From Monopoly to Competition: The Transformations of Alcoa, 1888-1986

By George David Smith

Book Overview

Over the past century, Alcoa has developed from a small entrepreneurial venture to a giant corporation; from a one-dimensional, owner-managed firm to a complex managerial bureaucracy; from a domestic company to a multinational enterprise. In the process, Alcoa survived a difficult transition from its long-held position as a monopolist (of aluminum production) to its current status as a firm operating in highly competitive international markets. This book presents Alcoa's history, from its beginnings as a speculative venture seeking to exploit an untested technology, through its rise to become the most successful monopoly in American history. By World War II, no other American corporation had developed its industry's markets more dramatically and then dominated them more completely. The book analyzes the undoing of Alcoa's monopoly by war and antitrust, as well as how Alcoa adapted to evolving forms of competition.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521352614
• ISBN13: 9780521352611
• Release Date: August 1988
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 592 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

distinguished global history

Alcoa has a long, distinguished history, as detailed here. Its rise paralleled the rise of the United States as a world power. The use of aluminium grew mightily in a hundred years. Especially for aviation, where steel has simply proved too heavy for many airplane parts. The book describes the expansion of Alcoa into a global multinational, as it searched for more deposits of bauxite and cheap electricity to process it. Australian readers should note the prominent description of Alcoa's Australian operations. Culminating perhaps in its alumina refinery in Wagerup, Western Australia.