Mechanical and Organizational Innovation: The Drapers and the Automatic Loom

William Mass

Business History Review, 1989, vol. 63, issue 4, 876-929

Abstract: The Draper Company's commitment to research and development was unparalleled among other nineteenth-century American manufacturers in older industries. This innovative drive, coupled with a strategy of patent defense and control, carried the firm to the top of the cotton textile machine industry by the end of the century. The company's 1907 decision to follow a less innovative path seemed sensible in light of its secure position in a volatile market, but the costs in long-term competitive strength were high.

Date: 1989
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