Professor Peter Nolan

Professor Nolan has researched, written and taught on a wide range of issues in economic development, globalisation and the transition of former planned economies. He has researched on comparative development in China and India; on Chinese agriculture; system change in China and the former USSR; poverty, famine, inequality and migration; restructuring large global firms in the era of the Global Business Revolution; the transformation of large Chinese firms since the 1980s; the evolution of China’s political economy; the inter-action between Chinese and the global firms in the era of the Global Business Revolution; and the contradictory character of capitalist globalisation.

Key publications: 

• Nolan, P and T.J. Byres. Inequality: India and China Compared (1976) (with T.J. Byres);Growth processes and Distributional Change (1983)
• Nolan, P. The Political Economy of Collective Farms: an analysis of China’s post-Mao rural reforms. Cambridge. Polity Press (1988)
• Nolan, P. State and Market in the Chinese Economy. Macmillan Press (1993)
• Nolan, P. China’s Rise, Russia’s fall: politics, economics and planning in the transition from Stalinism. Basingstoke: Macmillan (1995)
• Nolan, P. Indigenous Large Firms in China’s Economic Reform. London: Contemporary China Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. (1998)
• Nolan, P. Coca-Cola and the Global Business Revolution (1999)
• Nolan, P. China and the global economy: national champions, industrial policy and the big business revolution. Houndsmill: Palgrave (2001)
• Nolan, P.China and the global business revolution. Houndsmill: Palgrave. (2001)
• Nolan, P. Transforming China : globalization, transition and development. London: Anthem. (2004)
• Nolan, P. China at the Crossroads. Cambridge: Polity Press (2004)
• Nolan, P., Chunhang Liu and Jin Zhang. Global Business Revolution and the Cascade Effect: systems integration in the aerospace, beverages and retail industries. Basingstoke: Palgrave. (2007)
• Nolan, P. Integrating China: towards the coordinated market economy. London: Anthem. (2007)
• Nolan P. Capitalism and Freedom (2007)
• Nolan P. Crossroads (2009)
• Nolan, P. Is China Buying the World? (2012)
• Nolan, P. (1979) "Inequality of income between town and countryside in the People's Republic of China in the mid-1950s." World Development, 7(4/5): 447-465
• Nolan, P. (1983) "De-collectivisation of agriculture in China, 1979-1982: a long-term perspective." Cambridge Journal of Economics, 7: 381-403
• Nolan, P. and White, G. (1984) "Urban bias, rural bias or state bias? Urban-rural relations in post-revolutionary China." Journal of Development Studies, 20(3): 52-81
• Nolan, P. (1990) "Assessing economic growth in the Asian NICs." Journal of Contemporary Asia, 20(1): 41-63
• Nolan, P. (1991) "Prospects for the Chinese economy." Cambridge Journal of Economics, 15: 113-124
• Nolan, P. and Sender, J. (1992) "Death rates, life expectancy and China's economic reforms: a critique of A.K. Sen." World Development, 20(9): 1279-1303
• Nolan, P. (1993) "China's post-Mao political economy: a puzzle." Contributions to Political Economy, 12: 71-87
• Nolan, P. (1994) "The China puzzle: 'Touching stones to cross the river'." Challenge, Jan/Feb: 25-31
• Nolan, P. (1994) "Democratization, human rights and economic reform: the case of China and Russia." Democratization, 1(1): 73-99
