General Motors CEO Mary Barra stated yesterday that GM employees are “galvanized” by the findings of its internal investigation into defective ignition switches in 2.6 million small cars that have been linked to 13 deaths, exposing an incompetent organizational culture.
“They are absolutely owning the report,” Barra said of the 325-page report released last week by consultant attorney Anton Valukas. Valukas’ investigation found no corporate cover-up but blamed incompetence and a lugubrious culture for allowing the issue to sit unknown for more than 10 years.
The investigation cleared Barra and her top executives of wrongdoing but led to the dismissal of 15 employees. “We feel we’ve taken the appropriate actions as it relates to the ignition switch recall,” she said before her first address to shareholders as CEO of GM. No additional dismissals are anticipated at this time.
Barra told Automotive News at the Renaissance Center that since the report was made public, employees are resolved to improve the company. “They know what this company can be. I feel tremendous engagement by the employees that they’re going to do the right thing. They’re raising issues, they’re asking questions.”
However, Barra admits that she and the rest of General Motors will have to push for change from within, especially since Valukas’ report faulted GM for the lack of individual accountability. “It’s about using the learnings and the failings to make sure that we improve the whole development process and the culture,” she said.
Comment
This report is like I stated the ammo Mary needed to continue the changes she and Lutz had already started.
The fact is there is still some old GM in parts of GM that still need eradicated and policies changed. The people of change at GM needed this to back up what they have been trying to do and stop the opposition to change.
Many with in GM will be glad that the change will be less challenged as many have been given the ability to do their jobs in the way they can best serve GM and the new product and not have to wait for some higher up idiot to tell them what they can or can’t do. In other words their fait is more in their own hands for once and they can get the credit for what they do right and be held responsible for what they did wrong. Most people are much more happy with this.
To me this report is what will bring about the rest of the change GM has needed and we will see a better company and even better product because of it.
Lutz has stated there are two groups in GM. Those who are part of the problem and those who are not part of the problem. We will see those who are not the problem finally get the support and make the changes needed to complete the GM turn around.
With out this report the changes may have taken so much longer and cause so many more issues with in GM.