Princeton Studies in Business and Technology
2 total works
This is an overview of the leading locomotive producers in the United States during the 20th century. It shows how they responded to a radical technological change - the replacement of steam locomotives with diesel. The locomotive industry provides a case study for business practices and shifts in innovation patterns. The book illustrates how producers responded to technological change, particularly between the 1920s and 1960s, and the companies discussed include, the American Locomotive Company, Baldwin Locomotive Works, Lima Locomotive Works, Fairbanks-Morse, General Motors and General Electric. The book aims to demonstrate how managers addressed radical shifts in technology and production methods, looking at managerial culture and corporate organizational routines. It details shifts from small-scale custom manufacturing in the steam locomotive industry, to the mass-production methods in the diesel locomotive industry.