The legal form of enterprise

The legal form under which business enterprises operate today have a complex history. Some things we take for granted, such as limited liability and easy incorporation, did not really exist until the mid-19th century.

A growing literature in economic history and related fields seeks to understand how new legal forms of enterprise emerged and how they affected economic development.

This website is intended to make it easier to locate published and unpublished works related to the subject.

The site is a work in progress. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

The “suggestions” page details a procedure that makes it easy for us to update the lists. Suggestions that do not come in that form will be added as time permits.

Listing something here does not imply endorsement.

The list was last updated April 22, 2024.