LIGHTING THE PATH TO PROFIT - GES CONTROL OF THE ELECTRIC LAMP INDUSTRY, 1892-1941

Founded in 1892, General Electric set out to dominate the American ele ctrical industry. This article is an explanation of how the company ac complished this goal in the highly profitable electric lamp (''light b ulb'') market. GE's techniques included technology leadership through in-house development and the purchase of patent rights, discriminatory agreements with suppliers based on market power, and cartel arrangeme nts of various sorts, both foreign and domestic. The article shows how one company was able to use financial and market power, combined with early control of a rapidly developing technology, to gain and then ho ld a major American market for half a century.