企业集团的理论综述与探讨

本文回顾了在企业集团研究中占主导地位的三种理论框架,即经济学(以制度经济学和资源理论为主)、社会学和政治学理论。这些理论从外部市场失效或者市场机制不完全、集团以内部市场替代外部市场并以较低的交易费用使成员企业获得产品或者要素资源、社会关系、传统以及社会规范对组织行为和结构的影响、国家和政府与企业集团的关系,以及双方之间的相互影响等角度出发,对企业集团的起因、角色和组织形式做出解释。在上述三种理论的指导下,相应的实证研究检验了企业集团内部市场的作用、资源分配体制、连锁董事以及政府政策对集团多元化战略和组织结构的影响,并取得了初步成果,本文也对今后企业集团研究的方向提出了建议。

The Discussion of Three Interpretations on Business Group

This article reviews three dominant theories in study of business groups, including economic theory (particularly institu-tional economics and resource-based theory), sociology theories, and politics theories. These theories explained the foundation and development of business groups, the role of business groups and their organizational arrangements, from perspectives of imperfect external market or market absence, internal markets within business groups as the substitute, which enables member firms to exchange commodi-ties and/or resources with lower transaction costs, influence of social relations, traditions and social norms on organizational behavior and structure, and the relationship between national governments and enterprises as well as their interactions. Under the guidelines of the above three theories, respective empirical studies examined the func-tion of internal markets within groups, resource allocation mecha-nisms, interlocking directorates and influences of governmental poli-cies on group diversification and structure. These studies have made primary achievement. The article proposes future directions for study of business groups.