Here are the answers to the questions about the Jack Welch era at General Electric:
1. Did GE in the Welch era fulfill its social responsibility duty? Could it have done better?
GE under Jack Welch had some successes in terms of profits, growth, and shareholder returns. However, Welch took a very narrow view of social responsibility that focused solely on maximizing short-term financial gains. Some key areas where GE fell short of its social responsibility duties include:
- Environment: Welch was in denial about GE's pollution of the Hudson River with PCBs. The company fought clean-up efforts for decades.
- Employees: Welch laid off tens of thousands of employees each year,