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Thesis Reference Thesis When Du Pont went global: how the Du Pont family built a multinational empire (1910-1967) LOMBARDI GAUTHIER, Liza Abstract La thèse se concentre sur les mécanismes de multinationalisation de l'entreprise américaine Du Pont de Nemours, entre 1910 et 1967. Fondé en 1802 par la famille éponyme, ce producteur de poudres explosives s'est développé et a diversifié ses activités aux Etats-Unis au cours du XIXème siècle, et ce jusqu'à devenir l'un des principaux groupes chimiques américains. Durant le XXème siècle, la Du Pont s'érige comme un compétiteur international en développant ses affaires en Europe, en Asie, et rapidement d'une manière globale sur tous les continents. Partant de cette histoire, la thèse cherche à comprendre quelles ont été les motivations de la famille à agrandir de telles manières ses activités, et comment l'entreprise familiale a survécu à cette internationalisation. Ces questions sont développées au regard des relations politiques et économiques américaines, aussi bien qu'internationales, et en comparaison avec le développement multinational d'entreprises contemporaines à la Du Pont. Reference LOMBARDI GAUTHIER, Liza. When Du Pont went global: how the Du Pont family built a multinational empire (1910-1967). Thèse de doctorat : Univ. Genève, 2014, no. SES 843 URN : urn:nbn:ch:unige-389643 DOI : 10.13097/archive-ouverte/unige:38964 Available at: http://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:38964 Disclaimer: layout of this document may differ from the published version. 1 / 1 WHEN DU PONT WENT GLOBAL How the Du Pont Family Built a Multinational Empire (1910-1967) THÈSE présentée à la Faculté des Sciences économiques et sociales de l’Université de Genève par Liza Lombardi sous la direction du Prof. Youssef Cassis European University Institute pour l’obtention du grade de Docteure ès sciences économiques et sociales mention histoire économique Membres du jury de thèse: Prof. Juan FLORES, Université de Genève, président du jury Prof. Mary O’SULLIVAN, Université de Genève Prof. Andrea COLLI, Università Bocconi Prof. Nuria PUIG, Universidad Complutense de Madrid Thèse no 843 Genève, le 6 juin 2014 2 La Faculté des sciences économiques et sociales, sur préavis du jury, a autorisé l’impression de la présente thèse, sans entendre, par là, n'émettre aucune opinion sur les propositions qui s’y trouvent énoncées et qui n’engagent que la responsabilité de leur auteur. Genève, le 6 juin 2014 Le doyen Bernard MORARD Impression d'après le manuscrit de l'auteur 3 4 À Lionel et à mes fils, naturellement. 5 6 RÉSUMÉ La thèse porte sur l’histoire de la compagnie chimique américaine Du Pont de Nemours, sous l’angle de sa gestion et de son actionnariat, en relation avec son internationalisation. La Du Pont a été maintes fois étudiée par la littérature comme un élément comparatif ou un cas d’étude isolé, comme cela est le cas dans cette thèse. En effet, le groupe américain présente un intérêt certain pour les historiens des entreprises de par sa longévité – l’entreprise a été fondée en 1802 – et ses succès quasi permanents depuis 212 ans. Du Pont de Nemours est également un cas d’étude pertinent de par son implication dans l’Histoire : l’entreprise est à l’origine de certaines des plus grandes innovations chimiques – le nylon, le Teflon – et a tenu une place considérable lors des deux conflits mondiaux du XXème siècle. Enfin, dans le monde des affaires, la Du Pont a été impliquée dans certains des plus grands procès contre la cartellisation de la production chimique américaine du XXème siècle. L’expansion de la Du Pont en dehors des frontières américaines a commencé en 1910, et durant les années 1970 l’entreprise est représentée sur chaque continent. Ces décennies sont considérées comme la période durant laquelle l’entreprise a perdu ses caractéristiques de firme familiale. Cette thèse de doctorat entend modérer ces considérations en démontrant premièrement que l’entreprise reste sous le contrôle de la famille du Pont entre 1802 et 1980, et deuxièmement en présentant le rôle essentiel que la famille a tenu dans le processus de multinationalisation. Qui plus est, la thèse présente comment la famille a fait de son entreprise un groupe global, mondial, et a su conserver le contrôle de la Du Pont après cela. Cette thèse est donc en lien avec la littérature sur l’histoire des entreprises, plus précisément sur l’histoire des entreprises familiales, leur expansion, leur longévité, aussi bien qu’avec la littérature sur les investissements internationaux et les particularités – si ce n’est difficultés – pour les entreprises familiales de procéder à de tels investissements. 