General Motors: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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'''General Motors Corporation''', also known as '''GM''', an [[United States|American]] [[multinational corporation]], is the world's largest auto company by annual production volume for 2006, and the second largest by sales volume as of the first half of 2007, behind [[Toyota Motor Corporation]]. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19868815 |title=Toyota slips behind GM in second quarter|work=[[MSNBC]]|accessdate=July 20|accessyear=2007}}</ref> Founded in 1908, in [[Flint, Michigan]], GM employs approximately 284,000 [[people]] around the [[world]]. With global headquarters at the [[Renaissance Center]] in [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]], [[Michigan]], [[United States|USA]], GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 [[countries]]. Their [[Europe]]an headquarters are based in [[Zurich, Switzerland]].Their [[Holden]] headquarters are in [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]]. In 2006, 9.18 million GM [[cars]] and [[trucks]] were produced globally under the following brands: [[Buick]], [[Cadillac]], [[Chevrolet]], [[GMC (General Motors division)|GMC]], [[Holden]], [[Hummer]], [[Opel]], [[Pontiac]], [[Saab Automobile|Saab]], [[Saturn Corporation|Saturn]] and [[Vauxhall Motors|Vauxhall]]. GM is the majority shareholder in [[GM Daewoo|GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co.]] of [[South Korea]] and has had collaborative ventures in technology and manufacturing with several of the world's automakers. It has ventures with [[Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation]] of [[China]].

'''The Flying Nun and the Chupacabra

GM Parts and accessories are sold under [[GM Performance Division|GM Performance Parts]], [[GM Goodwrench]] and [[Delco Electronics|ACDelco]] brands through GM Service and Parts Operations which supplies GM dealerships and distributors worldwide. GM engines and transmissions are marketed through [[GM Powertrain]]. GM's largest national market is the [[United States]], followed by [[China]], [[Canada]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Germany]]. GM half owns a finance company, [[General Motors Acceptance Corporation|General Motors Acceptance Corporation Financial Services]], which offers automotive, residential and commercial financing and insurance. GM's [[OnStar]] subsidiary is a vehicle safety, security and information service provider.

Mother Superoir Bertrille watched the novices at morning prayers. One new novice, Sister Rosalie was special. She could fly. Mother Superior was not suprised when she discoverd Roaslie gliding into the courtyard last week; she herself had done that hundreds of times. But that was over thirty years (and 50 pounds) ago.

== History ==

When lift plus thrust is greater than load plus drag any object can fly, including a nun wearing the unique habit of the nun of the Convent San Tanco. While a novice, Mother Superior got into more than a fair share of mischief as she flew around San Juan helping those in need. Several of the children in the convent school looked up to her a real life super hero. She understood now the problems that her Mother Superior faced. Keeping the nun's flights a secret was neccessary if the convent was going to continue to serve the community, but Mother Superior knew that she would not...could not....prevent Sister Rosalie from using her gift.

{{main|History of General Motors}}

[[Image:GM headquarters in Detroit.JPG|thumb|250px|The [[Renaissance Center]] in Detroit, Michigan, is General Motors' world headquarters.]]

........

General Motors (GM) was founded on [[September 16]], [[1908]] in [[Flint, Michigan]], as a [[holding company]] for [[Buick]], then controlled by [[William C. Durant]], and acquired [[Oldsmobile]] later that year. The next year, Durant brought in [[Cadillac]], [[Elmore (automobile)|Elmore]], [[Oakland automobile|Oakland]] (later known as Pontiac) and several others. In 1909, General Motors acquired the Reliance Motor Truck Company of [[Owosso, Michigan]], and the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of [[Pontiac, Michigan]], the predecessors of [[GMC]] Truck. Durant lost control of GM in 1910 to a bankers' trust, because of the large amount of debt taken on in its acquisitions - around US$1.0 million.

== Corporate governance ==

Sister Rosalie came the the Convent San Tanco two years after graduating high school. She wanted to start a new life devoted to God and children. She expected to spent her years teaching math and reading to eager children, but she discovered that God had other plans for her.

Current members of the [[board of directors]] of General Motors are: [[Percy Barnevik]], [[Erskine Bowles]], John Bryan, [[Armando Codina]], Erroll Davis, George Fisher, Karen Katen, Kent Kresa, Ellen Kullman, Philip Laskawy, Kathryn V. Marinello, [[Eckhard Pfeiffer]], and [[Richard Wagoner]] (chairman). Jerome York, who was elected to the board on [[February 6]], [[2006]] to represent [[Kirk Kerkorian]], abruptly resigned on [[October 6]], [[2006]], following the decision by GM to break off talks about an alliance with [[Nissan]] and [[Renault]].

