Ge Cultural Assessment
Cultural Assessment of General Electric
Learning Team A
Human Relations and Organizational Behavior
March 14, 2005
Cultural Assessment of General Electric The corporate culture of General Electric (GE) is a composite of its people, leadership, organization, structure, and processes from past to present. This paper will provide an assessment of the corporate culture of GE, and provide an insight into the dynamics, which have made it one of the world’s premier companies. The aspects of General Electric’s culture begin with its leadership, and progress through its management, workforce, policies, and objectives. GE leadership provides corporate direction with a formalized set of values and action verbs, which guide the organization (GE, 2005). In lieu of a corporate mission statement, GE identifies its key strategies and initiatives in its annual Letter to Stakeholders (GE, 2004). The corporate office maintains a distinct presence among its sprawling empire. This empire is composed of a worldwide workforce, which is involved in a myriad of activities. To lead this powerful organization, management is trained and indoctrinated into the GE culture. The myths, and legends, surrounding General Electric, lend to the cultural identity shared by the entire workforce. Training, organization, and structure are established and maintained through several processes, and programs, which contribute to GE’s cultural identity. General Electric’s leadership provides the vision, which establishes the culture of the organization. The overall direction of the corporation is provided by its current Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer (CE0), Jeffrey R. Immelt. One nuance of General Electric is that the company does not have a mission statement. Instead, corporate objectives, goals, and initiatives are outlined, by the Chairman, in the annual Letter to Stakeholders within the Annual Report (GE, 2004). This document provides an
Learning Team A
Human Relations and Organizational Behavior
March 14, 2005
Cultural Assessment of General Electric The corporate culture of General Electric (GE) is a composite of its people, leadership, organization, structure, and processes from past to present. This paper will provide an assessment of the corporate culture of GE, and provide an insight into the dynamics, which have made it one of the world’s premier companies. The aspects of General Electric’s culture begin with its leadership, and progress through its management, workforce, policies, and objectives. GE leadership provides corporate direction with a formalized set of values and action verbs, which guide the organization (GE, 2005). In lieu of a corporate mission statement, GE identifies its key strategies and initiatives in its annual Letter to Stakeholders (GE, 2004). The corporate office maintains a distinct presence among its sprawling empire. This empire is composed of a worldwide workforce, which is involved in a myriad of activities. To lead this powerful organization, management is trained and indoctrinated into the GE culture. The myths, and legends, surrounding General Electric, lend to the cultural identity shared by the entire workforce. Training, organization, and structure are established and maintained through several processes, and programs, which contribute to GE’s cultural identity. General Electric’s leadership provides the vision, which establishes the culture of the organization. The overall direction of the corporation is provided by its current Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer (CE0), Jeffrey R. Immelt. One nuance of General Electric is that the company does not have a mission statement. Instead, corporate objectives, goals, and initiatives are outlined, by the Chairman, in the annual Letter to Stakeholders within the Annual Report (GE, 2004). This document provides an
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