Strategy and Structure in Large Italian and
Spanish Firms, 1950-2002
Taking as its starting point Alfred D. Chandler's studies of big
business, this investigation explores how the largest corporations
in Italy and Spain transformed their strategies and structures
during the second half ofthe twentieth century. Empirical
evidence reveals that, in contrast to the more advanced
nations of Europe, these two southern European countries did
not adopt either product diversification or the multidivisional
structure until later in the century and, even then, did so only
partially. By forming business groups and focused companies,
the two nations came up with their own viahle alternatives to
the dominant paradigm that originated in the United States
and spread among the bigger European economies.