This book played an important role in establishing the field of strategy as a
separate study and has had a wide influence on scholars in the field.
This 1962 classic investigates the changing strategy and structure of the large industrial enterprise in the United States. Focusing primarily on a study of General Motors, DuPont, Standard Oil of New Jersey, and Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chandler surmises that a business structure is, over time, determined by its strategy and that the common denominator of structure and strategy is the application of the enterprise's resources to market demand. The editors of Business History Review chose this book for the 1964 Thomas Newcomen Award in Business History.
No book reviews available.
Other Beard Books by Alfred D. Chandler Jr.:
INTRODUCTION -- STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE |
1 |
|
Motives and Methods |
1 |
|
Some General Propositions |
7 |
1. HISTORICAL SETTING |
|
|
The Beginnings of Business Administration in the United
States |
20 |
|
The Coming of the Integrated, Multidepartmental
Enterprise |
24 |
|
Integration via Combination and Consolidation |
29 |
|
Organization Building |
36 |
|
Further Growth -- The Coming of the Multidivisional
Enterprise |
42 |
2. DU PONT -- CREATING THE AUTONOMOUS DIVISIONS |
52 |
The Centralized Structure |
52 |
|
The Strategy of Consolidation |
53 |
|
Creating the Multidepartmental Structure |
57 |
|
Structural Modifications -- 1903-1919 |
62 |
|
Further Centralization -- 1919 |
67 |
The Strategy of Diversification |
78 |
|
Initial Steps Toward Diversification |
79 |
Intensified Pressures for Diversification |
83 |
The Final Definition of the Strategy of Diversifications |
88 |
New Structure for the New Strategy |
91 |
|
New Problems Created by New Strategy |
92 |
The Problems Analyzed |
94 |
A New Structure Proposed and Rejected |
96 |
A Compromise Structure Adopted |
100 |
Crisis and the Acceptance of the Multidivisional
Structure |
104 |
3. GENERAL MOTORS -- CREATING THE GENERAL OFFICE |
114 |
The Durant Strategy |
114 |
|
The Sources of Durant's Strategy |
115 |
The Creation of General Motors |
118 |
The Storrow Regime |
120 |
Durant's Return and Renewed Expansion and Integration |
122 |
Du Pont Contributions to Durant's Organization |
125 |
The Crisis of 1920 |
128 |
The Sloan Structure |
130 |
|
The Sources of Sloan's Structure |
130 |
The "Organization Study" |
133 |
Minor Modifications |
140 |
Putting the New Structure into Operation |
142 |
|
Defining Divisional Boundaries |
142 |
The Development of Statistical and Financial Controls |
145 |
Defining the Role of the Advisory Staff |
153 |
The Role of the Executive Committee |
157 |
The Finished Structure |
158 |
A Comparison of Organization Building at General Motors
and du Pont |
161 |
4. STANDARD OIL COMPANY (NEW JERSEY) -- AD
HOC REORGANIZATION |
163 |
Structure and Strategy Before 1975 |
164 |
|
The Strategy of Vertical Integration and Continued
Expansion |
170 |
Vertical Integration and the Creation of New Functional
Departments |
172 |
Expansion and the Older Departments |
175 |
The Growth of Staff Departments |
177 |
The Board |
181 |
Initial Awareness of Structural Weaknesses |
182 |
The Initial Reorganization -- 1925-1926 |
185 |
|
Teagle's Troubles |
186 |
The 1925 "Program" |
188 |
The Coordination Department and Committee |
189 |
The Budget Department and Committee |
193 |
Reorganizing the Marketing Department |
196 |
Reorganizing the Manufacturing Department |
199 |
The Creation of the Multidivisional,
"Decentralized" Structure |
205 |
|
Continuing Difficulties |
205 |
The 1927 Changes |
208 |
Working Out the New Structure |
216 |
Some Final Considerations |
221 |
5. SEARS, ROEBUCK AND COMPANY --
DECENTRALIZATION, PLANNED AND UNPLANNED |
225 |
Changing Strategy and Structure |
225 |
|
Initial Strategy and Structure |
226 |
The New Strategy |
233 |
Structural Strains Created by the New Strategy |
237 |
Abortive Decentralization |
241 |
|
The Frazer Committee |
242 |
The Committee's Proposal |
243 |
Carrying Out the Committee's Proposals |
249 |
Frazer Reviews the New Structure |
252 |
Continuing Conflict and Resulting Proposals |
253 |
The Territorial Organization Scrapped |
260 |
Evolutionary Decentralization |
261 |
|
The Centralized Retail Organization |
261 |
Decentralization of the Retail Organizations |
265 |
The Growth of Local Regional Administrative Units |
267 |
The Return to the Territorial Organization |
268 |
|
The Final Structure |
276 |
6. ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION -- A COMPARATIVE
ANALYSIS |
283 |
The Adaptive Response |
284 |
|
Building the Functional Departments |
285 |
|
Building the Central Office |
290 |
The Creative Innovation |
299 |
|
The Conditions for Innovation |
299 |
|
The Process of Innovation |
303 |
|
The Significance of the Innovation |
309 |
Organizational Innovators |
314 |
|
An Organization Builder's Personality and Training |
315 |
|
Sources of Information |
320 |
7. THE SPREAD OF THE MULTIDIVISIONAL STRUCTURE |
324 |
Industries Not Accepting the New Structure |
326 |
|
Copper and Nickel |
327 |
|
Steel |
331 |
|
Aluminum |
337 |
|
Materials |
340 |
Industries Partially Accepting the New Structure |
342 |
|
Processors of Agricultural Products |
344 |
|
Rubber |
350 |
|
Petroleum |
352 |
Industries Widely Accepting the New Structure |
362 |
|
Electrical and Electronics |
363 |
|
Power Machinery and Automobiles |
370 |
|
Chemicals |
374 |
Variations on Structural Change |
378 |
|
The Merchandising Enterprises |
378 |
|
Summary of the Process of Structural Change within the
Enterprise |
380 |
CONCLUSION -- CHAPTERS IN THE HISTORY OF
THE GREAT INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE |
380 |
|
The First Chapter -- Accumulating Resources |
385 |
|
The Second Chapter-- Rationalizing Use of Resources |
387 |
|
The Third Chapter -- Continued Growth |
390 |
|
The Fourth Chapter -- Rationalizing the Use of Expanding
Resources |
393 |
REFERENCES |
397 |
NOTES |
399 |
INDEX |
455 |