London Transport

A Hybrid in History 1905-48

James Fowler

Emerald

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Hardback

9781789739541

16 September 2019

$104.99

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9781789739534

16 September 2019

$104.99

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9781789739558

16 September 2019

$104.99

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About

The London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was a unique hybrid public body accountable only to a small number of stakeholders, yet it delivered substantial improvements in public services and provided good working conditions for its employees at the cost of its investors.

London Transport: A Hybrid in History 1905-48 innovatively combines a revisionist historical narrative with a systematic analysis of quantitative and qualitative research to explore how and why the LPTB achieved rare popularity amongst its customers. Divided into three sections, the book explores the financial operations of the Board, the Board as a system of governance and the leadership and management within the LPTB. Using the extensive Transport for London archives, James Fowler conducts a timely assessment of the public network utility that once made London transport domestically popular and internationally admired.

With debates about British transport policy ongoing, this book is an illuminating read for scholars and students researching within the areas of business management history, transport and public sector governance and administration.

Chapter One: Modern Relevance Chapter Two: The Historical Development of London Transport Chapter Three: Follow the Money: The investors, passengers and employee Chapter Four: Who shall Guard the Guards? The Governance of London's Transport Chapter Five: Solving the London Transport Problem Chapter Six: Conclusions for Theory and Public Debate

The author provides a systematic analysis of the history of London transport from 1905 to 1948, focusing on whose financial interests it operated in, its governance, and its leadership and the implications of these aspects. He concentrates on why events occurred and business, organizational, and management history and the present service and theories of quasi-public or hybrid organizations, rather than what and how events happened. He describes the historical development of London transport through the themes of finance, governance, and management; the transport's investors, employees, and passengers; governance and the lack of accountability of the London Passenger Transport Board; and how inefficiencies and temptations of unaccountable power were avoided through management by Lord Ashfield and Frank Pick.
- Copyright 2019

James Fowler is a lecturer at The University of Essex, UK. His academic interests are in the fields of business, management and organisational history, having published work on the performance of quasi-public organisations, organisational responses to crises and the purposes of statistical accounting. Prior to his academic career he was an Officer in the armed forces for 16 years.