Introduction: Varieties of Capitalism and Business History: The Dutch Case

The introduction explains the Varieties of Capitalism framework and the concepts of the liberal and coordinated market economy and institutional complementarities. Some key points in the debate are considered. After introducing The Netherlands as small country with an open economy, the findings of the other chapters are highlighted and contribution of business history to the debates is evaluated. It becomes clear that different spheres of the market economy changed at different moments in time and that the coherence between the various elements less constraining than the varieties of capitalism framework supposes. People and companies have choices.