TECHNOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION: STEEL RAIL INNOVATION AND RAILROAD SURVIVORSHIP IN THE AMERICAN MANUFACTURING REGION, 1860-1890

The structure of organization in human ecology is a manifestation of its interdependency with an environment. The enviroment is mediated by the technology chosen by an organization. In this research, the organizational-environmental interdependecy is examined through organizational adaptation (survivorship) made possible by technological innovation. The operation of the railroad during part of the 19th century in the manufacturing belt of the United States is used to illustrate this relationship.;We expect that the railroads which innovated sooner and more extensively with steel track will be most likely to have adapted or survived by 1890. Larger sized and older railroads will even more likely be survivors by 1890.;The analysis was conducted on data gathered from the U.S. Census of Internal Transportation (1880) and several volumes of Poor's Manual of railroad investment (1868-1900). Two samples of U.S. railroads were formed, a sample of railroads with dates given for first steel rail construction and a sample of railroads representing the framework of the New England area of the manufacturing belt. Findings from these samples gave some proof that age and size of a railroad, and to a certain extent, the innovation of the steel rail contributed to survivorship of a railroad. Survivorship differentials between older, established railroads (built before 1866) and younger railroads (built after 1865) were more pronounced than for railroads of large size (more than 50 miles of track) and small size. Furthermore, date of steel rail innovation was far more important on survivorship status than extent of innovation (amount ot total track in steel).;Since freight rates underwent significant reduction during the period in which railroads increased their operating efficiency, an analysis was conducted on a small sample of railroads located throughout the United States to see if there was a relationship between freight rate reduction and the introduction of the steel rail. No relationship was found in the long term rate reduction, but the greatest average rate reduction did occur immediately after introduction of the steel rail.;Railroads in the manufacturing belt were studied to see if a technological element was crucial to the successful adaptation of some railroads over other railroads. The technological element of considerable prominence was the steel rail. Since technological elements never work in a vacuum, other ecological factors were considered. The internal structure of the railroad was assumed to provide barriers which prohibited entry of new railroads into the rail network of 19th century America and allowed existing railroads to adopt new technical and administrative measures. The size of a railroad (measured by total track in operation) and age of a railroad (measured by date of first rail construction) were used to represent these structural manifestations of organization. The technological variable was measured by two indicators: date of first steel rail use and the percentage of total track in steel by 1880.