general motors essay

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General Motors (GM), Essay Example

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Introduction

General Motors (GM) is a popular car manufacturer in the United States. The organization is based out of Detroit, Michigan and produces many different car brands, including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. The particular brands produced by the company vary significantly, which helps the organization diversify its sales (Murray et al. 1996). Due to the variance in price, the quality of these vehicles vary significantly as well. While GM is primarily popular in the United States, it has expanded its business practices across the world. For example, is has recently begun an initiative known as GM Korea. Furthermore, it is involved in many partnerships with Asian car manufacturers and is active in Russia, Pakistan, China, and India. It was the previous world leader in global sales between the years of 1931 and 2007.

As an active car producer in the United States, the company must engage in business practices in a manner that allows it to remain competitive. Other leaders such as Ford compete with GM because they have the same target demographic. Generally, these individuals are middle class individuals who may be first or repeat car buyers. Both organizations attempt to establish themselves in a manner that encourages repeat business, and they wish for their consumers to remain with their brands for live. As a consequence, GM is required to advertise frequently to remind its customers of the value of the cars that it produces, promising repeat customer’s incentives for remaining with the brand.

Another important aspect of GM’s business is maintaining its public image. Because the company is so large, it has been involved in some legal disputes that it would prefer its customers to not be aware of. One of the most significant cases of “bad press” was when GM decided to close down its car manufacturing plants in Detroit, Michigan. Although the company’s headquarters is still located in this area, this move sent many jobs overseas and led to the virtual unemployment of nearly everyone in the town of Detroit. As a result of this choice, individuals that live in Detroit continue to live in poverty as the economy has crashed and not been recoverable since this point. Life in the city has become so terrible that there has been talk about cutting off the city’s water supply, as there are no funds available to support its continued use. The company argues that it needed to take this action in order to prevent itself from shutting down, although economists have since proved that outsourcing the workforce was not necessary. In order to counteract this bad publicity, the company has needed to promote itself in a positive manner. As a consequence, they market themselves as a family friendly car and try to demonstrate these core values in their advertisements. While much of America has forgotten about the economic failure of Detroit as a consequence of these advertisements, many people are still angry with the company and refuse to purchase these vehicles. On the other hand, the company has promoted sales despite this tragedy by offering some of its brands for extremely affordable prices. This has allowed sales to rebound after the incident because even in cases in which people do not agree with GM’s actions, many do not have the ability to purchase other cars due to the issue of cost, which contributes to their tendency to stick with GM for their vehicle needs.

Another problem that GM is regularly faced with is due to the sheer size of the company. There are frequently recalls of GM vehicles due to safety concerns, which occurs as a consequence of occasionally under planned or inexpensive manufacturing procedures. While there have been many accidents caused by this lack of oversight, GM has reacted by ignoring the numbers and failing to report the error rates of their vehicles whenever possible. This has been mainly done in order to protect the company’s image, which is necessary for the organization to continue making extensive sales.

For many, the GM brand is generally associated with positive memories and this is why these customers continue to purchase the brand despite bad press. Therefore, there are many external factors of business that the company must consider in order to remain successful in both the American market and across the world. It is important for the company to capitalize on the positive features of its business and minimize the negative components if it wishes to remain successful.

Overview of External Factors

  Overall, the GM brand is involved in many different aspects of the vehicle manufacturing process. The company is large and different members of the group are responsible for selecting the design of the cars, determining safety, physically producing the cars, and marketing them to the public. These operations must be well organized due to the large amount of cars manufactured and sold as a consequence of the business that the company participates in. While GM is generally associated with its operations in the United States, it is actually a multinational corporation that sells cars around the world. Furthermore, it designs vehicles to cater to diverse populations, including individuals that live in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Currently the organization is experiencing a period of rapid growth in Asia, and it will be necessary for it to modify its business practices in a manner that allows the organization to maximize the business that it does in these regions.

In order to remain successful, GM has diversified their business by reaching out to markets in different countries. This is an effective move because it does not allow the market in a particular nation to impact sales. Successful businesses understand how to diversify properly (Jain 1997). Not only is GM doing this with regards to the different geographic regions it serves, it also diversifies within these regions. In order to ensure that an appropriate amount of sales will be made, the company designs specific brands to market to different target populations. The Chevrolet is meant to be a low line car, even though there are luxury options available. As a result, GM is able to cater to people who want to buy a car but may not be able to purchase an expensive top of the line vehicle. However, despite the low prices of these cars, their quality can still be considered high for the price. Therefore, these cars are ideal for first time buyers or people on a budget. On the other hand, GM produces the Cadillac which is meant to be a luxury brand. The least expensive cars in this line are typically considered to be expensive, and as a result, these cars are enjoyed by the successful and wealthy. These cars are designed to be more physically appealing than the other alternatives and they are made to be comfortable as well. These two types of cars represent the company’s diversification strategy. Ultimately, the organization is able to market to two very different types of people as a consequence of this plan. In addition, this plan protects them from a shifting economy. During times of political turmoil, people are less likely to purchase luxury brands because they are concerned with saving their assets. However, in many instances, these individuals need a car to work, so they will still make a purchase. As a consequence, wealthy individuals may prefer to purchase a Chevrolet over a Cadillac even though this is not the particular brand that was marketed towards them. Because GM sells cars at a variety of price ranges, the organization is able to support both itself and its customers despite the fluctuating economy that is prevalent in the United States and around the world today.

Even though diversification in the market place is able to help GM reach customers despite the economic status of their country, they are impacted by the changing prices of raw materials. Furthermore, it is important for the organization to consider that since they are producing their cars overseas, there is an associated shipping cost. Overall, the fact that GM has operations all over the world helps diversify the risk related to the changing price of raw materials as well. Typically, the company acquires its raw materials from countries across the world. When the economy is poor in one nation, it can therefore take advantage of this situation by purchasing the raw materials for a low cost compared to the profit it will make by selling the car. Therefore, GM benefits by conducting research into market trends around the world, making the wisest and most reasonable purchases as applicable. It also draws upon this research and understanding of the transportation industry by determining the most effective shipping routes. Ultimately, it is plausible for the company to ship raw materials and the cars at various stages of completion in a manner that will allow them to take advantages of the prices and markets in foreign countries. As a consequence, GM deals with external market factors in this manner by mapping different shipping routes and determining which route is optimized in terms of reducing the travel time and cost, thereby increasing the profitability of the business that the company conducts.

While GM has general control over its spot in the market, both this company and other leaders in the United States have been losing in competition to foreign manufacturers. Of particular concern is China, as its growing economy is leading businessmen to attempt to enter new markets. Furthermore, many Japanese brands have been present in the United States for a long period of time, and these companies are continuing to affirm their presence. Therefore, not only is GM concerned with competition from within the country, it must extend its practices to consider competition from car brands that are from outside of the United States. While new entrants to the market are not typically a threat, GM should be concerned in this instance due to the amount of funds that these companies are willing to invest in expanding both their brand and their nation’s economic well-being.

Another external factor that GM and other similar companies must consider is that many people are reconsidering the use of their motor vehicles for transportation due to the rising costs of fuel. As a consequence, a growing number of people are electing to take public transportation options, which is benefitting the environment, but not the investments of large auto companies. Furthermore, environmentalists are going through great lengths to convince the public to avoid using cars that have traditional gasoline engines due to the connection that vehicle use and driving has to global warming and air pollution. GM is concerned about the influence of these organizations because while it does have an electric model on the market, this is an expensive and therefore less popular car option. An additional problem with the sales of these vehicles is the need to charge the car and the lack of infrastructure in place for many people to do this without extra work. There are also political pressures related to this problem. The government is offering tax breaks to individuals who drive fuel efficient and ecofriendly cars. Thus, people are more likely to invest in hybrid cars, which have proven technology and are more affordable. GM is not well known for producing cars with this technology and is therefore not able to compete effectively with companies that do.

