ABSTRACT

General Motors Corporation, a US-based company, has been in business for one hundred years, has produced nearly 450 million vehicles globally, and operates in virtually every country in the world. In the United States, the company currently focuses on the following major brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC. Of the remaining brands, Pontiac —which is part of the Buick-Pontiac-GMC retail channel —is a highly focused niche brand. Historically, the scope and size of the dealer body has been a strength of General Motors because of excellent customer access and convenience. In 2005, General Motors completed a long-term initiative to transform the company's operations from a collection of semi-autonomous regions into a cohesive global enterprise. The lower hours per vehicle combined with negotiated changes to the company's labor agreements in 2005 and 2007 have reduced total labor cost per vehicle by 26% from 2004 to 2008.