重新审视组织文化的力量：通用汽车公司为例 - 过去，现在与未来

发布时间：2016-04-20 08:42

Abstract摘要

本文旨在研究和审查组织文化的功能，在通用汽车公司的发展，，为探索在这家公司存在的影响和各种文化的影响。组织文化是从三个方面（领导力，可持续发展和国际化）在整个通用汽车的历史，现在和未来的检验。这项研究表明，1）灵活的领导，而不是一个统一领导的标准，作为当时通用汽车要求其领导人根据不同的情况来发挥作用的决定因素。 2）可持续发展是在资源约束型经济的汽车制造商通用汽车公司的核心企业文化。该公司支付极端重视可持续发展相关的创新和技术。 3）国际化已经并将继续成为通用汽车最重要的企业文化之一。该公司正在渗透到北美，南美，欧洲，亚洲，非洲和大洋洲市场，不仅为扩大和利润的目的，又利用在各大洲联合部队，以开发更先进技术的和环境可持续的车辆。This dissertation aims to examine and review the functions of organizational culture in the development of General Motors Company so as to discover the influence and effect of each culture existed in this company. Organizational culture is examined from three perspectives (leadership, sustainability and internationalization) throughout the history, present and future of General Motors. This research reveals that 1) flexible leadership, rather than a unified leadership standard, serves as a determinant when General Motors demands its leaders to function in accordance to different situations.  2) Sustainability is the very core organizational culture of General Motors as an auto maker in a resource-constrained economy. The company is paying extreme attention to sustainability-related innovation and technology. 3) Internationalization has been and will continue to be among the most important organizational culture of General Motors. The company is penetrating into markets in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania not only for the purpose of expansion and profit, but also to utilize the joint force in every continent to develop more technologically sophisticated and environmentally sustainable vehicles. 

able of contents 目录

Abstract 2
Introduction 4
Literature review 5
A case study of General Motors within organizational culture research 12
1. Leadership as organizational culture 12
  2. Sustainability and innovation as organizational culture 16
  2.1 Efficiency technology research of General Motors 19
  2.2  Substitution technology research of General Motors 20
  2.3  Effectiveness technology research of General Motors 21
     2.4  Mitigation technology research of General Motors 22
3. Internationalization as organizational culture 23
    3.1  North America 23
    3.2  South America 24
    3.3  Europe 25
    3.4  Asia 25
    3.5  Africa 27
    3.6  Oceania 27
Conclusion 28
References 31

Introduction介绍

General Motors Company, also known as GM for short, a multinational enterprise whose headquarter is located in Motor City Detroit, Michigan, USA, is now one of the largest companies that design, manufacture and sell vehicles and vehicles parts aswell as provide relevant motor services worldwide. (About GM: Our Company, retrieved April 28, 2014) There are at moment ten brands belonging to General Motors produced in 37 countries: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Opel, Holden, Vauxhall, Wuling, Baojun, Jie Fang, UzDaewoo. (General Motors Company Annual Report, retrieved May 6, 2014) Currently 20% stake in IMM and 96% stake in GM Korea along with ownership of a group of joint-ventures--Shanghai GM, SAIC-GM-Wuling and FAW-GM in China, GM-AvtoVAZ in Russia, Ghandhara Industries in Pakistan, GM Uzbekistan, General Motors India, General Motors Egypt, and Isuzu Truck South Africa, are held by General Motors Company, employing 212,000 people in 157 countries all over the world. (About GM: Our Company, retrieved April 28, 2014) General Motors held a best record for worldwide vehicles sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 to 2007, which is more long-lasting than any other of its competitors. Although the company went through a difficulty period in 2009--General Motors declared bankruptcy with Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer being closed, and General Motors itself sorted to government-backed reorganization, only one year later the reorganized General Motors made an Initial Public Offering and got back to productivity and profitability soon.(Brady, 2012) From then on, the company stays among the largest automakers in the world and provides a chain of services regarding vehicle security, safety and information. 

Conclusion总结

As one of the largest auto manufacturers today, General Motors Corporation has long established its reputation for providing the world’s top vehicles and auto-related technologies and services. In spite of a temporary depression in 2009 influenced by the worldwide economic recession, the restructured General Motors has been back to its original track, and figures from annual sales as well as production has proved that the reborn General Motors is on the way to greater success and longer prosperity. 

Numerous scholars have tried to explore the secrets behind General Motors’ giant success, although few studies have been carried out concerning the influence of General Motors’ organizational culture on its organizational behavior. This dissertation aims at fulfilling such academic gaps by reviewing the history of General Motors, analyzing its current strategy and looking into its future. Three categories of organizational culture have been positioned so as to explore the influential power of each culture. 

First of all, flexible leadership in response to different situation. is the first and earliest organizational culture formed from the beginning of General Motors history and adhered to until these days. The considerable contrasts between the first two leaders of General Motors, William Durant and Alfred Sloan indicate the nature of leadership flexibility. Durant helped the newly born General Motors to over night grow into a nationwide integrated corporation with several brands, any single one of which was notable enough to be the core brand in a competitor company. Alfred Sloan, on the other hand, guided the company into the road of healthy management and solved many problems left from early expansion. The collective efforts of the two leaders guaranteed the prosperity of General Motors for the following half a century. None of their successors, be it John F. Smith, Richard Wagner or Fritz Henderson, is a rigid copycat of whatever virtues, spirit, quality left by the founding fathers, but they display high level of flexible leadership, that is, rather than chosen for their characteristic features, they function as the very leader General Motors wants in different situations. Therefore, the leadership culture of General Motors is not to find clone of Durant, of Sloan, or of Smith, Wagner, Henderson in the future, but to behave as daring, insightful, prudent, pragmatic as them when the leader in position is required to do so.

Secondly, sustainability is one crucial organizational culture that can be written in the textbook of General Motors. The company has dedicated itself to sustainable business for a long time, even before sustainability became a buzz word of the world. The company always believes in a higher level of capitalism, one with social purpose to tackle the problems its business have caused and those equally damaging ones that may seem less connected to its commercial activities. For the sake of such purposes, General Motors not only widely establishes partnership with sustainability-oriented companies but also devotes itself intensively into sustainable innovation and technologic development. The company has become a leading figure in the design, research, manufacturing and marketing of sustainable cars ranging from hybrid electric vehicles, to all-electric vehicles, hydrogen-based fuel cell engine and flexible fuel vehicles. With these existing and concept vehicle models, General Motors tries its best to promote its organizational culture of sustainability in innovative researches carried out by itself and with alliance worldwide. 

Finally, internationalization has been and will continue to be one of the most important organizational culture of General Motors’. Under the principle of thinking globally and acting locally, General Motors has realized its presence in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Some are successful while others may be less promising. With those profitable locations, General Motors is dedicated to provide more vehicles of sophisticated technology, outstanding quality, up-to-date innovation and environmental sustainability, a universality of all the organizational cultures and values that General Motors is willing to convey to the public and the auto industry. With those unpromising locations, General Motors tries to further explore some through cultural congruence by adjusting local strategy towards local demand and context, whereas in some locations where cultural deviance is prevailing, General Motors gradually steps out of that market for the concern of business efficiency and effectiveness. 

Overall, organizational culture has been proved to be a strikingly influential factor to promote and continue the success of General Motors. Some virtuous cultures inherited from the past are still advocated, while the company is developing its brand-new ever-changing-for-the-better organizational culture day by day.  

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