His authority extended from the
administration building into the laboratory and Works. Edison
had filled many vital positions within his companies: chief
executive, inventor, chief engineer, and financial manager.VIII-20
problem for the management the Edison enterprise for there
was urgent need shape his sprawling industrial empire
into organization that could carry without him. Edison.
Each these functions had delineated and filled with a
professional manager who could maintain day-to-day operations
of his department the "old man" were not around." The complicated
legal and financial relationships between Edison's companies
meant little organization and few clear lines authority in
. He
instructed his subordinates "to act intelligently and wisely
32
without disturbing bothering Mr.
The administration had grown steadily from 1900 the
wake the boom phonograph sales. 1907
William Gilmore was running the Edison enterprise through the
managers each department. had slowly evolved
into organization that could run the Edison enterprise in
the absence Edison himself, but the ramshackle nature his
diverse business operations prevented truly efficient
administration." The goal the
administration was keep operations running smoothly while
Edison busied himself the laboratory. Many the operations were widely dispersed
about New Jersey and New York, and the management far flung
units, like the newly constructed film studio the Bronx,
33
were free become law unto itself
