At One Time, Management at General Motors Decided to Improve

question 9

Essay

At one time, management at General Motors decided to improve the competitiveness of its products by stressing product quality, style, and innovation. The objective was to improve the image of GM vehicles and thus improve sales and brand loyalty. Managers decided to push this strategy in both the manufacturing and marketing divisions of the firm. One of the key moves to implement this strategy was to insist that GM dealers stop price-cutting and push brand value and image instead. GM exerted some control over dealers' pricing/selling strategy in part by reducing the money it set aside for dealers to use in local ads.
Required:
Was General Motors following a strategy of cost leadership or differentiation at this time? Comment on how effective you think the new strategy in dealer relations is likely to be.

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Definitions:

Non-Conformist

An individual who does not adhere to conventional or societal standards, norms, or expectations.

Imaginative

The ability to think creatively and form mental images or concepts that are not immediately present or have never been directly experienced.

Psychodynamic Theories

Theories in psychology that posit human behavior is influenced by unconscious drives and conflicts stemming from childhood experiences.

Unconscious Mental Forces

Mental processes that are not within an individual's conscious awareness but influence judgments, feelings, or behavior, often explored in psychoanalytic theory.