Rick Wagoner is also the [[chief executive officer]] of the company (since [[June 1]], [[2000]]), succeeding [[John F. Smith, Jr.]]

When Rosalie arrived at the convent, she heard the stories about the Mother Superior, but like most novices, believed that it was some sort of hazing.

=== Corporate structure ===

"She flew?"

General Motors is structured into the following groups:

*GM Automotive

**GMAP - Asia Pacific

**GME - Europe

**GMLAAM - Latin America Africa Mid-East

**GMNA - North America

*GMAC Finance and insurance services

*Other Operations

== Social policies ==

"Its true," said Sister Sixto, a much older nun. "I was a novice with her in the 1960s, she really could fly."

[[Image:Uaw-GM Center For Human Resource.jpg|right|thumb|200px|UAW-GM Center for Human Resources in Detroit.]]

General Motors was named one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" in [[2004]] by ''Working Mothers'' magazine. GM has also given millions of dollars in computers to colleges of [[Engineering]] through its PACE Awards program.<ref>[http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html3month/020926.PACE.gift.html $116 million PACE gift puts Purdue students in drivers' seat (September 26, 2006)] ''Purdue News''. Retrieved on May 8, 2007.</ref> Together with the [[United Auto Workers]], GM created a joint venture dedicated to the quality of life needs of employees in [[1985]]. The UAW-GM Center for Human Resources in [[Detroit]] is dedicated to providing GM salaried employees and GM UAW members programs and services related to medical care, diversity issues, education, training and [[tuition]] assistance, as well as programs related to work and family concerns, in addition to the traditional union-employer [[health and safety]] partnership.<ref>[https://www.uawgmjas.org/j/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 "Welcome to the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources". ''UAW-GM Joint Activity System''. Retrieved on June 19, 2007.</ref>

== Marketing ==

"I didn't know that nun's hazed the novices," Rosalie replied as the wind began to blow.

At one time, each of GM's automotive divisions were targeted to specific market segments and despite some shared components, each distinguished itself from its stablemates with unique styling and technology. The shared components and common corporate management created substantial [[economy of scale|economies of scale]], while the distinctions between the divisions created an orderly upgrade path, with an entry-level buyer starting out with a practical and economical [[Chevrolet]] and moving through offerings of the different divisions until the purchase of a [[Cadillac]]. The divisions were not [[competition|competing]] with each other as much as passing along the same customer who would thus always be buying a GM product.

The postwar automobile industry became enamored with the concept of "[[planned obsolescence]]", implemented by both technical and styling innovations with a typical 3-year product cycle. In this cycle, a new basic body shell is introduced and then modified for the next two years with minor styling changes. GM, [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], and [[Chrysler Corporation|Chrysler]] competed vigorously in this new restyling environment.

"No one else has ever been able to duplicate it, but you see, the shape of the habit and her weight and size were just right...Oh!"

=== Distinguishing the brands ===

Sister Rosalie didn't hear what Sister Sixto was saying because she was 6 feet above the ground and gasping for breath. When the older nuns saw her, they smiled in fond remembrence of Sister Bertrille's flying days. They younger nuns gasped, and finally believed the older nuns. The three novices who came to San Tanco with Rosalie fell on their knees and prayed.

By 1958, the divisional distinctions within GM began to blur with the availability of high-performance engines in [[Chevrolet]]s and [[Pontiac]]s. The introduction of higher trim models such as the [[Chevrolet Impala]] and [[Pontiac Bonneville]] priced in line with some [[Oldsmobile]] and [[Buick]] offerings was also confusing to consumers. By the time [[Pontiac]], [[Oldsmobile]] and [[Buick]] introduced similarly styled and priced compact models in 1961, the old "step-up" structure between the divisions was nearly over.

=== Compacts arrive ===

"Sister! You can fly! Oh its a miracle!" shouted Sister Sixto. "You stay there, I'll tell Mother Superior!"

The 1960s saw the creation of compact and intermediate classes. The [[Chevrolet Corvair]] was a 6-cylinder answer to the [[Volkswagen Beetle]], the Chevy II was created to match Ford's conventional [[Ford Falcon (North America)|Falcon]] and the [[Chevrolet Camaro]]/[[Pontiac Firebird]] was GMs counter measure to the [[Ford Mustang]]. Among intermediates, the [[Oldsmobile Cutlass]] nameplate became so popular during the 1970s that [[Oldsmobile]] applied the Cutlass name to most of its products in the 1980s. By the mid 1960s, most of GM's vehicles were built on a few common ''platforms'' and in the 1970s GM began to use nearly identical body panel stampings, differing only in internal and external trim items.

