The Theory Of The Lincoln Electric Company Harvard Case Study

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 comment that labor and management are properly not warring camps;they are parts of one organization in which they must and should coorperate fully and happily has made an easy effort to organize employees in the organization.

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.

The founder, James F. Lincoln used his Christian upbringing as the basis for his vision of how he defined entrepreneurial success. The customers ' needs are first priority, the employee second, and the stockholders are last. Quality and cost efficiency are the two most important factors considered in their product engineering and manufacturing. The hierarchy is stringent, however, the culture of the company is greatly people-oriented. This company has a strong culture that is instilled in new employees from the beginning and continuously practiced by every member of every facet in the organizational structure.

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.

Lincoln Electric has been on top in relating to the country’s culture of the United States. James Lincoln realized that treating people fair and realized their needs will sustain the company for the long haul. For an example, in 2008 when the United States was in recession, many major corporations laid of its employees. The feeling of discontent was high in the United States. However, Lincoln Electric did not lay off one person. Instead, the company lower their hours until the recession is over. Not only this method saved the employees’ jobs and it also sustain their morals and spirits.

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.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze a case study related to issue of control and how organizations can utilize different approaches of control in order to improve quality and performance in all arenas, domestic and global. The focus of this case revolves around Lincoln Electric, an Ohio based company that has set the bar for how to develop and implement a successful management system. This paper will use the Lincoln Electric case analysis to present recommendations on how managers can use control methods to enhance employee performance, increase employee participation and empowerment, and improve organizational quality in

The Lincoln Electric Company 's culture is a wonderful example of how to create an exceptional culture within your business. Lincoln Electric has been a leading manufacturer in welding machines and electrodes for over 100 years. During this impressive tenure, the Lincoln Electric Company has adhered to its founders’ philosophy that the customer always comes first, the employee always comes second, and stockholders come third. This philosophy is upheld throughout the entire organization, from the executive team down to its factory line workers and is evident in their daily business culture. Displayed through a plethora of initiatives; including employee compensations, a concentration on productivity, encouragement of management and supervisors to participate in active leadership and a general appreciation for its employees ' input and feedback; the working culture in this organization is the backbone of the company’s continued achievements. Through the demonstration of their philosophy, Lincoln 's founders and management team have created a culture that has become a timeless model of employee productivity for the world.

After taking the chance to read the Lincoln Electric Company Harvard study case, it is interesting how they viewed taking care of their employees throughout multiple decades, while business today focuses more on outcome-oriented cultures, where employees tend to not have that many benefits, or any benefits at all. The Lincoln Electric Company started poor, but as they took excellent care of their employees, they flourished into a successful entity in the world of business in America. With the enactment of a variety of programs such as health benefits, annual bonuses, paid vacation and a suggestion system that paid workers for great ideas, it is clear that their team-oriented system has paid off in the long run and kept their turnover rate at an all-time low.

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 effectiveness of the company’s doctrine is attested to by its continued growth after James F. Lincoln’s death in 1965. This illustrates that the culture he had founded was strong enough to ensure the company continued to prosper even in his absence. When still in infancy, the company suffered major setbacks including being gutted down but bounced back to employ about 30 workers by 1906 while sales kept growing too. James Lincoln pioneered an advisory committee that was elected from the staff members. The innovation, akin to a tradition, has persisted to date whereby the CEO meets with the Advisory Board twice every month. This kind of representation is critical in ensuring that the employees’ interests are taken care of. This certainly is a disincentive for go-slows and strikes as the grievances can be routinely handled at the highest

In 1895 John Lincoln resolved to open a business with a second patent for electric motors. He founded this business with a mere 200 dollars. His start up cost was the earnings he received from redesigning a single motor for Herbert Dow. His business launched out of a small one room factory. In 1906 he spread his wings and erected a new 3 story factory. Consequently, he filled those three stories with 30 new employees and the sales shot through the roof.

AurtherSharplin wrote a case study on Lincoln Electric Company [1]back in 1989 to document their success and what led to it. The company was very successful at the time of this study and it is a well written document. The case study finds many factors for the success of the company which appears to have a truly altruistic approach to business. In my case analysis I will not only look at the positive and negative attributes of the company, but I will also look at modern available data to see how well has the company faired and compare corporate policy changes. Meeting with a company and discussing with its leadership its success is not the only factor which should be considered now that we have an additional 24 years’ worth of data. The

In 1895 John Lincoln decided to open a business with a second patent for electric motors. He started this business with just 200 dollars. His start up cost was the earnings he received from redesigning a single motor for Herbert Dow. His business started out as a small one room factory. In 1906 he spread his wings and erected a new 3 story factory. He filled those three stories with 30 new employees and the sales shot through the roof.