough about a topic to write an interesting lesson, but they have not discovered a novel enough idea to publish it as a peer-reviewed article. This is why we think business and economic history cases provide an unexplored avenue and a great tool for teaching economic and business concepts while exploring historical context. Historians are generally unfamiliar with case studies, which are of course common fare in business schools. But if they become more familiar with this genre, they will recognize its usefulness. Economic history cases isolate principles, define terms, and summarize historical episodes. They are discrete lessons that can easily lend themselves to use in the classroom. For history professors seeking to incorporate economic lessons without complex equations, these case studies are ideal.

view economic history cases