Despite the fact that GM is not able to remain competitive on some fronts, it has taken advantage of investment in technology as an external factor to help it boost its sales. While the cars themselves have not always been deemed safe, the organization has invested in the On-Star satellite technology system that car owners can use for many reasons. The device is attached to the car, ensuring that it can never go missing. Furthermore, it is linked to the car’s reporting system, allowing the car dealership that the car was purchased from in addition to the car owner’s maintenance team to be instantly aware of potential problems to the car. Importantly, the system informs the car owner of this diagnostic information by providing the driver with monthly reports concerning the health of the car. If the tires need to be rotated, the oil changed, or even if there is a more drastic problem, the driver will become instantly aware of the problems and be able to consult the maintenance team in order to rectify the issues. Another feature that this technology includes is instant directions that could be downloaded to the vehicle. Drivers call On-Star and provide them with an address. In the process, they are able to speak directly to a representative, which is indicative of the human touch that the company is trying to provide. As a result, the driver is able to ask any questions they may have as it pertains to travel options, driving safety, and more. The system also includes a system that, on impact, alerts On-Star operators who are able to know where you are located and provide you with emergency services if necessary. Many drivers prefer buying a GM car as a consequence of the presence of this feature because it makes them feel safer. Individuals who buy new GM cars are provided with a free six month trial to this system and many drivers remain customers after this trial has lapsed. GM is continuing to make improvements to this feature in order to stand out from its competitors which is beneficial because competition is becoming increasingly fierce in this particular environment.

Demographic Features of GM

GM has recognized that it is having a difficult time competing with other car companies in the current economic climate. As a result, it has identified the need to partner with foreign countries in order to increase the number of sales it makes. Therefore, the company is currently undergoing a restructuring that is focusing on these demographic features of the practice. According to the most recent annual report, the company boasts, “GM, with its joint venture partners, maintained its leading market position in the key growth markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRIC countries) during the year, with a particularly strong performance in China, where GM and our partners delivered 2.4 million cars and trucks” (GM 2010). While the company is explaining its transition in a manner that makes an enhanced appeal to customers and investors, the main reason that the company has become so invested in the world market is that it is not able to grow as rapidly as it wanted to in the United States. Therefore, it depends on finding markets where there are not already severe competitors and finding a niche in these locations before other American companies begin to adopt the same strategy. While other American car companies do exist abroad, their presence in Asia is not to the same extent as GM. Therefore, GM is trying to persuade these markets that their cars are the best and if they do this early, they believe that they will able to have permanent power over this market, making it more difficult for their competitors to begin selling cars in these countries.

While GM has recognized this need for expansion, it is important for the company to conduct operations that are culturally relevant in order to appeal to the diverse groups of people living in these nations (Moule 2012). Therefore, it is essential for the organization members to gain an understanding of these distinct cultures, which is somewhat challenging for members of a society that are not used to the traditions of these cultures. Currently, the company relies on conducting Internet research to learn about the cultural traditions and needs of these diverse peoples. Furthermore, it is attempting to gear marketing towards these cultural understandings. The current success of the organization with this regards indicates that its marketing principles as it pertains to cultural understanding is effective, although there is certainly room for GM to grow in this aspect.

In particular, it would be beneficial for GM to enact specialized operations that focus on these needs. Since there are many different headquarters placed around the world, each office should focus on one or several cultures in order to engage their clients that are within the closest geographic proximity. While one would believe that it is easy to understand cultural traditions of distinct cultures, this is not always the case (Nine-Curt 1984). Simple observation would lead once to believe that a culture is known, but it is not until a language, religion, and more are analyzed that GM could come to truly understand the people that it is trying to serve. Therefore, it is recommended that the company finds ways to engage its customers using more interactions in these regions. It would be beneficial for GM to incorporate members of the society that it intends to serve within the organization so that this cultural competency could come more naturally.

Furthermore, it is important for GM to take a greater advantage of local demographics within the United States. Although the company has a variety of price options available for interested customers, it would be beneficial for the organization to work with the dealerships in order to find a way for purchasing or leasing a car to become more financially feasible. In many cases, especially with the less expensive cars that the company has, young people and recent graduates wish to acquire them, but do not have the credit available for a lease and do not have enough money to purchase the car. Many dealerships offer new graduate discounts and while this provides incentive for purchase, it does not resolve the credit problem that many first time want to be car owners face. Therefore, it is reasonable for the organization to modify this plan in a manner that allows for these individuals to purchase cars. It is important for the company to know it will make a profit, so it could adjust this deal to state that it will provide beneficial lease options to individuals that are recent graduates and have begun working their first job. In this manner, the risk of allowing these individuals to lease or purchase a car is significantly reduced, and the company is able to make a greater profit because they are able to make a sale that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. Even more importantly, many car companies are unwilling to make this type of deal with individuals that do not have credit, so GM will be able to outcompete other car companies with this regards and acquire the more sales it wants to have.

In addition, it is important for GM to take a greater advantage of the diversity of cars that it has by marketing more effectively to the appropriate target demographics. For example, in many middle class neighborhoods, and everywhere in general, only commercial for the Chevy will show because this is the car that most people can afford. While this is effective because a larger percentage of the population will end up purchasing this car for this very reason, it is important for the organization to take advantage of its knowledge of demographics to ensure that it is able to suitably reach other members of other populations as well. In order for this to be plausible, GM should collect census data in order to gain a greater understanding of the areas in which people of different socioeconomic statuses live. Using this information, it could classify these areas as poor, middle class, or wealthy. This will provide the company with information that it could use practically for marketing. It is best to continue to market the Chevy in poor and middle class areas, while it would be possible to market top of the line cars like the Cadillac in wealthy neighborhoods, although it could advertise this particular car in middle class neighborhoods as well because some of these individuals would be interested in purchasing and be able to purchase this luxury car.

Another aspect that it important to consider with regards to the diversification of marketing strategy is that different marketing methods will be effective for different groups of people. This ties back to the idea of cultural competency. Even within the United States, there are people from distinct cultures and backgrounds that wish to be represented in the marketing process. Therefore, it would be reasonable for GM to conduct a similar demographic study using the census, but in this regards, to determine which ethnicities and religions predominantly inhabit certain areas. Based on this knowledge, further research can be conducted to determine the locations that these people visit most frequently, whether they watch television frequently or not and at what time, and what transportation option they prefer to use. All of this information can be used to optimize the placement of car advertisements in addition to allowing for the production of advertisements that are culturally relevant. Studies have shown that people are more receptive to marketing that utilizes people of their same race. Therefore, if a neighborhood is predominantly African American, GM would benefit by providing these individuals with advertisements that feature an African American actor or actress. Likewise, white neighborhoods would prefer to see white characters. Since there are many neighborhoods with either mostly white or mostly African American inhabitants, it is possible for GM to take advantage of this for marketing purposes.

