Reports
Discussion Papers
No.648 The Presidents of the Bank of Taiwan and Their Times: Background, Management and Business Development: 1899–1925
March 2017
ABSTRACT
This paper is the brief history of the Bank of Taiwan (BOT, 台湾銀行) from 1899 to 1925, especially focusing on the first to the fourth presidents who represent the era of the rise and fall of the BOT. The BOT was established by the Japanese government in 1899 as colonial development bank in Taiwan, however they changed the business model to that of an international bank covering mainland China and Southeast Asia in 1910s. This rapid expansionism failed in the early 1920s and the BOT temporarily closed its doors in 1927. The question is how and when these problems occurred and spread in the organization as a result of mismanagement. Through the analysis of their achievements and personal background along with corporate performance and macro history, we are better able to understand the rise and fall of the BOT.
Keywords: Bank of Taiwan; Imperialism; Southward movement; Financial history; Economic history
JEL classification: N25, N45, N85, N95
PDF available at http://hdl.handle.net/2344/1621
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