Concezioni classiche e concezioni alla Williamson nell'interpretazione dei gruppi aziendali

Business groups represent one of the most important features of modern industrial economies. Studies regarding these entities have been conducted along two main streams of thought. The first one is represented by the classic theory, which considers the business group as a unitary system. The second one can be represented by the transactional model, which describes business groups in terms of "market and hierarchy". This article points out the two aforesaid interpretations in their similarities and differences, emphasizing in the mean time the same and unique reality of business groups which - with minor modifications - have been lasting since the nineteenth century.