Rise of the Megacorporation

Lauren RubensteinAugust 26, 20131min
Adelstein describes the conditions of 1865-1941 from which the modern large corporation emerged

Woodhouse/Sysco Professor of Economics Richard Adelstein was interviewed for a Harvard Business Review podcast about the emergence of the modern megacorporation, as described in his recent book, The Rise of Planning in Industrial America, 1865-1941.

“When we look at large-scale economic organization today, when we look at big firms or big corporations, they’re such a big part of the landscape that we don’t actually think about what a remarkable achievement it is that each one represents.” That is, he explains, the large-scale organization, planning and management of labor, machinery and materials.

Adelstein is also chair of Economics, and a tutor in the College of Social Studies.