"The larger the corporation (by total employee count) the less nimble they become."
That's because of antiquated management structures. Look at Gore and Associates (makers of Goretex) for a modern corporate structure. Elements of a corporation should be almost completely independent and the only reason they are part of one entity is because of synergies and cooperation.
To give a toy example, McDonalds might grow and slaughter their own cows because they can better place them near their distribution facilities. Buying from a third party might create unnecessary overhead.
I'm sorta oversimplifying things, but I'd recommend reading
"Re-Creating the Corporation" by the late Russell Ackoff to appreciate why corporations exist (and why sometimes they shouldn't)
That's because of antiquated management structures. Look at Gore and Associates (makers of Goretex) for a modern corporate structure. Elements of a corporation should be almost completely independent and the only reason they are part of one entity is because of synergies and cooperation.
To give a toy example, McDonalds might grow and slaughter their own cows because they can better place them near their distribution facilities. Buying from a third party might create unnecessary overhead.
I'm sorta oversimplifying things, but I'd recommend reading
"Re-Creating the Corporation" by the late Russell Ackoff to appreciate why corporations exist (and why sometimes they shouldn't)
http://www.amazon.com/Re-Creating-Corporation-Design-Organiz...