Case Study: Lincoln Electric

Lincoln Electric (LE) has been a producer of electrical and welding technology products since the late 1800's. The company remained primarily a family and employee held company until 1995, then approximately 40% of its equity went to the public. James Lincoln, one of the founders, developed unique management techniques that effectively motivated the employees. These management techniques were implemented as an unusual (for the era) structure of compensation and benefits called "incentive management". The incentive management system consisted of four key areas: factory jobs based solely on piecework output; a year-end bonus that could equal or exceeded an individual's regular pay; guaranteed employment; and limited benefits. Management

The Lincoln Electric Employees' Association was formed in 1919 to provide hearth benefits and social activities.This organization continues today and has assumed several addittional functions over the years.

Primary features of the Lincoln Electric business model and employment system are displayed through the company’s overall strategy, philosophy, compensations and benefits policy, leadership, and communication within and outside the organization.

     Headquartered in Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, The Lincoln Electric Company is a world leader in welding and cutting products, as well as a premier manufacturer of electric motors. The company is well known for its dedicated, talented workforce and its superior technology. Lincoln Electric Company gives its customers total solutions along with a commitment to quality. Lincoln Electric Company is also well known for its incentive management system. Many companies strive to duplicate the success that Lincoln has enjoyed over the years.

With the years going by, Lincoln Electric Company, despite its excellent performance in production, has been growing in a very steady speed, and never really grew to a large scale company.

117 Years of Excellence; this is the header of the “Company History” section of Lincoln Electric’s website. I began the analysis at the careers section, looking through a variety of job descriptions and qualifications. The common requirements for management on the site are a Bachelor’s degree (Masters preferred), 5+ years of previous management experience, experience with Lean/Six Sigma tools to create impactful business improvements, proven experience in implementing and/or running an operation in an SAP environment, high level of integrity, confidentially, and accountability, sound analytical thinking, planning, prioritization, and execution skills, a well-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution, and people management skills.

Lincoln Electric Company was founded in 1895 by John C. Lincoln, who was joined by his brother younger brother James in 1907 (Lincoln Electric, Inc., n.d.). From the very beginning these no-nonsense brothers set about building a company that valued its customers first, prioritized frugality, focused on delivering ever increasing value and lower consumer costs. The company has a borderline fanatical commitment to achieving competitive advantage through an employee incentive system that drives productivity well beyond any norms for the industry, or manufacturers as a whole. To this day, the influence of the founders is clear in the entire structure of the company and its operating philosophies. The

Lincoln Electric company, officially incorporated in 1906 by John C. Lincoln, was created as an engine manufacturer. In 1907, James F. Lincoln, John’s younger brother joined the company, gaining managerial control in 1914.

Lincoln Electric is company based out of the east side of Cleveland, OH. Being a Manufacturing company they mainly deal with welding materials and electrodes. The company was started by Lincoln himself back in 1895; with a little inspiration and his second patent on an improved Motor. It has been recognized as one of the most stable and great companies to work over the years by multiple different associations. But what contributes to such success? In this essay I will go going through the aspects of the company and what has added to is growth, development and most importantly, its success.

The discussion between promoters of best practice and best fit approaches has sparked widespread controversy in the human resource management (HRM) area. The topic has gained much scholarly attention because it not only addresses a theoretical controversy but also possesses a high degree of practical managerial significance. The essay has the aim to analyse best practice and best fit approaches in HRM of a multinational enterprise. The reader receives insight into Lincoln Electric's organization through a case-study analysis of practical HR approaches serving as a basis for developing practical managerial implications in the last part of the paper.

The Lincoln Electric Company is one of the largest manufacturers of welding machines and electrons in the world today, with $1 billion in sales and 6000 workers worldwide. The company is also the pioneer in the development of the arc-welding industry and the originator of the innovative employee incentive system. “It was founded in 1895 by Engineer John C. Lincoln to manufacture an industrial motor of his own design. By 1909, it began to produce welding machines, and In 1914 James F.Lincoln his younger brother became the general manager, and actively promoted the welding industry, which expanded with the need to repair the navy vessels during the First World War”. Moley Raymond. (1962) The American century of John C. Lincoln. Retrieve from http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=LEC.

Even after his death, the present workforce still highly rate their founder when it comes to depend on the model which was invented a long time ago hence, the continuation and maintenance of the brand instead. Lincoln saw the customer’s needs as the "raison d’etre "for every company, and hence,

Lincoln Electric was founded at the end of the 19-th century by John C. Lincoln. He was a talented engineer who invested 200 dollars in his product electrical motors. Soon he was replaced by his younger brother James F. Lincoln, and the founder of Lincoln Electric dedicated his time to engineering activities and inventions. James F. Lincoln was a different type of inventor. He was a good manager with the nice strategic point of view over manufacturing. At the beginning of the 20th century, the company started manufacturing welding machines which become their iconic product. That is not the only thing Lincoln electric became famous for. The incentive management plan was one of a kind at that time and was the first step of creating company culture with a high focus on the employees, something unheard among the other manufacturers at that time of the century. Both Lincoln brothers were inventors and this was crucial for the earlier company development. Both were pioneers and the vision and the mission that was integrated especially from James Lincoln played a major role in the dramatic company development during the World War II.

The Lincoln company from its start in 1906 began business under destitute circumstances. The company was started with a mere $200 after the founder, John Lincoln, couldn’t gain footing in the family company. He took a patent ideas he had developed with him and later recruited his younger brother to oversee most of the business side of the company while he was more or the creative brains of the duo. With their partnership, the business transformed from a fledgling small business to a people centered production staff. The company instituted an advisory board of employees. “The Advisory Board, elected by the workers, meets with the Chairman and the President every two weeks to discuss ways of improving operations.” and “every Lincoln employee has access to

One of the world 's biggest maker of welding machine and electrodes is the Lincoln Electric company. Since 1965, has seen the higher net income and incentives. Employees turnover is nonexistent except for retirement and Lincoln 's organization culture supported on closeness, trust, percentage control and classless tone is one of the reason why its so prosperous.