Organizational Vision (General Electric Company) (Essay Sample)

Development of General Electric Company
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General Electric Company kicked off its development strategy in the year 1900 with the establishment of a research laboratory called General Electric Research Laboratory. At the time of its establishment, this was the first industrial research facility ever found in the United States. This research facility had its first location at Schenectady in New York City. Early developments of General Electric are attributed to this lab. Therefore, it is referred to as the home of technological development for this company. It created an environment conducive for carrying out technological research since the time it set standards for research. Later, this lab developed into a global research center for General Electric covering a wide range of technological researches. The company conducted a variety of studies through this lab, ranging from transport system to healthcare in all parts of the world (Bartlett, 1929).
It is worth noting that this research laboratory came at a time when the United States had made very minor steps in its electrification process. Through this lab, General Electric became the first company whose main agenda was to ensure that all regions in the United States had electricity. It is also found as the first company whose efforts were geared toward making other technological developments that could be used in scientific research in other fields. Through its key researcher Willis Whitney, General Electric was in a better position to develop its electrical technical which played a key role in ensuring that the laboratory continued with its technological advances and general growth. By 1906, the number of researchers in this laboratory had increased from 8 people to 102 people. Out of this number, 40 percent were scientifically trained researchers (General Electric, 2010). Increased research in this company meant that it was making a step in the right direction as far as new creating commercial products is concerned. By establishing the lab, General Electric had an aim of increasing the number of its researchers. It did this by providing enough money to help researchers conduct researches without putting much emphasis on developing theories.
Later, General Electric had to expand its research by coming up with gas-filled and incandescent light bulbs ((Peters, 2012)). Reaching this far helped the company in conducting more researches in different scientific and technological fields. It then aimed at conducting researches for commercial purposes. Aiming at gaining some money from the research it did was a good decisions by this company because through collecting money, it could expand its operations. Since the inception of General Electric Research Laboratory, the company has been able to earn numerous patents for redefining industries, commercial products, and innovative technology among others (Bartlett, 1929).
The lab later became the General Electric Global Research moments after opening its foreign research center in Bangalore, India. Today, the company has been able to open other research centers in Germany, China, and Brazil (General Electric, 2010). These branches have greatly helped the company in pushing for its goal in global innovation. Apart from researching about light and appliances, GE has researched widely in other fields such as electrical distribution, aviation, transportation, media and transportation, and energy among other areas.