A final recommendation for GM is that they need to understand how the shift in demographics is capable of impacting their business practices. Overall, the population of the United States continues to change, meaning that information that was once true about certain areas is no longer. Therefore, it is essential for the organization to gain a more in depth understanding of the populations that it is trying to serve. While using the census is an excellent tool to get a general understanding of a geographic region in addition to the lifestyles of individuals living within it, it is also important to understand that these numbers are not always comprehensive and there may be many factors related to these areas that the corporate office cannot become aware of. Since GM has many different dealerships around the country and the world, it would be beneficial for the organization to use these relationships as a valuable resource to understand more about the culture of an area. This strategy is strengthened by the fact that the individuals who work within these dealerships and are GM employees typically live in the areas that they serve. Therefore, the company could either regularly engage with these employees to determine the culture or these regions, provide these workers with surveys that should be filled out occasionally, or use a combination of the two. Many people have formed a distrust of large corporations like GM because they appear to lack the human aspect of customer service. While customers regularly interact with the salesmen, the company itself and the individuals that actually make the cars appear to be faceless, which contributes to a certain sense of distrust. Therefore, it is important for GM to make themselves appear to have more of a face so that their company begins to become more appealing to a broader set of customers. This will also help the organization compete more effectively.

Even though GM is considered one of the leading car brands in the United States, it still has a lot of room left for growth. The company is currently concerned with a variety of external factors, the most important of which are factors that impact the prices of raw materials on the market and competition. While GM is attempting to compete by diversifying its business, this plan is only somewhat effective. It is recommended that the company utilized demographic factors in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of its customer base. Overall, this understanding needs to apply on both a local and international due to the particular sales goals of the company. In order to ensure that both of these ventures are successful, it is important for members of the organization to gain an enhanced cultural competency so that they are able to gain a better understanding of the people that they serve. In order to do so, it would be beneficial for the company to conduct comprehensive demographic research, utilizing previous census data as a primary tool. This information can then be supported by data provided to the company by the local dealerships. Overall, this strategy can be used to further diversify the organization’s marketing practices, enabling to both connect with and reach a larger amount of people. It is expected that the net profitability of the organization will increase if they follow these recommendations due to an enhanced ability to compete and approach customers with a sales suggestion.

Bibliography

GM 2010, 2010 Annual Report, accessed 10 June 2015, <https://student.unsw.edu.au/how-do-i-cite-electronic-sources>/.

Jain, Subhash C. Marketing Planning & Strategy. 1997

Moule, Jean. Cultural Competence: A primer for educators. Wadsworth/Cengage, Belmont, California, 2012.

Murray, Johan & O’Driscoll, Aidan. Strategy and Process in Marketing. 1996.

Nine-Curt, Carmen Judith. Non-verbal Communication in Puerto Rico. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1984.

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Home — Essay Samples — Economics — Oligopoly — The Oligopoly Market: A Case Study of General Motors

The Oligopoly Market: a Case Study of General Motors

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Published: Mar 8, 2024

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Introduction, general motors, general motors' response to market forces.

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General Motors Also Known as GM

How it works

General Motors also known as GM is one of the big three car industries in the country along with Ford and Chrysler. They are known for trailblazing and innovating new technology before their competitors. At an age of one hundred and ten years old they have come a long way and grown a lot as a company. They have overcome some steep challenges over time and grown from each issue they faced. Today we will be addressing some major issues with GM that have caused a ripple effect with the economy as well as some of the positive outcomes that have transpired.

Our hope is that after reading this you will have gained further knowledge of GM’s trials and tribulations.

General Motors is the first auto company to effectively innovate cost efficient electric cars. They have also been taking innovative strides to create self driving cars. Not only have they innovated technology, but they have innovated the way of production to reduce pollution and decrease their environmental footprint (GM.com/About GM). With popular brands such as GMC, Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac, it is surprising that they have undergone such hardships over the years.

However, even through tough times they still give back to the community. They are headquartered out of Detroit, Michigan. Where they give back to their community through funding STEM education as well as community development and vehicle and road safety. STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math” its educational program designed to get students who excel in those areas ahead, and better prepared for the future. Which will benefit them in the end because this creates potential candidates to employ in the future. Overall, General Motors is a strong innovative company that has had some hard times.

General Motors Mission Statement: “G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stockholders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment.” General Motors Vision Statement: “Over the past 100 years, GM has been a leader in the global automotive industry.

And the next 100 years will be no different. GM is committed to leading the industry in alternative fuel propulsion.” “GM’s vision is to be the world leader in transportation products and related services. We will earn our customers’ enthusiasm through continuous improvement driven by the integrity, teamwork, and innovation of GM people.”

General Motors overall goal is to create products that are safe and eco friendly. As well as continuing to innovate and trailblaze their technology. They want to find ways to be cost efficient yet, prosperous for their company as well as their stockholders. General Motors has their focus on innovative technology and they have big plans for the future which will be further explained later on. It is clear that GM has a future driven vision. However, with minimal focus on the past and current issues it is clear to see why they have been struggling over time.

While innovative technology is an important aspect in maintaining their edge on the competition it is important to be aware of current issues to better prepare for them. Some major rippling hardships could have been avoided had GM paid attention to history and aware that it has a funny way of repeating itself. A company as strong and innovative as GM should know how to prepare for issues that can develop when preparing for the future. Now let’s discuss some of the issues that have had rippling effects on not only GM as a company and it’s employees, but also the economy.

Issues. During the recession there was a major decline in automotive sales, so in 2008 General Motors had a decision to make. They could either go bankrupt, forcing millions of people to lose their jobs or they could turn to the government for a bailout, which is exactly what they did. Though they could have gone about it better.

Ford didn’t need a bailout due to budget cuts, and as stated earlier had GM paid closer attention to the decline of sales they could have been prepared as well. They even went as far as flying their private jet to Washington, to ask for money. Asking for money became a recurring issue for GM from 2008 to 2014 as they attempted to climb out of their debt. Though this was a rough time for GM some good did come from it.

Over 341,000 employment opportunities stemmed from government intervention (The Balance, Auto Industry Bailout, The impact of the Bailout on the U.S. Economy). The Government had some stipulations set into play. According to the Balance: President Obama, enforced new standards for auto efficiency which actually improved the air quality (The Balance, Auto Industry Bailout). GM’s greatest downfall was losing their competitive edge and only looking to the future. After the bailout GM began to recover and went back to business as usual.

As stated earlier history has a way of repeating itself. Just yesterday NBC news stated that General Motors is cutting over 15,000 jobs after Trump claimed that he planned on cutting subsidies. It is extremely unfortunate to see so many people at risk of being out of work. However, at least GM is taking strides to avoid another risk of bankruptcy. They also talked about General Motors moving jobs around so that their employees aren’t out of work, and they can focus on more important aspects of the company. Overall, it is safe to say that doing so could create more opportunity for future innovation.

While General Motors did face many issues, not all of their business decisions were bad. Looking at the company through the SWOT Analysis will analyze General Motors strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. As one can imagine, a company as large as General Motors had developed many strengths in their 110 years of doing business. They do sales in over 35 countries around the world and employ over 200,000 workers worldwide (Economist, 2009).

They also hold one of the top spots for automotive market share in the United States. Their prominent brands, such as Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, and Buick, have created a strong brand loyalty among consumers that has consistently allowed General Motors to grow. Their focus on marketing has also pushed them to be one of the most well-known American companies. Emphasis on the fact that their cars are American made resonates well with consumers who want to directly support the United States economy.

As detailed above, General Motors is not without fault for their bankruptcy crisis. Many weaknesses contributed to the fall of their success. First, General Motors did not file for bankruptcy soon enough. According to Marin Weiss, president of Weiss Research, if they would have filed for bankruptcy in 2005 when they initially began to fail, “they could have been leaner and meaner to prepare for the tough times that were coming” (Carty, 2009).

