[mlocher]

GM is the second worst managed automobile company worldwide. Daimler is the world's leader in destroying a once great car brand. Of course, like GM the management blames only external forces, never their own blunders.

Prahalad from the University of Michigan discusses his rule of three in business. In any market, there is room for 3 big players and a number of niche players. We saw that in the US, with Ford, GM and Chrysler surviving what was once an industry with over 100 players. As the market went global, we will see the same thing. Some big names are going to fall. The best management will win, the others will fall by the wayside or become niche players.

[jalisco555]

Daimler’s blunder was trying to become an “all things to all people” company. Buying Chrysler and creating way too many Mercedes brands just killed the company. BMW knows that it needs to remain in the luxury niche and will weather the current storm.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Saturday's WSJ has a pretty good story covering the heart breaking differences between a Honda plant in Ohio and a GM plant of the same size. Starting 30 years ago, Honda built fewer than a half dozen motorcycles a day in the plant, then spent the afternoon taking them apart to scrutinize assembly quality. Recently, when an assembly line malfunctioned, employees volunteered to come in and get it running.