Lincoln Case Study

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Founders of the company:Legacy

Lincoln Electric Company was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1895, by John C. Lincoln with $200 capital investment. His product was an electric motor which did not have direct demand, he simply believed that motor was innovative and had a future. He was right. Today the Company has over 40 manufacturing locations with sales in 160 countries.

His brother James Lincoln soon developed and implemented the idea that employees elect representatives to a committee that would advise him on company operations. This visionary idea brought a sense of ownership to the employees, with management and labor having a stake, for better for worse.

The years 1915-1918 were an amazing period at Lincoln Company. The work week …show more content…

This strategy allows maximum flexibility. It is amazing that an industry with complex manufacturing processes does not have a command type of structure.

Lincoln has been lukewarm with regard to unionism and labor. Their stand is clear and I think anyone who disagrees with their philosophy will respect the Company view. James Lincoln himself was critical of the labor movement because of “selfishly attempting to better its position at the expense of the people it must serve”. On a very positive note, employees earn about 50% of the Company stock.

Executives do not have special privileges. For example, the Company president pays for his own meals and eats in the cafeteria.

Conclusion

Lincoln has enjoyed 121 years of success because of their founding organizational culture. Over the decades, Lincoln has acquired several companies. The question is how their strong, detail-oriented culture has penetrated those other companies in the mergers. It has been a win-win environment for management, employees, and stakeholders. Obviously the customer is enjoying immensely important products at competitive prices, even in the era of robotic engineering. he Lincoln Case Study has a lot to teach us about the P-O-C-L (Planning-Organizing-Controlling-Leading) framework. Company culture is under organizing, and for Lincoln it all goes back to

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