Another weakness General Motors has was offering too many incentives and heavy deals that dominated their marketing promotions, when in fact, the actual cars should have been the focus of almost all marketing. In some cases, General Motors was offering rebates between $6,000 and $8,000 dollars and it was not until 2006 that they realized these constant deals were damaging the company (Carty, 2009). However, once they offered them, they were stuck and could not retract them because General Motors competitors were also continuing to offer rebates. If General Motors wanted to stay competitive, they had to continue to offer deals as well, whether they could afford to or not.

Another major weakness of General Motors was the decision to shut down their program that developed technology for electric cars. At the time, General Motors did not realize how large of an impact this would have on their standing in the race for electric cars. Because they abandoned their lead in electric car technology, Toyota was able to take over and produced a hybrid version of their popular Prius sedan. In 2006 General Motors made one of their largest mistakes.

They owned a financing company known as the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) that they sold 51% of to a private-equity fund for $7.4 billion (Carty, 2009). This was a dreadful business decision for the company. GMAC was known as the financial strength of General Motors and was considered to be a “cash cow”. Keeping control over GMAC could have provided major assistance during their companies downfall.

More poor financial decisions included the purchase of a 20% share of Italian automaker company Fiat for $2.4 billion. When the CEO of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, passed away the automaker experienced a steady rise issues. Instead of continuing the deal with Fiat, General Motors chose to pay $2 billion to walk away (Carty, 2009).

The last major weakness of General Motors was the decision to focus most production efforts on SUVs. In the 1990s, many consumers were switching to SUVs. General Motors overreacted and saw this as an opportunity for sales. They poured a great deal of time and money into expanding their line of trucks. However, when the economy crashed and fuel prices hit a record high of $4 in 2008, General Motors ended up with an excessive amount of high priced SUV models that they could not sell (Carty, 2009).

Continuing with the SWOT Analysis, General Motors was presented with two major opportunities throughout this crisis. The first being rewarded with federal funding in order to stay out of bankruptcy. In the end, they still ended up having to file for bankruptcy but they were given over $60 billion in federal aid to help rebuild their business (Bigman, 2013). The second opportunity that arose out of this tragedy was the chance to rebrand their company.

According to statements made by Jay Alix, one of the most respected experts on corporate bankruptcy in America, research shows that once a company enters bankruptcy, their consumer confidence crashes. Essentially meaning no one would want to buy a car from a company that was bankrupt. Because of this, General Motors would be required to completely rebrand their company upon survival from the crisis.

This would give them the opportunity to create a fresh image of the company in the consumer’s mind and allow them to create a better version of the strategies General Motors previously implemented. The last analyzing factor in the SWOT Analysis is the threats. At the time that General Motors was forced to file for bankruptcy, the United States economy was experiencing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Car sales were on an extreme decline and by the end of 2008, General Motors was $30.9 billion in debt (Bigman, 2013).

Fit analysis looks at ideas and considers whether they are compatible with the organization’s business definition, capabilities, and resources. General Motors’ corporate mission/business definition is “to earn customers for life by building brands that inspire passion and loyalty through not only breakthrough technologies but also by serving and improving the communities in which we live and work around the world.” (Kissinger, 2017).

Their capabilities include almost anything marketing wise, because they are a multibillion dollar firm. Their position as a leader in the automotive industry and high level of brand loyalty gives them the capability to try almost anything. Their resources were obviously limited at the time of the crisis because of the extreme amount of debt they were in. These three factors, business definition, capabilities, and resources, allow us to analyze the ways General Motors ideas were not a good fit at the time.

Considering their lack of financial resources in 2005, General Motors should have never decided to pay Fiat $2 billion to walk away from a deal. Because of the deal they initially made, Fiat had the right to force General Motors to buy the remaining shares and take control over the company. It is understandable that General Motors did not consider the unforeseeable event of the CEO of Fiat passing away, however the details of the deal were irresponsible on General Motors part. Agreeing to a clause that essentially required General Motors to allow themselves to be forced to take control over Fiat, was a horrible business decision and could have been avoided with a rework of the deal.

An idea that did not fit with General Motors capabilities was the decision to remove their program that focused on electric car technology. One of their major goals was to be the leader in the electric car market. Because General Motors is such a large company, they had more than enough capability to make this happen. They had the brand loyalty they needed and were already in the process of producing the necessary technology.

This decision caused a major setback in terms of their electric car market share. The environment surrounding General Motors at the time was a horrible fit for their business definition. Because of the major economic downturn and a recession that was the worst since the Great Depression, General motors did not have the funds to provide breakthrough technology and were not able to serve and improve communities, as stated in their business definition. Data analysis also helps us critically view the ways in which General Motors actions led them to bankruptcy.

The first piece of data is the fact that General Motors was the largest automotive company to ever file for bankruptcy (Kaufman, 2009). They declared more than $82 billion in assets. To put this into perspective, this is more than double of what Chrysler reported when they filed for bankruptcy (Edmonston, 2009). General Motors also has close to 235,000 employees. This number is nearly 10 times the amount of employees Lehman Brothers Investment Co. employed when they filed for bankruptcy (Kaufman, 2009). The chart included shows the largest U.S. bankruptcy filings.

General Motors also received over $60 billion in assistance from the federal government in order to aid in the reconstruction of their company. Other data includes the price of fuel and how this impacted truck sales after General Motors focused so much time and resources on the production of SUVs. Gas prices were up to $4 per gallon, which resulted in truck sales dropping to 35.5% lower in December of 2008 than they were the year before (Economist, 2009).

While gas prices change every day, there are factors and studies that help predict these fluctuations. If General Motors had used these predictions, they would have determined that during economic downturns, fuel prices increase. At the time they began producing SUVs on a larger scale, the United States economy was already showing signs of decline.

General Motors has four automobile brands, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac, allowing GM to target many different markets worldwide. Firstly, Chevrolet has a wide range of vehicles available, for this reason they specifically target middle class consumers of all ages and genders, depending on the car (“General Motors Marketing Mix (4Ps) Strategy”).

GMC trucks also target middle class consumers, but in a slightly different way. GMC trucks are built to be tougher than Chevy trucks and for this reason they are marketed more towards commercial use. When GMC trucks aren’t being marketed towards commercial use, they are targeting upper middle class consumers that want and can afford a truck that’s overall stronger and has a better transmission (Lutzenberger, 2017).

Buick markets itself as an entry level luxury car brand. They target middle and upper middle class consumers that are looking for a car that has the look and feel of a luxury car, but at a slightly more affordable cost than most high ends cars (Yvkoff, 2015). Because of the lower price point, Buick is also targeted to a younger consumer base (Buss, 2016). Lastly, GM owns the luxury car brand Cadillac. Cadillac’s are marketed for upper middle class and upper class consumers. Their primary buys are older adults that are 50+, though GM is attempting to market Cadillac towards a younger market (Gaille, 2015).

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Transformation and Evolution: General Motors’ Automotive Legacy

Executive summary, who general motors is.

General Motors (GM) is an American universal automotive firm headquartered in Detroit, Michigan that manufactures and sells trucks, automobile parts, crossovers, and cars. William Durant established it in 1908. GM operates universally in Europe, America, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates under the following four segments:

• GM International (GMI)
• GM Financial
• GM North America

Company Vision

GM aims to create a future with no emissions, crashes, or congestion to promote a promising future for the society it is privileged to serve.

