This course provides an overview on the historical formation of the modern enterprise. This analysis is put in a comparative perspective, assessing the importance of the modern corporation in different countries. This course also examines the development of multinationals and international business since the mid-nineteenth century. Furthermore, the course analyses the relation between state and firm over time, considering not only the different forms of regulation, but also the rise and decline of the state-owned enterprise. Finally, corporate finance, marketing, operations management, and human resources as different functional areas of the firm are studied in an historical perspective.