GE Stumble Has CEO Eying Break-Up

The transcript discusses GE's strategy of creating separate publicly traded entities, similar to what Siemens has done. It explores the pros and cons of being a large conglomerate, including the benefits of shared technology and resources, and the challenges of managing diverse businesses. The discussion also touches on leadership and management issues, questioning whether Jack Welch's or Jeff Immelt's strategies were more effective, and the impact of their decisions on GE's current challenges.

What strategy has GE considered for its large business units, similar to its past actions with Synchrony Financial?

• Selling them to a competitor

• Creating publicly traded separate entities

• Merging them with Siemens

• Shutting them down

What is a potential downside of GE's large and diverse conglomerate structure?

• Better resource sharing

• Missed challenges in specific markets

• Increased market share

• Higher investment in technology

How might more focused management teams benefit GE's business units?

• By reducing the need for technology sharing

• By improving responsiveness to risks

• By increasing the company's overall size

• By decreasing investment in aspirational goals

What is a key question regarding the leadership of Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt?

• Whether Jeff Immelt expanded GE too quickly

• Whether Jeff Immelt should have maintained Jack Welch's empire

• Whether Jack Welch's strategies were too conservative

• Whether the company should have been dismantled sooner

What challenge did Jeff Immelt face when he took over from Jack Welch?

• A lack of market opportunities

• An overly large and complex company structure

• Insufficient technology resources

• Too many focused business units