Company offerings

GM’s leading vehicle brands are Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC. Besides manufacturing and selling automobiles, trucks, and automobile parts, GM offers its clients financial services under GM Financial. The firm provides its clients with about one hundred and twenty facilities, including Assembly, Die and Stamping, Battery, Engineering, and Office and sales services.

Company model and financial performance

GM’s business model focuses on vehicle electrification and increasing the firm’s service-linked recurring services, like the OnStar model, that enhance clients’ personal experiences and customer satisfaction. GM witnessed outstanding financial performance from 2019 to 2023, with 2023 seeing the most impeccable performance due to increased revenues and vehicle sales. It faces main competition from Ford, Paccar, and Toyota. It received an “overweight rating” as of 1 November 2023, making GM’s stock a good investment as it will perform greatly in the future.

General Motors (GM) is among the universe’s biggest auto manufacturers. It manufactures and sells crossovers, trucks, automobile parts, and cars. It also offers “software-enabled services and subscriptions worldwide under well-known brands such as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC” (D&B Hoovers, 2023). The firm’s GM International and GM North America sections deal with automotive operations. On the other hand, its section of General Motors Financial Co. offers funding services. The headquarters of GM are in Detroit, Michigan. GM has over ninety thousand and eight hundred workers in America and offers about one hundred and twenty facilities. The facilities include Battery, Engineering, Die and Stamping, Marketing, Assembly, GM Financial Cruise Offices, and Office and Sales services. GM’s vision entails working towards “ a future with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion” to develop the future of all societies it serves (2023). GM aspires to be the universe’s top inclusive firm and to act fairly and transparently towards every person it interacts with. It is an inclusive firm with an environment where every person’s voice is heard. Additionally, it puts customers at the centre of every decision-making process. Under GM’s executive leadership, the Chief Executive Officer, Mary Barra, is at the top (D&B Hoovers, 2023). The President, Mark Reuss, is next in line, followed by the Executive Vice President, Paul Jacobson. Jacobson is also the Chief Financial Officer. After that is the other Executive Vice President, Craig Glidden, also the General Counsel. The last person is the Vice President, Christopher Hatto.

Executive Leadership of General Motors.

Company history

The history of GM started in Flint, Michigan, with Josiah Dallas Dort and William Crapo “Billy” Durant in 1886. The two established the Flint Road Cart Company and started making horse-drawn carts to develop a carriage manufacturing firm. Durant then took over as the general manager of Buick Motor Co. in 1904, which had come to Flint in 1903 (2023). He advanced it to become the country’s greatest volume automobile maker in less than five years. His prosperity with Buick made him create GM on 16 September 1908. During the earlier years of the automotive industry, millions of car manufacturers each made few car models. In 1904, William Durant purchased a deteriorating Buick Motors firm. He later felt that car makers could get significant advantages and elevate the auto industry if they united, making him form the General Motors Company in Flint, Michigan, in 1908. GM bought AC Spark Plug, Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, and Cadillac in 1909 (D&B Hoovers, 2023). The firm then created and advanced the General Motors Export Company, Chevrolet Motor Company of Michigan, General Motors of Canada, and the General Motors Truck Company, which would then become GMC.

Firm products and services

The largest single market of GM is America, which accounts for approximately eighty percent of overall sales (D&B Hoovers, 2023). The firm works through four sectors, namely GM International (GMI), Cruise, GM North America (GMNA), and GM Financial. It operates globally throughout America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Cruise ensures the advancement and trade of independent vehicle technology. GMNA gives approximately eighty percent of sales and makes vehicles that Cadillac, GMC, Buick, and Chevrolet brands market. GM Financial contributes roughly ten percent of the firm sales. It offers automotive funding, retail loans, and lease credit products and services. It also gives trading products to dealers like new and already-used funding. GMI also generates ten percent of the firm’s overall sales. It sells those similar brands to clients living out of North America. Besides, it sells the “Holden lineup of vehicles” (D&B Hoovers, 2023). Additionally, GM possesses ownership shares in firms in China where cars are manufactured and traded under the brands of Wuling, Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet.

GM has over one hundred locations in America doing assembly, distribution, manufacturing, testing, engineering, and warehousing (D&B Hoovers, 2023). It possesses locations with those same operations in approximately thirty other nations. GM’s main facilities outside the USA are in South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, China, Canada, and Colombia. GM Financial works at more than thirty-five locations worldwide. About twenty are in America. Its main facilities outside the USA are in Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and China. Its trucks and cars are marketed and traded via a system of twelve thousand autonomous distributors, permitted sales, dealers, and “part outlets” worldwide. “Vehicles are sold directly to fleet customers, including rental car companies, commercial fleet customers, leasing companies, and governments” (D&B Hoovers, 2023). Its advertising and promotion expenditures totaled four billion dollars in 2022, three billion in 2021, and two billion in 2020. The company’s growth-centered strategy is to ensure the investment in different things. These include autonomous vehicles (AVs), software-linked services and subscriptions, electric vehicles (EVs), and innovative enterprise prospects. The strategy also encompasses solidifying the firm’s market positioning within lucrative Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars like trucks.

Firm performance

GM’s revenue rose by twenty-nine billion dollars to one hundred and fifty-six billion dollars for 2022, in comparison to the revenue of one hundred and twenty-seven billion dollars for 2021 (D&B Hoovers, 2023). Nevertheless, its net income was reduced to nine billion dollars for the financial year end of 2022, in comparison to 2021’s net income of ten billion dollars. GM’s cash when 2022 was ending was twenty-one billion dollars. Its investing undertakings utilized seventeen billion dollars, and funding activities gave three hundred and eighty-three million dollars. Operating activities gave sixteen billion dollars. Primary cash utilization was for buying finance receivables and procuring “available-for-sale marketable securities” (D&B Hoovers, 2023). GM witnessed a “21% year-over-year” rise in American vehicle sales during the start of 2023 (New York Stock Exchange, 2023). The increase was promoted by solid client demand for the firm’s SUVs and trucks, encouraging sales for every brand. The overall sales of GM for 2023 are up by nineteen percent. The company now focuses on promoting an “all-electric future.” It aims to do that under its Ultium battery program, which aims to offer power to wide-ranging vehicles.

GM faced major market competition from Ford Motor Company, Paccar Inc. and Toyota Motor Corporation whose overall yearly sales as of 2022 totalled about one hundred and fifty-eight million dollars, twenty-eight million dollars and thirty-one billion dollars respectively. GM’s yearly sales were around one hundred and fifty six million dollars . Also, the gross profit margin of Ford, Paccar and Toyota was fourteen percent, eighteen percent and nineteen percent respectively. That was for the year ending 2022 (D&B Hoovers, 2023). GM’s profit margin was thirteen percent. Besides, the twelve-month revenues of GM, Ford, Paccar and Toyota amounted to twenty-three percent, fifteen percent, twenty-two percent and fifteen percent respectively.

GM’s market competition

GM prides itself on being a universal firm that focuses on developing an all-inclusive, all-electric future that offers accessibility to everyone. The Ultium battery program will provide power to high-performing, medium- and low-performing, and mass-market vehicles. Financial analysts from Barclays PLC announced that GM possesses an “overweight rating” (Zolmax, 2023) on 1 November 2023. That means they acknowledge the firm will perform impressively in the coming twelve months and outperform other automotive stocks within its market. They assert that it has a thirty-seven dollar price mark on its stock. GM’s performance has incredibly increased throughout the last five years. It reduced within the first half of the time frame and increased year after year, with 2022 being the greatest-performing year (D&B Hoovers, 2023). Thus, its good record earnings and overweight rating as of 2023 make its stock a good investment. Investors should buy GM’s stock and add it to their portfolios. That will increasingly promote that overweight stock’s weight within their portfolios to gain excessive financial returns when GM finally outperforms other market stocks.

