General Electric

Paper Summary:

The paper's case study covers some of the strategic difficulties that Jack Welch faced when he first took the reigns of the General Electric company in the early 1980s. The paper then discusses the conference activity, looking at some industry trends in the global consumer goods industry; specifically some aspects relating to Wal-Mart and Kmart.

Outline:
Abstract
Overview
Challenges
Effectiveness
Conference Activity: Industry Trends
Industry Competitors

From the Paper:

"General Electric (GE) is perhaps only comparable to several other companies in the world and certainly in the U.S. market. As Bartlett and Wozny note, GE is one of the few companies in the world that have such a long, storied history and a direct lineage to one of the most important people to the modern era, Thomas Edison who founded the company in 1878 (2005, p.1). Thus, for Welch, taking over such a large company with disparate operations and divisions spread across the globe was more than just an operational or logistical challenge, but a almost a political or a public service position because of the legacy of the company and its founder. However, Welch succeeded where others perhaps would not have because he chose to set aside the historical legacy that traditionally accompanied the CEO position of GE and concentrate solely on its market relevance and profitability."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barnathan, Joyce. (2005). China Steps Onto the Global Stage. Business Week Online 12 Apr., p.1+.
• Bartlett, C. & Wozny, M. (2005). GE's two-decade transformation: Jack Welch's leadership. Harvard Business School, 9-399- 150.
• Kmart-Sears merger intelligence report. (2005). Chain Store Guide, Nov/2005.
• Politi, J. and Foster, L. (2004). Corporate cultures will haveto be merged. The New York Times, 18, Nov.
• Sears 2005 annual report. (2005). Sears Holdings (online). Retrieved February 5, 2007 from: http:// www.searsholdings.com/invest/fininfo.htm.

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