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Ge Management

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General Electric (GE) was founded by Thomas Edison in 1878 as a way for him to fund his research into electric light. Only one year later in 1879 he accomplished that mission when he created the first incandescent light. Incandescent light was only the beginning, over the next 128 years GE became an innovator in the advancement of technology and implementing new ideas. Some of these products included the first electric powered X-ray machine, television, radio, locomotives, home appliances and radar systems. While GE was building a name for itself with great new products it also became a leader with its innovations in management. In 1900 GE embarked on its first management initiative by creating the first corporate research and …show more content…

They began to see employees as valuable resources and were the first to offer pension and profit sharing plans. GE was beginning to understand that to maximize a workers potential you must consider their thoughts, feeling and emotions. In the 1960s when the quantitative perspective was emerging GE developed the Business Screen. The screen was one of many new tools that used mathematical concepts to help guide a company’s business dealings. As described previously the screen was used to to identify the optimal portfolio of business units that a company can hold.
2. Which of GE’s management innovations seem to draw on a classical management perspective? Which seem to draw on a behavioral management perspective? I believe that GE’s innovation of Six Sigma, Workout and Blub Books all drew on the classical management perspective. More specifically the Blue Books drew on scientific management as they were more concerned with improving the performance of each manager. The Six Sigma quality initiative was more administrative management as is dealt with the idea an entire organization can become more efficient. There are two innovations that I believe drew on the behavioral management perspective. First, the pension and profit sharing plans for its employees that I discussed earlier. Second, is the policy of firing the lowest performing 10% of workers. Without question I believe this

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