GM’s financial summary

Progression of business model

GM’s business model has progressed impressively throughout the past few years (Barabba, 2019). The firm suffered a great sales decrease and degradation in its market share due to a growth in the number of rivals in 1992. That promoted the firm’s survival in the market to a great extent. That made it need strategic, operational changes like reducing warranty costs to promote the firm’s competitive edge, decreasing material costs, and increasing “product quality standards” (Barabba, 2019). For instance, GM implemented the MS2000 car advancement scheme to focus on the real needs of consumers desiring middle-sized vehicles in 1998. Thus, GM realized that a minor array of greatly designed models at affordable prices would be the optimal method of making many clients buy their vehicles. The MS2000 scheme focused on making “ seven cars more cost efficiently within just four well-defined categories” (Barabba, 2019). The classifications included family leisure, household affordability, chic sports, and basic transport. That development for the firm greatly boosted its sales and profits. That happened since GM sold vehicle models more preferred by consumers than the extra-generalized ones sold by market rivals.

Furthermore, its CEO organized a market study to determine a business model to encourage impressive innovations. To effectively sate clients’ desires for “personal experiences,” they created the “OnStar” model in 1996 (Barabba, 2019). It was an automatic gadget connected to dealerships, enabling it to call emergency facilities when airbags get triggered. Also, under it, a customer possessed a live interaction point with a counselor by telephone via the OnStar service. The firm’s senior managers implemented another thought process by availing the service and extra extended services to promote GM’s return on capital utilized in manufacturing every car. Additionally, GM decided to redesign its truck under an investment of one billion dollars into that remodeling program in 2002 (Barabba, 2019). The firm wanted to preserve its great power over fifty percent of its market. In the span of eleven years, the firm changed its losses to become profits of three billion dollars in 2003, thanks to the mentioned 2002 and 1992 programs.

Furthermore, the firm’s CEO led the firm in making and implementing self-driving vehicles, joint mobility services, linked services, and electric vehicles. Thus, GM established the “driverless car project site in San Francisco and the car-sharing service ‘Maven’ in 2013 (Barabba, 2019). The company introduced Maven in 2013. It operated in fifteen cities and supplied cars to Lyft and Uber drivers under weekly rental agreements by 2019. Thus, GM reduced the number of its manufactured models and introduced service-linked recurrent revenue sources like the OnStar within in-car communication services from 1992 to the twenty-first century. That enabled it to survive against intense and ever-rising rivalry in its market.

In conclusion, General Motors (GM) is a global American automotive manufacturing firm headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Its main products include trucks, cars, crossovers, and automobile parts. GM also offers automotive funding services under General Motors Financial Company. The firm majorly sells its vehicles under the Buick, GMC, Chevrolet, and Cadillac brands. It sells its vehicles through an extensive system of independent distributors, permitted sales, part outlets, and dealers universally. GM is a customer-centric firm and aspires to create a future of no emissions, congestion, or crashes to enhance the welfare of the society it serves. The firm’s business model has developed over the years from increasing models of vehicles manufactured to increasing service-based recurring services and vehicle electrification. That has promoted its competitive advantages against rivals in the market. Such service-based services include the OnStar model that promotes clients’ personal experiences and effectively satisfies their needs. The major market rivals of GM are Toyota Motor Corporation, Paccar Inc. and Ford Motor Company. The financial performance of GM has been impressive over recent years, with 2022 seeing the most impressive performance, with increasing revenues and vehicle sales. Thus, investing in GM’s stock is a good investment as the firm has an overweight rating, enabling investors who buy it to gain excessive earnings in the coming year.

Barabba, V. (2019). Assessing General Motors’ innovation strategy over three decades using the “Three Box Solution.”  Strategy & leadership ,  47 (2), 34-42.

D&B Hoovers. (2023, 2 June).  General Motors Company Profile . Proquest.com. https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-

(2023). General Motors: Pushing the Limits of Transportation & Technology. https://www.gm.com/

New York Stock Exchange. (2023). Contify Automotive News; New Delhi. https://caldwell.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/general-motors-u-s-q3-sales-trucks-new-suvs-drive/docview/2872170343/se-2?accountid=26523

Zolmax. (2023). American Consumer News: General Motors (GM) Investment Rating.  Newstex Global Business Blogs .

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132 General Motors Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best general motors topic ideas & essay examples, 💡 most interesting general motors topics to write about, ⭐ simple & easy general motors essay titles, 🥇 good research topics about general motors company, 📑 interesting topics to write about gmc.

