in The Organization Man, William Whyte’s influential 1956 book that analyzed the conformity of America’s corporate culture and the merits of creative thinking. “If ever there were proof of the virtues of free research, General Electric and Bell Labs provide it,” Whyte wrote, pointing in particular to the achievements of thinkers like Claude Shannon. “Of all corporations’ research groups these two have been the two outstandingly profitable ones . . . of all corporation research groups these two have consistently attracted the most brilliant men. Why? The third fact explains the other two. Of
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