The decades of the post-war boom were characterized by a stable political and economic order. Later, with the decline of economic growth rates, the collapse of the international monetary system and the two oil crises, corporate decisions became increasingly complex. Production was no longer the primary consideration, with the market and the return on capital instead becoming the key reference points in the final third of the twentieth century. With particular reference to the West European man-made fibre producer Enka Glanzstoff and its parent company Akzo, the article shows how the market gained in importance with the opening of the boardrooms to external consultants (in this case from McKinsey). From the 1970s onwards, many companies were restructured according to competitive organizational principles. Despite the opposition from trade unions and works councils, the internal marketization of enterprises continued. While a lot of companies operated more multinationally during this period, employee representatives were not as successful as the management in organizing their interests across borders.