What is Good for General Motors?

What is Good for General Motors? PDF

Author: Thomas A. Crumm

Publisher: Algora Publishing

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 0875867782

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Tom Crumm thinks the American auto industry can regain the world leadership it once enjoyed in design, manufacturing and sales of world-class quality vehicles — and profitability. There are nearly a million American jobs at stake and when the ideas in this book spread to component and other industries it becomes fuel for discussion of a turnaround of America's industrial sector and a turnaround of the economy. General Motor's CEO Roger Smith was a visionary and fully realized that change was needed at GM. Tom Crumm played a vital role in the rethinking that was to help the company steer a new course; as a strategic planner he was deeply involved in the creation of the Saturn project in 1985. Many lessons may be learned from Saturn's rise and fall that could be used to further the understanding of how the American manufacturing sector can be restored to its world class position. These include: - corporate culture and leadership, or the lack of it - the integration of technology and workers - employee empowerment and labor relations - supplier relations and vertical integration - and sales philosophy and customer satisfaction The biggest threat to a worker's job is an unprofitable company. Accordingly, the adversarial relationship with the company was not in the best long term interest of union members. The union had to change as well as the company. This point and the whole discussion will be of compelling interest to all who want to know what happened to America's auto making capability. Others have recently tried to explain what went wrong in the auto industry. 'Crash Course' by Paul Ingrassia, for instance, shows that the author had extraordinary access to behind-the-scenes meetings and conversations -- but he has little to say about engineering, manufacturing, or product development. This book addresses just those practical areas where productive change can be made.

My Years With General Motors

My Years With General Motors PDF

Author: Alfred P Sloan

Publisher: eNet Press

Published: 2015-01-16

Total Pages: 552

ISBN-13: 1618863991

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. led the General Motors Corporation to international business success by virtue of his brilliant managerial practices and his insights into the new consumer economy he and General Motors helped to produce. Sloan's business biography, My Years With General Motors, was an instant best seller when it was first published in 1964 and is still considered indispensable reading by modern business giants.

If Aristotle Ran General Motors

If Aristotle Ran General Motors PDF

Author: Tom Morris

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Published: 2013-12-24

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1466860804

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

What does classical philosophy have to offer modern business? Nothing less than the secrets to building great morale and productivity in any size organization. This is the message that Tom Morris will deliver this year to thousands of executives of leading companies such as Merrill Lynch, Coca Cola, Bayer, and Northwestern Mutual Life. In If Aristotle Ran General Motors, Morris, who taught philosophy at Notre Dame for fifteen years, shares the knowledge that he garnered from a lifetime of studying the writings and teachings of history's wisest thinkers and shows how to apply their ideas in today's business environment. Although he frequently draws on the wisdom of Aristotle, Morris also finds inspiration in the teachings of a wide array of thinkers from many different traditions and eras. Throughout these pages we're invited to pause and consider the words of Confucius, Seneca, Saint Augustine, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Abraham Lincoln, and many others. By looking at the inside workings of various kinds of businesses-- from GE to Tom's of Maine-- Morris shows why any company that is serious about attaining true excellence must adhere to four timeless virtues first identified by Aristotle more than two thousand years ago: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, and Unity. Morris makes clear that the most successful companies encourage a corporate culture that ensures that all interactions among colleagues, employees, management, bosses, clients, customers, and suppliers are infused with dignity and humanity. Moreover, the book provides clearly stated strategies for how everyone who works can make these qualities the foundation for their everyday business (and personal) lives. If Aristotle Ran General Motors presents the most compelling case of any book yet written for a new ethics in business and for a workplace where openness and integrity are the rule rather than the exception. It offers an optimistic vision for the future of leadership and a plan for reinvigorating the soul back into our professional lives.

On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International Volume 3

On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International Volume 3 PDF

Author: Louis F. Fourie

Publisher: FriesenPress

Published: 2016-12-27

Total Pages: 493

ISBN-13: 1460296907

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Volume One traces the history of Opel and Vauxhall separately from inception through to the 1970s and thereafter collectively to 2015. Special attention is devoted to examining innovative engineering features and the role Opel has taken of providing global platforms for GM. Each model is examined individually and supplemented by exhaustive supporting specification tables. The fascinating history of Saab and Lotus begins with their humble beginnings and examines each model in detail and looks at why these unusual marques came under the GM Banner. Included is a penetrating review of Saab through to its unfortunate demise. Volume Two examines unique models and variations of Chevrolet and Buick manufactured in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia but never offered in North America. Daewoo, Wuling and Baojun are other Asian brands covered in detail. This volume concludes with recording the remarkable early success of Holden and its continued independence through to today. Volume Three covers the smaller assembly operations around the world and the evolution of GM's export operations. A brief history of Isuzu, Subaru and Suzuki looks at the three minority interests GM held in Asia. The GM North American model specifications are the most comprehensive to be found in a single book. Global and regional sales statistics are included. GM executives and management from around the globe are listed with the roles they held. An index ensures that these volumes serve as the ideal reference source on GM.

Lean Hospitals

Lean Hospitals PDF

Author: Mark Graban

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2016-06-30

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 1138031585

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Organizations around the world are using Lean to redesign care and improve processes in a way that achieves and sustains meaningful results for patients, staff, physicians, and health systems. Lean Hospitals, Third Edition explains how to use the Lean methodology and mindsets to improve safety, quality, access, and morale while reducing costs, increasing capacity, and strengthening the long-term bottom line. This updated edition of a Shingo Research Award recipient begins with an overview of Lean methods. It explains how Lean practices can help reduce various frustrations for caregivers, prevent delays and harm for patients, and improve the long-term health of your organization. The second edition of this book presented new material on identifying waste, A3 problem solving, engaging employees in continuous improvement, and strategy deployment. This third edition adds new sections on structured Lean problem solving methods (including Toyota Kata), Lean Design, and other topics. Additional examples, case studies, and explanations are also included throughout the book. Mark Graban is also the co-author, with Joe Swartz, of the book Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Frontline Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements, which is also a Shingo Research Award recipient. Mark and Joe also wrote The Executive’s Guide to Healthcare Kaizen.

Billy, Alfred, and General Motors

Billy, Alfred, and General Motors PDF

Author: William Pelfrey

Publisher: AMACOM/American Management Association

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 9780814408698

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

"Painstakingly researched, the book sheds new light on how the divergent approaches of Durant and Sloan were destined to forge an entirely new business archetype, one that would become (and today remains) a global standard."--Jacket.

The Up Side of Down

The Up Side of Down PDF

Author: Megan McArdle

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2014-02-11

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 0698151496

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

“Clever, surprisingly fast-paced, and enlightening.” —Forbes Most new products fail. So do most businesses. And most of us, if we are honest, have experienced a major setback in our personal or professional lives. So what determines who will bounce back and follow up with a home run? What separates those who keep treading water from those who harness the lessons from their mistakes? One of our most popular business bloggers, Megan McArdle takes insights from emergency room doctors, kindergarten teachers, bankruptcy judges, and venture capitalists to teach us how to reinvent ourselves in the face of failure. The Up Side of Down is a book that just might change the way you lead your life.