The Legacy Of Lincoln Electric

The Lincoln Electric company, under the leadership of James F. Lincoln saw a major shift in the way business was to be directed and operated with visionary mind-set emulating companies like Ford, Wal-Mart, Merck, 3M as focus was towards the customer’s needs and employee’s compensation. Philosophically customer needs become critical as the reason for being in business and the employees also being the vehicle in achieving the needs of the customers as the case study by Sharplin, A (1989, p.3) clearly positions the companies aspirations. James Lincoln places much importance on the relationship with employees that is guided by mutual respect and individual effort.

Lincoln Electric Company was founded by John C Lincoln in 1906 starting with a start up business in a one room, 4th floor factory to a bigger building and started to expand his workforce to 30 people and had a great expand in their sales as it grew over $50,000 a year. He was humble, preferably to be an engineer and inventor rather than sitting around being labelled as manager. The company also gave each of their employee as paid-up life insurance policy in the 1915. After 2 years, welding schools are introduced. A year after the success of forming a welding school, employee bonus plan was attempted.In the 1919 's, Lincoln Electric 's employees association are formed to introduced some social activities and health benefits to care for the workers. After becoming General Manager, in 1925; a purchase stock plan are enable for all employees. Lincoln bonus plan was finally accepted as a trial by the Advisory Board in 1934.

The strategy of Lincoln electric is known for its highly unique ideas for paying working according to the number of pieces they produced at works which means higher performance and productivity leads to higher pay roll. He believed in generating the best productivity and utilizing the company’s resources properly. A global organization is complex and has different task and requirement which needs different skills, education, experiences, knowledge and background. And that is why there is different kind of degree and education is available. Each major requires specific knowledge, like marketing, management accounting etc. the companies have segment in its organization also which divides the members into different groups each group have

The founders of the Lincoln Electric Company left a legacy of an organization culture that promotes high productivity through sound management policies which have stood the test of time. The exponential growth of the company after the death of James F. Lincoln was a direct result of the establishment of a rich culture mix based on values that were widely shared and accepted by the members of the organization. Management empowered employees to become part of the decision making process through the contribution of ideas through the Advisory Board which was elected by the employees from amongst themselves. Reward management systems and all the other artifacts of the Lincoln Electric’s distinguished strong organizational culture will be analyzed in greater detail in this essay.

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

However, the employees at Lincoln Electric Company have every reason to hang around. The case study notes that employees enjoy pension scheme, internal promotion policy, incessant service principle and bonuses. Base pay rates are determined by prescribed work appraisal and virtue rating system using merit rating cards. No wonder labor turnover is nonexistent at the Lincoln Electric Company except through normal attrition due to

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 Cleveland Ohio, Lincoln electric’s business model consists of distributing welding consumables, equipment’s and solutions. Lincoln initially traded electric motor cars and steadily moved on to welding. Lincoln’s vision, led by founder John C. Lincoln is to provide high quality welding, joining and cutting equipment’s globally.

     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.

Besides, managers in Lincoln Electric Company were not high in the sky, they worked and lived with workers in daily life, they had free atmosphere at work and they strengthened the feeling that workers were managing themselves.

All the founders of the company had a great deal of continues influence on the positioning of the company today, form John C. Lincoln to James F. Lincoln. John C. Lincoln started it all and James F. Lincoln, who is the younger brother of John, took over the company to another level. One of James Lincoln 's early actions as head of the firm was to ask the employees to elect representatives to a committee that would advise him on company operations. The Advisory Board has met with the chief executive officer twice monthly since that time. This was only the first of a series of innovative personnel policies that have, over the years, distinguished Lincoln Electric from its contemporaries.

Elements of Lincoln Electric’s management system that made it so popular in the U.S. such as piece-rate work, bonuses, and

Their highly profitable products have also permitted the company to be generous to its employees by the invention of their Lincoln incentive management plan which has been well known for many years. Their Golden rules: are their guiding principles, at Lincoln they believe and have seen the true evidence that you have to work for what you are paid.

James had his priorities at Lincoln. Whereas many companies then and now focused on their stockholders, James knew that the health of the organization is a direct reflection of the health of its employees. He encouraged their autonomy and trusted their judgment when it came to nominating individuals who should be on his advisory board. Why not? The employees know first hand who has been proven to be a capable advisor and leader to their specific department. This was the foundation that been laid out. The