During the
1900s, General Electric, AT&T, and DuPont phased out individual
inventors and gradually replaced them with professional
scientists and engineers who took responsibility for
technological innovation. result, the newly
hired researchers were often encouraged work within existing
9
product lines and modify products incrementally.6
Significantly, Edison grew older and "retired" from
actively managing the lab and his business enterprises, was
the convergent approach that was institutionalized the lab. Given this
outlook well the scientific training many the
.
The chief engineer and other Edison executives increasingly
organized research along the lines the storage battery
project. They hired additional scientists and engineers and
assigned them the tasks testing the materials and
components different Edison products. Like the Edison organization, these
firms had substantial administrative structures, established
product lines, and sizable production facilities; while they
often wanted new technology maintain expand market share,
these companies frequently wished avoid inventions that
would suddenly render them obsolete.
In this way the West Orange laboratory came resemble
the R&D labs established other business firms. Because they were
concerned primarily with maintaining the existing product lines
and the overall business organization, Edison managers
encouraged researchers take the convergent approach and
concentrate modest improvements