7 8 ABSTRACT The dissertation considers the history of the American chemical enterprise Du Pont de Nemours from the angle of its management and ownership, as well as in relation to its internationalization. Du Pont de Nemours has long been studied in the literature as a comparative element, or as a single case study, as it is in this dissertation. And indeed, the American chemical group is of interest for many scholars because it has existed for 212 years and has experienced amazing longevity with a nearly constantly growing turnover. Du Pont is also a significant case study because it was involved in the most important antitrust suits of the 20th century, had bought most of the major chemical innovations of this century as well (nylon, Teflon), and had played a significant role during both World Wars. The expansion abroad took place mostly between 1910 and 1970s while the firm was considered as losing its family characteristics. This work moderates this hypothesis by demonstrating first that the company's ownership and management remained under the du Pont family’s control between 1802 and 1980, and second that the du Pont family remained a decisive element for the international expansion of Du Pont Company, and that the role of the family had been regularly misunderstood by the literature. Furthermore, this doctoral dissertation demonstrates how a family led a company to become global and kept control of it afterwards. It is in line with business history literature about family firms – their expansion, their longevity – as well as the literature about international investments and the peculiarities, if not difficulties, for family firms to become international without consequences for their family management or ownership. 9 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I deeply thank Prof. Youssef Cassis, my supervisor, Prof. Mary O'Sullivan, Prof. Juan Flores, president of this jury, Prof. Nuria Puig, and Prof. Andrea Colli for accepting to be members of this jury. I am indebted to Prof. Youssef Cassis, my doctoral thesis supervisor since 2008, who has allowed me to achieve this final version of my dissertation. Prof. Cassis was also my master’s thesis supervisor between 2007 and 2008. Therefore, I thank him for believing in my abilities since that date to, first, have allowed me to work in his department while he was director of the Department of Economic History at the University of Geneva, and second, to have believed in my capabilities to compose some interesting research in the field of business history. While my work was going forward, Prof. Cassis was always available to attend my lectures at various conferences. Both his reading of my papers before the lectures and his comments after have always been rewarding contributions to my writing. When I started writing this dissertation, Prof. Cassis read an infinite number of versions of each chapter, with an equally infinite amount of patience. His strong stances concerning my questions, the literature I employed, as well as my use of the archives allowed me to produce the final document that an international jury can now discuss. I thank Prof. Cassis for all this work, as well as for his constant support and friendship throughout the years. Prof. Mary O'Sullivan has followed my work since 2010 when she arrived at the University of Geneva. I am also very indebted to her as she has given many new impulses to my dissertation. Prof. O'Sullivan also read an indeterminate number of versions of this dissertation and always gave me an accurate and new look on every chapter. Her expertise both in business and financial history was an important contribution to the reframing and narrowing of my questions. The literature she suggested to me, as well as the archives she knew in the United 11 States, allowed me to progress in my writing. Her strong support concerning both this dissertation and my work at the Paul Bairoch Institute has helped me to always go ahead, without sorrow for the mistakes I had made and only with a belief that I could still do better. I also thank Prof. Juan H. Flores for accepting the task of being the president of my jury. His careful reading of some chapters of this dissertation, the literature he helped me find – especially concerning Latin America – and his help with two papers I submitted to conferences in Geneva and Mexico have all been considerable stones to building, hopefully, a strong dissertation. I am also deeply indebted to him as a friend, for his strong support during the past six years, his constant good advice concerning both my dissertation and my private life, and his help during the "difficult days ahead." I thank him for all of this today, and I know I will also have to thank him tomorrow, and the many other days after that. It was an obvious fact that I wanted Prof. Andrea Colli, as a master in family businesses, to be invited to this jury. His books and articles concerning family firms are one of the strongest pillars of this dissertation.
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