Business History TV gives refreshing take on complex subjects

A Gies College of Business professor has launched Business History TV, a first-of-its-kind resource where pre-eminent scholars in their field simplify complex topics into short video lessons.

“We sought out renowned business historians – some with emeritus status -- who had already left a mark and new people doing interesting work,” said Marcelo Bucheli, associate professor of business administration at Gies.

New York University professor Richard Sylla distills the financial revolution in 14 minutes and Rutgers professor Philip Scranton outlines the business history of communist China, giving insight into how it has evolved into a capitalist country.

“Another segment looks at how the power of insurance companies reshaped the healthcare industry, which used to be shaped by labor unions, religious societies and their ethnic groups. Then the system created incentives for healthcare to become horribly expensive in the US,” said Bucheli.

The idea for Business History TV grew out of teaching global strategy for the Gies MBA program. He started filming at a business history conference two years ago.

“We locked ourselves in a room for three days and were in constant communication, both conducting and editing interviews,” said Bucheli, who worked with Tim Anderson, the College’s senior instructional video design specialist.

Gies’ Director of Digital Media John Tubbs also provided support for the project and illustrator Sergio Liévano provided the inviting design.

“Illinois has been a pioneer in business history – the first journal, the first important conference – and this was a way to build on that legacy,” said Bucheli.

Business History TV can also be accessed through the University library so it can be shared with the wider educational community.

“It’s for everyone from scholars to journalists to high school and college teachers and students. Our colleagues who study marketing, entrepreneurship, and finance can also benefit from these sessions,” said Bucheli. “We will continue to add more topics from a variety of industries and countries, including the history of management consulting.”

Bucheli, who joined Gies College of Business in 2005, is also an associate for the Center for Advanced Study at the University of Illinois and has received multiple MBA Teaching Excellence Awards. His research interests include the political economy of foreign direct investment, international business history, and multinational corporations, as well as the intersection of history and management theory.