ABSTRACT
There has been no lack of recent references to the high rate of change, in political, social, economic, and technical respects, which the environment of the contemporary business firm is experiencing. There have also been numerous discussions on the change currently taking place in business firms, specifically in Western Europe. The European Economic Community is – par excellence – the locus and focus of business life making strenuous efforts to adapt itself to a changing environment. Although this is, in itself, an interesting phenomenon, the interest is enhanced by evidence of a lack of synchronization between the rate of change of business firms in Europe and the rate of change of their environment. In automotive terms, it could be said that not only is there no automatic transmission between business and its environment, but switching to a higher gear is accompanied by phenomena that range from noisily protesting cogs to serious breakdowns. In economic terms, this means that European business is having trouble in regaining its balance. Failures, concentrations, actual or threatening massive dismissals, elaborate reorganizations, acute Americaphobia, and so on, are indications of intense ferment.