• Nolan, P. and Ash, R.F. (1995) "China's economy on the eve of reform." China Quarterly, 144: 980-998
• Nolan, P. (1996) "Large firms and industrial reform in former planned economies: the case of China." Cambridge Journal of Economics, 20: 1-29
• Nolan, P. (1997) "China's rise, Russia's fall." Journal of Peasant Studies, 24(1-2): 226-250
• Nolan, P. and Wang, X. (1998) "Harbin Power Equipment Company and the battle for the Chinese market: sub-contractor to the multinationals or integrated, globally competitive firm?" Competition and Change, 3(4): 417-488
• Nolan, P. and Wang, X. (1998) "The Chinese army's firm in business: the Sanjiu group."Developing Economies, 36(1): 45-79
• Nolan, P. and Wang, X. (1998) "Reorganising amidst turbulence: China's large-scale industry in the midst of changing international distribution of power, restructuring and globalisation of capitalist big business." Economic and Political Weekly, 33(13): 707-716
• Nolan, P. and Wang, X. (1999) "Beyond privatization: institutional innovation and growth in China's large state-owned enterprises." World Development, 27(1): 169-200
• Nolan, P. and Hasecic, M. (2000) "China, the WTO and the third industrial revolution."Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 13(2): 164-180
• Buck, T., Filatotchev, I., Nolan, P. and Wright, M. (2000) "Different paths to economic reform in Russia and China: causes and consequences." Journal of World Business, 35(4): 379-400
• Nolan, P. and Yeung, G. (2001) "Big business with Chinese characteristics: two paths to growth of the firm in China under reform." Cambridge Journal of Economics, 25(4): 443-465
• Nolan, P. and Yeung, G. (2001) "Large firms and catch-up in a transitional economy: the case of Shougang Group in China." Economics of Planning, 34(1-2): 159-178
• Nolan, P. (2002) "China and the global business revolution." Cambridge Journal of Economics, 26(1): 119-137
• Nolan, P., Sutherland, D. and Zhang, J. (2002) "The challenge of the global business revolution." Contributions to Political Economy, 21(1): 91-110
• Nolan, P. and Zhang, J. (2002) "The challenge of globalization for large Chinese firms."World Development, 30(12): 2089-2107
• Nolan, P. (2003) "Adam Smith and the contradictions of the free market." Challenge, 46(3): 112-123
• Nolan, P. (2003) "A new competitive landscape." ECR Journal, 3(1): 17-29
• Nolan, P. and Zhang, J. (2003) "Globalization challenge for large firms from developing countries: China's oil and aerospace industries." European Management Journal, 21(3): 285-299
• Nolan, P., Shipman, A. and Rui, H. (2004) "Coal liquefaction, Shenhua Group, and China's energy security." European Management Journal, 22(2): 150-164
• Nolan, P. and Rui, H. (2004) "Industrial policy and global big business revolution: the case of the Chinese coal industry." Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 2(2): 97-113
• Nolan, P. (2005) "China at the crossroads." Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 3(1): 1-22
• Nolan, P., Zhang, J. and Liu, C. (2006) "Global business revolution, cascade effect and the challenges for catch-up for large indigenous Chinese enterprises [in Chinese: quanqiu shangye gemin, pubu xiaoying yiji zhongguo qiye mianlin de tiaozhan]." Journal of Peking University (Beijing da xue xue bao), 43(2): 132-140
• Nolan, P. and Zhang, J. (2010) "Global competition after the financial crisis." New Left Review, 64: 97-108

