Philips and Matsushita

In the post World War II era, Philips became the leading consumer electronics company in the world. Philips' success in this postwar era can be attributed to their strong Research & Development efforts, their independent National Organizations and the communication between these National Organizations. However, with the creation of the Common Market in the 1960's, the same National Organizations to which Philips attributed its postwar success soon became the reason why Matsushita displaced Philips as the leading consumer electronics company.
Early in Philips history, Gerard and Anton…