Taking an historical perspective, this unique book highlights the evolution of the many diverse forms of business enterprise, and discusses the contribution of these different types of firm to the economic growth of Italy.One important issue that has recently captured the attention and the research efforts of both economists and economic historians has been the debate on varieties of capitalism in the modern world. In this context, the expert contributors analyze the various stages of Italian development that have been characterized by diverse dominating forms of enterprise which, in turn, have adapted to the nature of technological and market opportunities at the institutional, national and international level. This book proposes a new interpretation of the ?Italian case? that utilizes both the structural and macroeconomic perspective of comparative history, as well as the microeconomic perspectives focusing on the strategies of different economic agents.Based on solid quantitative evidence, this original work will prove to be a valuable resource for academics and students of strategy and organization, economic historians and applied economists.