The Apogee of American Corporate Enterprise–The Postwar Years, 1945-1973

1. Introduction--"Should History Be Rewritten?"
   1. Matthew Josephson and the "Robber Baron" View of Business History--No
   2. Allan Nevins--American Businessmen as "Industrial Statesmen"--Yes
2. The Postwar Business Order
   1. Power-Sharing
      1. With Federal Government
         1. New Regulation
         2. Socializing Welfare Capitalism--The "Welfare State"
         3. The Defense Establishment
      2. With Labor Unions--A New Major Force
   2. BUT A New Corporate Dominance
      1. US as Only Developed Economy Unscathed by War
      2. Extension to Outside World
         1. Helping Rebuild Europe and Japan
         2. New Opportunities in World Markets
         3. A Corporate Structure Adaptable to Expansion--The Decentralized Firm
            1. Purpose--Handling Diverse Products
            2. Form
               1. Divisional Structure
               2. Headquarters as Coordinating Agency
            3. Early Successes
               1. DuPont
               2. General Motors
            4. Adaptability to Foreign Operations
         4. The Rise of the Multinational Corporation
            1. Late-Nineteenth Century Origins
            2. Postwar Spread
      3. A Strong Domestic Economy
         1. Pent-Up Demand
         2. The Baby Boom
         3. Keynesian Economic Policy--The Employment Act of 1946
         4. The Military-Industrial Complex
3. Assessment
   1. Pluses--Stability and Security
      1. Familiar Firms
      2. Stable Support for Communities
      3. Long-Term Careers--the "Lifer"
      4. Labor Peace
   2. Minuses
      1. Corporate Bureaucracy as Iron Cage--"The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit"
      2. Environmental Degradation
      3. Glass (and Steel) Ceilings--African-Americans and Women
      4. Complacency and Stagnation