2. The industrial company evolves

Since its pre-industrial, artisanal origins in ancient Egypt, the organization of business has constantly evolved in response to changing market conditions and competitive pressures. This was the Industrial Revolution, which began in the mid-18th century and "ended" in the 1950s, giving way to the age of information technology. The apogee of the industrial era was characterized by the Fordist system of mass production, giving rise to vertically integrated companies, from the exploitation of raw materials to the undifferentiated finished product.