The First Industrial Revolution: Adhocracy to Hierarchy

Between 1750 and 1870, an economic transformation took place in Britain, Continental Europe, and America that came to be known as the First Industrial Revolution. The phenomenon saw advances in technology, which spurred sustained economic growth with trading across oceans and continents and increasingly sophisticated financial networks. Industrial and commercial development was underpinned by innovation which transformed key sectors, with new technology and more structured organisation at its core. The outcome was not only the burgeoning new factories and commercial establishments but consequences for all spheres of life and living. The effect on industry and commerce was stupendous, on society equally so. In this dynamic environment organisations evolved from primitive hierarchies through to those more defined to ensure the efficient operation of larger manufacturing and service units. This chapter will provide a narrative relating to this transformation with particular reference to European economies.