Alfred Chandler

Bradley Bowden

Chapter 5 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Historical Organisation Studies, 2026, pp 19-21 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Born into privilege, Alfred DuPont Chandler made the most of his opportunities. His knowledge of American business and the process of industrialisation prior to World War I was encyclopaedic. His reputation, however, largely rests on a single insight: that management and the large corporate firm has largely displaced the ‘invisible hand of the market’ in the production and distribution of goods and services. Although Chandler's work has been criticised for his lack of attention to matters relating to culture, ideas, politics and the state, it nevertheless remains a cornerstone to any understanding of business and management history.

Keywords: Chandler; Visible hand; Industrialisation; Railroads; Corporate management; Business structure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332922
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