Publications

June 1991 (Revised October 1991)
Case

General Electric: Reg Jones and Jack Welch

By: Francis Aguilar and Christopher A. Bartlett

When GE's retiring Reginald Jones turned the job of CEO over to Jack Welch on April 1, 1981, the Wall Street Journal reported that GE had "decided to replace a legend with a live wire." Some wondered if the young dynamo could fill the elder statesman's very large... View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Business or Company Management; Change Management; Leading Change; Restructuring; Investment; Strategic Planning; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Management Succession

February 2004
Supplement

Jack Welch at GE: 1981-2001 - The Evolution of a Chief Executive

By: Joseph L. Bower

A series of video clips of Jack Welch from 1981 to 2001 shows his development as a leader, the evolution of his management approach, and his consistency. View Details

Keywords: Leadership Development; Electronics Industry

January 2004
Supplement

Jack Welch General Electric-The People Factory at work: Picking My Successor at GE

By: Joseph L. Bower

Jack Welch describes the process by which Jeff Immelt was chosen. In doing so, he describes General Electric's People Factory. View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Leadership Development; Management; Management Succession

04 Mar 2020
News

Harvard Business School Professor Reflects On Jack Welch

05 Mar 2020
News

The Life And Legacy Of Jack Welch

June 1988
Supplement

General Electric Co.: Jack Welch Question and Answer Session, October 28, 1987, Video

By: James L. Heskett

Jack Welch updates an MBA class on events which have taken place since 1984. Answers questions about his job and the task of leading a global company. View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Leadership; Globalized Firms and Management

January 1992
Teaching Note

General Electric: Reg Jones and Jack Welch TN

By: Francis Aguilar

Teaching Note for (9-391-144). View Details

April 1981 (Revised January 1983)
Case

General Electric Co.: 1981 Audit -- Jack Welch

Find at Harvard

October 1993 (Revised April 1994)
Case

Jack Welch: General Electric's Revolutionary

By: Joseph L. Bower and Jay Dial

Describes the work of Jack Welch as CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 1992, focusing particularly on his transformation of the company's portfolio through extensive dispositions and acquisitions and the company's culture through a mandated process called "work out."... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Transformation; Investment Portfolio; Leadership Style; Management; Organizational Culture; Personal Development and Career

05 Dec 2022
What Do You Think?

How Would Jack Welch’s Leadership Style Fare in Today’s World?

one with a PhD. and unbridled curiosity. With Jack Welch, one experienced an idea a minute. Some hit home, some didn’t. He and his team tried a lot of things—many of them were ideas developed elsewhere—and presumably kept most of what... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Industrial Products; Media & Broadcasting; Medical Devices & Supplies; Manufacturing

April 1999 (Revised May 2005)
Case

GE's Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch's Leadership

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny

GE is faced with Jack Welch's impending retirement and whether anyone can sustain the blistering pace of change and growth characteristic of the Welch era. After briefly describing GE's heritage and Welch's transformation of the company's business portfolio of the... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Global Strategy; Leadership Development; Goals and Objectives; Six Sigma; Management Succession; Service Operations; Quality; Corporate Strategy

June 1991 (Revised April 1993)
Case

General Electric: Jack Welch's Second Wave (A)

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

By the mid 1980's Jack Welch had completely transformed General Electric with more than 300 divestitures and acquisitions since the beginning of the decade. Welch insisted that his business units be number one or number two in their markets, and have the strength of... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Transformation; Employee Relationship Management; Planning; Corporate Strategy

01 Jun 2005
News

Cultural Revolution at GE

Jeffrey Immelt (MBA ’82) had a tough act to follow when he took over as GE chairman and CEO in September 2001 from the legendary Jack Welch. Ever since, Immelt has been on a mission to transform the $152 billion industrial and finance... View Details

Keywords: GE; General Electric; Jack Welch; Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Transportation Equipment Manufacturing; Manufacturing

June 1992
Supplement

General Electric: Jack Welch's Second Wave (B)

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

In the annual report, Welch indicates a new priority for the company--developing a cadre of managers who can lead GE in implementing its strategy in a new organizational context. The question facing Welch is whether his bold new human resource vision is realistic and... View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Design; Competitive Strategy

April 2000
Supplement

GE's Two-Decade Transformation: Interview with Jack Welch, November 1999 (Video)

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

An interview with Jack Welch on his views of the current status of GE's two-decade transformation and his changing role in leading it. Among topics discussed include his views of GE as a learning organization, the process of change that allowed GE's transformation to... View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Transformation; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Problems and Challenges; Change Management; Management Succession; Managerial Roles

01 Oct 2001
News

Lunch with Jack: Student Dines with GE's Welch

Few student exploits over the summer could match the power lunch enjoyed by Reginald Sanders (HBS '02), who broke bread and talked business with Jack Welch, the legendary force behind General Electric. Sanders earned the honor of dining... View Details

Keywords: Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services; Professional Services

13 Apr 2015
News

Jeffrey Immelt, With New Challenges, Refashions Jack Welch’s G.E.

October 2000
Case

GE's Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch's Leadership Multimedia Case

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny

General Electric is faced with Welch's impending retirement, and the question on many minds is whether anyone can sustain the blistering pace of change and growth characteristic of the Welch era. After briefly describing GE's heritage and Welch's transformation of the... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Transformation; Organizational Change and Adaptation

January 1999 (Revised February 2000)
Case

GE...We bring good things to life. (A)

By: James L. Heskett

Jack Welch and the Corporate Executive Council of General Electric are faced with a decision about whether and how to implement a six-sigma quality-improvement effort in the context of many other initiatives already undertaken at GE in recent years. View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Leadership Style; Six Sigma; Quality; Organizational Change and Adaptation