Science and Corporate Strategy

Based on voluminous corporate records and extensive interviews with key employees Science and Corporate Strategy: Du Pont R and D 19021980 provides a comprehensive critical study of research and development in a large US corporation. Du Pont was among a handful of US corporations that established formal research and development laboratories at the turn of the century to improve competitive positions in their respective industries. Initially Du Pont''s executives viewed R&D as an important though not central part of the corporations strategy. However the gains made by the company''s laboratories soon demonstrated that R&D would be a critical ingredient in the firm''s success. The industrial research and development laboratory became a major part of corporate structure; science became a central part of corporate strategy.