XII-17
the various Edison interests. Charles Edison felt
complimented.
Sloan's reorganization General Motors taken the
pioneering divisional structure that laid the basis modern
management large business organizations.
He created structure that managed keep control of
the direction the organization without losing the advantages
of decentralization. There was lack control and any means of
control operations and finance, and lack of
adequate information about anything. The new organization was based the
Edison example, with divisions centered around each product and
central service departments, such research laboratory,
which was run Charles Kettering. had been early advocate of
the divisional system and the War gave him the opportunity to
put his ideas into practice and fine-tune the organization.
Charles Edison established large personnel office and other
service departments TAE Inc. Sloan inherited a
situation much like the position the Edison enterprise in
1911s
We were short cash. Charles was proud his
achievements and his style "modern" management.^
The final tribute Charles Edison's administration came
from the "old man. had confused product
line." his return from Florida, where had
been carrying out submarine detection experiments the Key
West Naval Station, Edison told the press that was "very
. Alfred
Sloan, General Motors, sent his men study the West Orange
operation before carrying out his own divisional policy
