No Ordinary Woman: The Life of Edith Penrose

摘要

Angela Penrose writes in the Acknowledgements, 'this is the story of a life', one with many facets. As the subject's daughter-in-law, and party to the many events in Edith Penrose's life, Angela Penrose is well-qualified to be her biographer. The core of the book is Edith Penrose's major contribution to the field of economics, The Theory of the Growth of the Firm, published in 1959 and now regarded as a classic which, according to the publisher's blurb, has 'inspired thinking in strategy, entrepreneurship, knowledge creation, and innovation'. Integrating economics and management literature, 'Edith's original work became increasingly recognised as providing the intellectual foundations for contemporary business studies and having anticipated the modern approach to business strategy' (p. 217). The chapter titled 'An Academic Indian Summer' encapsulates the consolidation of her work, while the chapter by Jago Penrose (Edith's grandson) deals with its originality. He notes that, while rooted in mainstream economic analysis, she espoused the importance of multidisciplinary empirical research. Excerpts from her work enrich the chapter. But her greatness does not end here.