Books, monographs, reports and case studies

• Nolan, P. (1983) Growth processes and distributional change in a South Chinese province: the case of Guangdong. London: Contemporary China Institute, School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London.
• Nolan, P. and Paine, S. (eds.) (1986) Rethinking socialist economics: a new agenda for Britain. Cambridge: Polity Press.
• Nolan, P. and Fureng, D. (eds.) (1990) The Chinese economy and its future: achievements and problems of post-Mao reform. Cambridge: Polity Press.
• Nolan, P. and Fureng, D. (eds.) (1990) Market forces in China: competition and small business - the Wenzhou debate. London: Zed Books.
• Nolan, P. (1993) State and market in the Chinese economy: essays on controversial issues. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
• Fan, Q. and Nolan, P. (eds.) (1994) China's economic reforms: the costs and benefits of incrementalism. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
• Chang, H.-J. and Nolan, P. (eds.) (1995) The transformation of the Communist economies: against the mainstream. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
• Nolan, P. (2002) Zhongguo qiye xing [Visiting Chinese enterprises]. Beijing: Yejinbu Publishing Company.

Book chapters

• Nolan, P. (1982) "Collectivisation in China: some comparisons with the USSR." In Jones, S., Joshi, P.C. and Murmis, M. (eds.): Rural poverty and agrarian reform. New Delhi: Allied Publishers, pp.113-141
• Nolan, P. and White, G. (1984) "Urban bias, rural bias or state bias? Urban-rural relations in post-revolutionary China." In Harriss, J. and Moore, M. (eds.): Development and the rural-urban divide. London: Frank Cass, pp.52-81
• Nolan, P. (1990) "China's new development path: towards capitalist markets, market socialism or bureaucratic market muddle?" In Nolan, P. and Fureng, D. (eds.): The Chinese economy and its future: achievements and problems of post-Mao reform. Cambridge: Polity Press, pp.106-135
• Nolan, P. (1990) "Introduction." In Nolan, P. and Fureng, D. (eds.): The Chinese economy and its future: achievements and problems of post-Mao reform. Cambridge: Polity Press, pp.1-37
• Nolan, P. (1990) "Petty commodity production in a socialist economy: Chinese rural development post-Mao." In Nolan, P. and Fureng, D. (eds.): Market forces in China: competition and small business - the Wenzhou debate. London: Zed Books, pp.7-42
• Nolan, P. (1990) "Introduction." In Nolan, P. and Fureng, D. (eds.): Market forces in China: competition and small business - the Wenzhou debate. London: Zed Books, pp.1-6
• Nolan, P. (1994) "Introduction: the Chinese puzzle." In Fan, Q. and Nolan, P. (eds.):China's economic reforms: the costs and benefits of incrementalism. Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp.1-20
• Nolan, P. and Sender, J. (1994) "Death rates, life expectancy and China's economic reform: a critique of A.K. Sen." In Fan, Q. and Nolan, P. (eds.): China's economic reforms: the costs and benefits of incrementalism. Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp.301-341
• Nolan, P. (1995) "Europe versus Asia: contrasting paths to the reform of centrally planned systems of political economy." In Chang, H.-J. and Nolan, P. (eds.): The transformation of the Communist economies: against the mainstream. Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp.3-45
• Nolan, P. (1995) "Political economy and the reform of Stalinism: the Chinese puzzle." In Chang, H.-J. and Nolan, P. (eds.): The transformation of the Communist economies: against the mainstream. Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp.400-417
• Nolan, P. (1996) "The Chinese puzzle: political economy and the reform of Stalinism." In Gills, B. and Qadir, S. (eds.): Regimes in crisis: the post-Soviet era and the implications for development. London: Zed Books, pp.227-242
• Nolan, P. (1997) "Post-Stalinist system reform in China and Russia." In Arestis, P., Palma, G. and Sawyer, M. (eds.): Markets, unemployment and economic policy: essays in honour of Geoff Harcourt: vol.2. London: Routledge, pp.150-164
• Nolan, P. (1998) "Foreword." In Wang, X. (ed.): China's price and enterprise reform.Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp.xi-xiv
• Nolan, P. (2000) "Global business, value chains and developing countries." In Corsten, D. and Jones, D.T. (eds.): ECR in the third millenium: academic perspectives on the future of the consumer goods industry. Brussels: ECR Europe Academic Partnership, pp.14-20
• Nolan, P. (2000) "Perspectives on globalization, big business and the emerging countries." In Warner, M. (ed.): Regional encyclopedia of business and management: vol.3: Management in the emerging countries. London: Thomson Learning, pp.94-108
• Nolan, P. (2003) "System fragility, industrial policy and China's international relations, with special reference to strategic industries." In US-China Economic & Security Review Commission (ed.): China's industrial, investment and exchange rate policies: impact on the United States. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office
• Nolan, P. with Zhang, J. (2004) "The challenge of globalisation for large Chinese firms." In Nolan, P. Transforming China: globalisation, transition and development. London: Anthem Press, pp.233-296
• Nolan, P. (2008) "Contradictions of capitalist globalization." In Arestis, P. and Eatwell, J. (eds.): Issues in economic development and globalization: essays in honour of Ajit Singh.Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.115-174

Conference Papers

• Nolan, P. and Pitelis, C. (2008) "Industrial policy, resource allocation and wealth creation; perspectives and experiences." In: The internationalisation of Indian and Chinese firms: policy implications of the new globalization from the South, 26 September 2008, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Working papers

• Nolan, P. (1992) "Transforming Stalinist systems: China's reforms in the light of Russian and East European experience." Applied Economics Department, Cambridge University, Discussion Papers on Economic Transition (DPET) No.1992/3
• Nolan, P. and Xiaofeng, L. (1992) "Privatisation, small firms and the reform of the Stalinist economics: evidence from the Chinese rural non-farm sector." Small Business Research Centre, Cambridge University, Working Paper No.22
• Nolan, P. (1995) "From state factory to modern corporation? China's Shougang Iron and Steel Corporation under economic reform." Applied Economics Department, Cambridge University, Amalgamated Series Working Paper No.1996/13
• Nolan, P. (1995) "Large firms and industrial reform in former planned economies: the case of China." Applied Economics Department, Cambridge University, Amalgamated Series Working Paper No.1995/16
• Nolan, P. (1995) "Joint ventures and economic reform in China: a case study of the Coca-Cola business system, with particular reference to the Tianjin Coca-Cola plant." ESRC Centre for Business Research, Cambridge University, Working Paper No.24
• Nolan, P. (1997) "The Chinese army's firm in business: the Sanjiu Group." Cambridge Working Papers in Economics, No.9702. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.
• Nolan, P. and Zhang, J. (2002) "The challenge of globalization for large Chinese firms."United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Discussion Paper No.162