2.17 On which internal and external partners did Jrgens approach concentrate? Why? In 1916 the founder of

2.17 On which internal and external partners did Jørgen’s approach concentrate? Why?

In 1916 the founder of the LEGO dynasty, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, bought a woodworking business and sold furniture to local residents and framers. By the 1930s he had switched his attention to children’s toys and in 1934 coined the name ‘LEGO’ for his company. The name ‘Lego’ is an abbreviation of the two Danish words ‘leg’ and ‘godt’, meaning ‘play’ and ‘well’. LEGO claim that this is more than their name; it is their ideal. The early toys made by LEGO were wood-based – it wasn’t until 1940 that the firm began making plastic toys that could be deconstructed and re-assembled. In 1953 LEGO began producing the now eponymous LEGO interlocking bricks (actually based on an earlier UK patent by Kiddicraft that LEGO spotted as full of potential and quickly bought). Today, the brand rivals IKEA, the Swedish furniture chain, as a symbol of Scandinavian design and values.