21 
have been small or even nil), in the 1960'ies the official 
aim of European governments was to foster amalgamation and 
the formation of large business units, because it was believed 
that only these large units on account of their superiority 
especially in matters of research and development and sales 
organisation could stand up to the competition of the large 
american business units. 
Broadly speaking, it would seem that the tendencies dealt 
with in this book have not ceased to operate, and that they 
are even operating on a higher - a multi-national instead of 
merely a national - level. 
Josef Steindl 
April 1978