• General Motors: Supplier Selection for Innovation Orbitty was volunteered to share its Intellectual Property so that General Motors could maintain the control of I.P.indulged in the schemes, then possess the Intellectual Property swiftly and independently to respond to dynamics in the […]
• General Motors Company’s Organizational Structure The organizational structure of an entity is a critical aspect of management. In Europe, the GM subsidiary now adopts this structure to complement the overall structure of the organization.
• Supply Chain Metrics: General Motors Company The supply chain system of the company also failed to follow up on the special orders that the informed customers placed on the market, causing delay in deliveries.
• General Motors case in 2009 The management team that the company employs has wide experience in the sector, they well understand the trends of the market and with the understanding they are able to responds to different issues in the […]
• General Motors: Implementing Organizational Change The government now has a 60% shareholding in the company; therefore, we can say that the ownership and control of the organization has shifted to the government.
• Management and Leadership in Case of General Motors Company GM’s management endeavors to inculcate in its employees an organizational culture that merges individual values with the organization’s values under the collective rules which the organization operates.
• The analysis of General Motors Company Below is the analysis of General Motors Company and its competitors in the automobile industry. 42 N/A 0.79 0.93 0.
• General Motors Business Cycle 57 in years 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively while the industrial average is 0.85:1. The figures show that performance is lower in 2007 than in 2006 and the performance ratio is 0.
• BMW and GM Corporate Social Responsibility This encompasses not only in the way in which it sells its products but the manner in which it manufacturers them and how it addresses the long term impact of the company’s operations on society […]
• General Motors Company The Board of Directors, who makes important decisions that affect the running of the activities of the automotive corporation, manages the company.
• GM Executive Summary: Major Markets for GM Brands This offer in addition to the looks and styles of the five brands of GM increased the number of sales, and GM eventually overtook Ford from the number one spot.
• The General Motors Firm’s Cultural Crisis The organizational behavioral model is autocratic model as the case presents the leadership as the highest authority where employees are obedient to it.
• Holden General Motors Analysis There was a decline in the company’s progress in the 2000s and in 2003, Holden General Motors was not in a position to secure the first position in terms of sales in Australia and the […]
• Ford Motor v. General Motors Companies’ Comparison The P/E ratio is calculated by dividing the current share price by a company’s earnings per share. The table below shows the debt-to-equity ratios of General and Ford Motor Companies.
• The General Motors Firm’s Business Strategy Therefore, it is crucial to create the pyramid of GM employees’ needs:   It is also essential to motivate people and maintain collective employee morale.
• Pricing Strategy for a General Motors’ Chevrolet Bolt EV It is impossible to establish the level of sales and fix the price based on it when it is the price that determines the purchases.
• History of General Motors In 1955, General Motors became the first company to remit the highest levies in the United States. Indeed, it is hard for one to identify General Motors’ brand in the market.
• General Motors – Outsourcing HR In its basic sense, outsourcing HR means employing the services of an external agency in the recruitment and selection of candidates on behalf of the internal HR department of an organization.
• General Motors Company: Organizational Culture and Strengths As stated in one of the articles, due to the culture of silence that prevailed in the company from 2000 to 2014, the company was unable to identify the problem and struggled to resolve it […]
• The Mission Statements of Toyota Corporation and General Motors Mission Statement of Toyota Corporation Although Toyota Corporation is one of the most successful vehicle producers in the world, the mission statement of this company seems to be quite straightforward than many other multinational corporations; […]
• The General Motors Firm’s Organizational Culture It is important for employees within a business to be able to express their perspective on the organizational culture of a company and how it may affect the overall success of the business.
• General Motors: Case Study It is also necessary to admit the impact of new trade policies, the importance of creating new products, and the delivery of customer value and satisfaction.
• Microeconomics of Ford, General Motors, Chrysler The country was free from the conservative dogmas of the old world, and the creation of monopolies led to the complication of their management.
• Chevy Silverado vs. GMC Denali Trucks Comparison In 2022, the frontal crash, side crash, and rollover tests gave the Silverado four stars, giving it an excellent overall safety rating of four stars.
• General Motors’ Failure to Implement the Toyota System The aim of this was to apply the lessons to GM plants across the country. In addition, the teamwork approach pursued by Toyota was seen as an unfair and negative formula that would lead to […]
• The New General Motors and the Change of Paradigms General Motors, due to the global crisis, was forced to cut down costs by reducing its employees and its extravagant benefit packages reviewed down.
• General Motors and China’s SAIC Motors Relationship These events raise the question of how GM’s China-oriented production policy and the tariff war will affect the Chinese market in the long term.
• Ross Perot and General Motors Case Ross Perot showed his worth as a talented leader and fighter for the rights of his employees; he never agreed to sacrifice their interests even for the welfare of the company he owned and insisted […]
• Chrysler and General Motors Bankruptcy The September eleventh attack of the US by the terrorists added to the woes of GM by driving its incentives to the ground.
• Privacy at Work General Motors: Dating or Sexuality However, the admission of this fact has put the company in a challenging situation with regard to ethical and compliance codes of conduct.
• General Motors Ltd.: Product Creativity This will be a big boost not only to the firm itself but also to the stakeholders in the bus industry.
• GM: Managing Global Systems, Use of Competitive Forces The enormous size of the company and inability to connect all constituent parts of the automobile production was one of the main reasons for failure in competition with main rivals. It is concerned with the […]
• Toyota and General Motors in 2008-2009 GM’s foreign production increases the export of components and the saturation and diffusion of the company brand: the fact of this high export ratio demonstrates that the FDI does not reduce employment in the home […]
• International Business Issues in General Motors General Motors wants to change the previous perception of the company in the market as a dull and of poor quality manufacturer.
• General Motors: Strategic Marketing The share price for the General Motors, which is America’s biggest carmaker, had gone a lot below the standard $10 that had been maintained by the corporation for a long time now; the reorganizing of […]
• General Motors and IBM as Successful Companies Ron Glover, IBM’s president of global workforce diversity, says that having Global Workforce Diversity is a cornerstone for the company that puts it in its own league.
• Business Communication: Newsletters by Jaguar and General Motors The layout is good because it helps a reader to follow the main idea of the e-newsletter and understand the main trends and strategies of the company.
• Mary Barra’s Leadership at General Motors Her inclusive leadership style values the input of each employee and it has led to the creation of highly effective work teams that have propelled GM to the top of the automotive industry.
• Intercultural Management: Renault, General Motors, & Daimler Chrysler Recognition constitutes a significant part of respect, and the ability to learn will eventually enable the manager to take the values of the culture into account.
• General Motors Company’s Strategic Planning By modifying the mission statement of GM, one can state that the firm emphasizes both the internal and external culture of the relationships between people and the company’s products and strives to improve it.
• IKEA and General Motors Companies’ Operation Management In operation management, the bottleneck is the process or the particular phase that has the lowest capacity. Capacity planning is the process that aims at the identification of the product availability that is necessary to […]
• General Motors Company’s Fuel Cell Technology An alternative approach to the future customer obtaining the needed fuel for the prototype vehicle will be achieved by the development of a gas station that will have electrolysis interface or reformers to provide the […]
• General Motors Company in the Automotive Industry The goal of the report is to provide a review of the automotive industry and shed light on the changes that have occurred it over the past few years.
• General Motors and Elio Motors: M&A Strategies The purpose of this paper is to analyze two companies selected from one industry and evaluate their merger and acquisition strategy, the impact of five forces of competition, and corporate governance mechanisms based on the […]
• General Motors Company: Investment Opportunities In other words, GM is a company with innovative products and technologies with huge potential to change significant fractions of the economy and improve the US economic growth for many decades.
• General Motors Company in China The beginning of the new millennium became one of the dark moments in the history of GM. The key to success was the stake made by the joint venture on the design and production of […]
• General Motors’ Recalls and Lean Improvement This is the case because such recalls might affect the performance and profitability of the company in the future. The ultimate goal of the manufacturing process should be to support the needs of the targeted […]
• General Motors and Toyota Companies’ Lean Cultural Shift For the case of GM and Toyota collaboration, the culture change was associated with redefining the concept of problems. Another key concept of the lean transformation is continuous flow production.
• General Motors: 4 Frames and 8 Stages of Change The HR department must support a culture change in GM, but it must let employees and leaders to drive the change.
• General Motors Company’s Multinational Management This is the subject of this paper; this paper examines the leadership traits that can role-model the right behaviors within the environment of a multinational company operating in at least three countries.
• General Motors’ Recalls: Car Owners Survey There is no use denying the fact that the issue of recalls and its influence on the image of a company is closely connected with the feelings and emotions of customers.
• General Motors Company’s Recalls Issue Under these conditions, it is vital to analyze the issue of recalls in terms of the functioning of General Motors Company to understand the main aspects of the issue better.
• General Motors Company: Production-Increasing Tools More efficient software was developed to aid in the analysis of the data that was collected through the use of the C-MORE model.
• If Aristotle Ran General Motors: Moral Perspective In the current paper, the author will extrapolate on what Morris is saying and analyze the impacts of the arguments on the workplace.
• General Motors Company’s Global Strategy in China This relates to the business provisions and other political restrictions that the business might face in the foreign territory. This has forced GM to enact managerial practices that will adopt and embrace the legal requirements […]
• GM Motors Company Effective Management Due to the fact that GM Motors recorded better sales in China than in the US, it is important for the company to use a strategy that would result in long-term trends of success in […]
• Holden General Motors Company’s Operations The demand for automobiles in the 21st Century underscores the substantial need for the industry’s growth in a bid to satisfy the market.
• General Motors Company: Improving Group Productivity The company employs thousands of workers and technicians from different parts of the globe. The leaders at the company focus on the best practices and initiatives in order to achieve the best goals.
• General Motors Company Ethical Issues Overall, the basis of this issue is the unwillingness of the management to consider the interests of the main stakeholders who can affect the performance of this corporation.
• General Motors Company Executive Decision Making The senior management in the decentralized organizational structure of GM has, over time, been detached from the interests of the lower groups.
• General Motors Product Development The success of General Motors is credited to its effective leadership. The leadership has helped General Motors to abolish bureaucracy and encourage innovation.
• General Motors and Global Market In this paper, the researcher will analyze the role of the leadership of this firm in managing this geo-political turmoil in the region.
• GM’s Committal to People With Disabilities The company aims to create awareness about PWDs by providing support and information to employees with disabilities and other PWDs outside the GM community.
• General Motors Conservation Measures One of the strategies that the company uses is corporate social responsibilities practices to create awareness in the world market of its products existence.
• General Motors as Multinational Organization A case study of General Motors is given as a good example to show how the culture of the business management, misunderstanding and cultural differences in the factories overseas caused the failures of the automobile […]
• Business Cost production and how it affects its various operations-General Motors (GM) Despite the high costs of production and the economic crisis experienced by numerous organizations, the company sets the prices of its commodities competitively in order to remain relevant and competitive in the market.
• Capstone: General Motors Company As the official company’s statement says, the company’s leaders put a strong emphasis on the company’s policy of expansion into the global market and the fact that GM is a multinational corporation.
• Industry Analysis: General Motors, Toyota, and Ford However, in this discussion, the main focus is on the analysis of the barriers to entry that exist in the automobile industry.
• SWOT Analysis of GM: The Second Leading Auto Producer in the World This makes it easier for it to penetrate the market; furthermore, the company has other brand and subsidiaries worldwide. The company has a chance to improve on its current status in the market.
• General Motors: What Limits Its Growth? One of the vital business processes that resulted in the constrained growth of General Motors was the fact that it lagged behind in technology because it had not embraced the modern market gists.
• International Joint Venture: General Motors and Toyota The FTC commissioners and knew the perceived importance of the joint venture between the two companies to the economy of the United States.
• Three Firms: Cisco, General Motors, Avon From 2008, the company had to cope with the worst financial crisis and credit market in the history of the world.
• General Motors: Branding of Saturn However, the sudden mushrooming of the company in the market began to be bound by the shrinking in sales, even with the introduction of a series of other new brands of cars in the market.
• Financial Problems at GM: One of the Largest Automakers in the World According to the vice president and the GM global community Tom Kowaleski, the amount is a lot of money and the competitors can take the advantage and reduce the prices of the cars without the […]
• General Motors: From Birth to Bankruptcy Strengths experienced by General Motors One of the strengths that the General Motors Company had was an advantage over some of its competitors with respect to the variety of products that it had been offering […]
• General Motors: Acting Strategically Economic factors: According to the report of Reuters, GM experienced economic hardship due to the influence of bankruptcy in the fiscal year 2008 and 2009, but it enjoyed exceptional success in the year 2010, for […]
• General Motors Company Trading Environment In addition to increased marketing of GM’s product and services, market penetrations can also boost the company’s competitiveness in the market.
• General Motors Corporation Pricing Strategies Denoted as GM, the company suffered severely following the economic crunch that hit US and the world as a whole.1. Pricing objectives are the targets that a company intends to attain through pricing.
• General Motors Europe Sales Figures
• Evaluating the Lifetime Strategies of General Motors
• Why Does General Motors in China Perform More Successfully Than It in America?
• Description of Differences in Production Methods of Toyota (Lean) And General Motors (Mass)
• Executive Decision-Making at General Motors
• A Fundamental Analysis of General Motors Corporation
• Directive Leadership Style General Motors
• Tracking General Motors Global Vehicle Sales and Market Share
• Analyzing Government Tax Cuts for General Motors
• What Are The Weaknesses Of General Motors?
• General Motors in the American Automotive Industry
• Eclectic Paradigms About General Motors Company Commerce
• An Analysis of Volkswagen and General Motors in Today’s Market, Production Strategy
• Organizational Behavior and Culture Change at General Motors
• Economic Competitive Strategy Analysis for General Motors
• Risk Management Within General Motors Company
• Corporate Finances General Motors vs Honda Motor C
• General Motors Company Swot Analysis
• A Business Analysis of General Motors: A Vehicle Manufacturing Company
• A Comparative Analysis of Toyota and General Motors
• Analysis of General Motors in the Post-Bankruptcy Period
• Big Business Stability and Economic Growth: Is What’s Good for General Motors Good for America?
• General Motors Business Process Reengineering
• A Comparison of General Motors and Ford Motor
• Accrued Product Warranty General Motors Company
• A Case Study Review of General Motors and Faulty Ignition Switches
• General Motors and Its Impact on Economy
• A Comparison and Analysis of General Motors and Ford Motor Companies
• General Motors Pension Plan
• A History of General Motors, an American Automobile Industry
• An Analysis of the Evolution of Market and the Role of General Motors Company of Henry Ford
• Business Law: General Motors Lawsuit
• General Motors Receives Government Aid to Survive Recession
• Car Technologies and Green Energy: General Motors Go Green
• Foreign Exchange Hedging Strategies at General Motors: Transitional and Transactional Exposures
• General Motors CEO, Mary Barra
• The Rise and Fall of General Motors Company
• The Crisis Management And Controversy Today Is General Motors
• The Current Corporate and Global Strategies of General Motors
• Factors Affecting the Activities of General Motors
• General Motors and Its Impact on the Environment
• Exploring Organizational Trust and Its Multiple Dimensions: A Case Study of General Motors
• Reducing Logistics Costs at General Motors
• The Role of Annual Reports in Gender and Class Contradictions at General Motors
• The Demise of Streetcars and General Motors
• General Motors and the Affecting Factors of Everyday Business
• The Case of Activity Based Costing Implementation at General Motors
• General Motors Conservation Measures
• The Fisher Body and General Motors Relationship Revisited
• Management Practices, Relational Contracts, and the Decline of General Motors
• Volkswagen Topics
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• Rolls-Royce Paper Topics
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• Honda Topics
• Volvo Essay Titles
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Elon Musk’s Politics May Be Pushing Some Buyers Away From Tesla

