The answer is that most large companies aren't run like centrally-planned economies. Executives may imagine themselves as generals at the head of an obedient army, but they are in reality deeply dependent on the actions of middle managers and employees. In fact, real generals are just as reliant on independent decisions of their officers and troops. Successful executives (and generals) are the ones who learn to balance top-down and bottom-up decision-making. The largest companies are perpetually engaged in a game of consolidation and reorganization into more independent entities.