The notion of large, efficient organization is an oxymoron. If you think that large corporations have overwhelming advantages, then you have explained why IBM still dominates the computer industry, while Microsoft and Apple never really got amounted to much of anything. I like to say that if you are afraid of large corporations then you have never worked for one.
I used to believe that big companies were clearly good because if they weren’t good they’d be out of business.
I’m starting to question this belief.
Another story is that big companies get big because they have a few good ideas (that make a ton of money) and then they spend the rest of their days wasting money until a start-up takes them over.
Or, at the very least, they spend the rest of their days acquiring start-ups to prevent from being taken over (see Facebook).
I’m sure others have studied this issue deeply, and I haven’t spent time with the research. So consider this just off the cuff musings. Clearly, some big companies have managed to stay relevant for a long time.
But, if there’s some truth to the idea, what does it mean for large charter networks?
What does it mean for large school districts?