The Tesla chief executive’s polarizing statements have alienated some potential customers and may be partly responsible for a recent slump in sales.

By Jack Ewing

Jack Ewing has covered the auto industry for more than two decades.

Few auto executives are as closely identified with the companies they manage as Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, is. And probably none are more prolific in broadcasting their political views on social media.

But as Mr. Musk’s public persona has become increasingly right wing, Tesla appears to be paying a price in sales, especially to liberal and left-leaning customers who are much more likely to buy battery-powered cars than conservatives are, according to analysts and many car owners who responded to a questionnaire on The New York Times’s website about whether his behavior affected their views of Tesla.

His image as an erratic, impulsive manager appears to have rubbed off on the cars, raising doubts in some people’s minds about their quality and helping to explain why Tesla sales have been falling. On Tuesday, the company reported that its global sales in the second quarter fell 4.8 percent from the same period a year earlier, after an 8.5 percent drop in the first three months of the year .

“Musk is a true lightning rod,” said Ben Rose, the president of Battle Road Research, which has a generally positive view on Tesla’s stock. “There are people who swear by him and people who swear at him. No question, some of his comments are a real turnoff for some people. For a subset, enough to buy another brand.”

Tesla and a representative for the company’s board did not respond to requests for comment.

Some of the more than 7,500 people who responded to The Times’s questionnaire said they were offended by what they perceived as antisemitism from Mr. Musk, which he denies. Some were upset by the way Mr. Musk has managed Twitter, now called X, since he bought the company in 2022. He fired thousands of employees and removed guardrails on content shared on the social media platform. His increasingly friendly relations with former President Donald J. Trump and other conservative personalities were also cited as concerns. A vast majority of the readers who responded to the questionnaire were critical of Mr. Musk.

“You’re basically driving around a giant red MAGA hat,” said Aaron Shepherd, a product designer at Microsoft in Seattle who said he was planning to buy an electric Volkswagen ID.4 instead of a Tesla.

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