The [[1971]] [[Chevrolet Vega]] was GMs launch into the new subcompact class. Problems associated with its innovative [[aluminum]] engines would damage GMs reputation more than perhaps any other vehicle in its history. During the late 1970s, GM would initiate a wave of [[downsizing]] starting with the [[Chevrolet Caprice]] which was reborn into what was the size of the [[Chevrolet Chevelle]], the Malibu would be the size of the Nova, and the Nova was replaced by the troubled front-wheel drive [[Citation]].

"Stay here? As if i could." Sister Rosalie found herself drifting towards the chapel steeple. By the time Sister Rosalie returned with Mother Superior, she was clinging to the steeple with her eyes tightly shut reciting a prayer to St. Theresa.

=== Rebadging era ===

"I think you'll find that St. Joseph of Cupertino will be of greater help, Rosalie. I know he helped me." Mother Superior couldn't help but smile as she told the sisters to get the ladder.

By the 1980s, GM frequently "rebadged" one division's successful vehicle into several models across the divisions, all positioned close to one another in the market place. Thus a new GM model's main competition might be another model spawned off the same platform. This led to market "[[Cannibal#Other uses of the word|cannibalization]]" with the divisions spending time stealing sales from one another. Even today, the company's GMT360 mid-sized light truck platform has spawned the basic [[Chevrolet Trailblazer]], [[Oldsmobile Bravada]], [[GMC Envoy]], [[Isuzu Ascender]], [[Buick Rainier]] and [[Saab 9-7X]]. Though each model had a more or less unique mission, the trucks can hardly be discerned from one another.

=== GM in the new century ===

In the late 1990s, the U.S. economy was on the rise and GM and [[Ford]] gained market share producing enormous profits primarily from the sale of light trucks and sport-utility vehicles. From 2000 to 2001, the [[Federal Reserve]] in a move to quell the stock market, made twelve successive interest rate increases. Following the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], a severe stock market decline caused a pension and benefit fund underfunding crisis. GM began its ''Keep America Rolling'' campaign, which boosted sales, and other auto makers were forced to follow suit. The U.S. automakers saw sales increase to leverage costs as gross margins deteriorated. Although retiree health care costs remain a significant issue, General Motors' investment strategy has generated a $17.1 billion surplus in 2007 in its $101 billion U.S pension fund portfolio, a $35 billion reversal from its $17.8 billion of underfunding.<ref>Sloan, Allan (April 10, 2007).[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/09/AR2007040901262.html GM's High-Performance Pension Machine] ''Washington Post'', D02.</ref>

In 2004, GM redirected resources from the development of new sedans to an accelerated refurbishment of their light trucks and [[Sport utility vehicle|SUV]]s for introduction as 2007 models in early 2006. Shortly after this decision, fuel prices increased by over 50% and this in turn affected both the trade-in value of used vehicles and the perceived desirability of new offerings in these market segments. The current marketing plan to extensively tout these revised vehicles as offering the best fuel economy ''in their class'' (of vehicle). GM claims its hybrid trucks will have gas-mileage improvements of 25%.

In the summer of 2005, GM announced that its corporate chrome emblem "[[Mark of Excellence]]" will begin appearing on all recently introduced and all-new 2006 model vehicles produced and sold in North America. The move is seen as an attempt by GM to link its name and vehicle brands more closely.

In 2005, GM promoted sales through an employee discount to all buyers. Marketed as the lowest possible price, GM cleared an inventory buildup of 2005 models to make way for its 2006 lineup. While the promotion was a temporary shot in the arm for sales, it did not help the company's bottom line. GM has since changed its marketing strategy to a no haggle sticker policy in which all vehicle prices are lowered, but incentives are reduced, if not eliminated.

=== GM in China ===

General Motors is the best selling auto maker in [[China]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060105/AUTO01/601050436/1148|title=GM becomes top-selling foreign automaker in China|work=[[Detroit News]]|accessdate=April 10|accessyear=2007}}</ref> The [[Buick]] brand is especially strong, led by the [[Buick Excelle]] subcompact. [[Cadillac]] initiated sales in [[China]] in 2004, starting with imports from the [[United States]]. GM pushed the marketing of the [[Chevrolet]] brand in [[China]] in 2005 as well, moving the former [[Buick Sail]] to that marque. The company manufactures most of its China-market vehicles locally, through its [[Shanghai GM]] joint venture. The [[SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile]] joint-venture is also successful selling trucks and vans under the [[SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile|Wuling]] marque.

===Video News Release===