Over at the Business History blog, management expert Dr Kevin Tennent has posted some thoughts on the demise of EMI. Tennent, who teaches strategy at the business school of the Open University, brings his insights as a business historian into play in his analysis of the problems of EMI. His post contextualizes the current situation of the company in its overall history.
EMI’s long-term decline was typical of the protracted death of many British companies, and came about as a consequence of mismanagement. EMI, which stands for Electric and Musical Industries, was founded in 1931 as the result of a merger between the Columbia and Gramophone companies, following a collapse in the gramophone market during the great depression. The company started to move into growth industries in this period, such as radio and TV manufacture as well as transmission equipment, indeed effectively inventing the 425 line television system originally adopted by the BBC. EMI also diversified into radar and defence electronics during the WW2.
For more, see here.
The Past Speaks 