Consumer Products Services Division Report: Fill & Download for Free

I would report any parent using such a device to the Division of Youth and Family Services.The US Consumer Products Safety Commission would not approve its sale. So its presence in the US would only occur because an individual brought one. Its use constitutes child abuse.While its color and manufacturing look sophisticated, its purpose is no different than the closets and boxes that abusive parents have used when they can't cope with the realities of parenting.

Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric,initiated the current death spiral of GE. His goal, by his own admission, was to get General Electric largely out the electric industry (despite the name of the company) and transform it out of a manufacturing and research company and into a “service company.”General Electric was initially created as an electrical supply and research/development company. A fact attested to by one of the founding fathers being Thomas Edison. GE had nearly 100 years of infrastructure and experience, and was known to the world as "everything to everybody when it comes to electricity." At least that was its function until "neutron" Jack Welch came along."Neutron Jack" began dissecting GE early in his career, with the sale of GE Heating and Cooling Products Division in Tyler Texas, to Trane in 1982. In his own words he stated, he "Did not like HVAC." Soon following were GE Housewares sold to Black and Decker in April 1984, and GE Consumer Electronics and Audio sold to Thomson in France in 1987.Jack's primary goal was to get into capital, specifically banking and insurance. Money from the sale of General Electric's historic divisions was used to purchase banking, finance, and insurance companies. Something GE was not designed nor adequately equipped to handle. GE also purchased NBC, and consequently Universal Theme Park, in Florida. A giant of electrical manufacturing with world wide markets was reduce to being a bank, and insurance company, running a TV studio and operating roller coasters at a theme park.Sell off, that is the divestiture of GE divisions, continued with the loss of GE Plastics, sold to SABIC of Saudi Arabia and the sale of General Electric’s 100 year old historic electric motor division. More recently, Welch's sycophant, the former CEO, Jeff Immelt sold the mega giant, "GE Appliances" to Haier-Qingdao of Communist China, in June of 2016.I am not including all the divestitures, but just highlighting some of the major ones. The point being you can't redesign an entire company to create a new one in your own image.Jack Welch has now passed away, but his dream of getting General Electric out of the electrical business is coming true. GE, as of May 2020, sold off it’s last and final consumer business, “GE Lighting.”What little is left of GE is starving for money and quickly dying. Yes, Jack got his wish, and the price GE has paid for Welch’s egotistical behavior is the destruction and loss of one the largest, most successful and enduring of all U.S. Corporations. General Electric is dying, writhing in pain and struggling for each breathe, as it withers away.Welch had quite a reputation with GE employees and Members of the Board. He didn't get the not-so-endearing nickname of Neutron Jack for no reason. Neutrons destroy most things they touch, just as Jack Welch was destroying the once mega-giant General Electric. His methodology was to dissuade opposition of his dictates through bullying. He was known for terrible outrages at dissenting views from other GE administrators and employees.Belittling and verbal abuse of GE employees in front of their peers was his modus operandi. When angered he reportedly reverted back to his childhood stuttering and became beet red in his face, virtually unable to communicate.If you were the unfortunate object of this emotional tirade, you immediately found yourself, and a box with your desk contents, being escorted by GE security guards to the front door. General Electric employees disappeared almost as fast as the GE divisions Welch was selling off.To further disassociate GE with electrical products, Welch made sure references to the company went from the name "General Electric" to "The GE Company." He even scrapped the famous, world known GE logo (The cursive GE in a circle) to one of his own design. Simply an italicized, "G.E." He also dictated that the words, "General Electric" be removed from GE devices, so the public would gradually lose the association of GE with electricity. On GE products, only the GE logo would appear.The Welch designed logo lasted under a year, as the public outcry at the loss of the beloved 100 year old GE, logo forced Welch into a rare reversal of one of his decisions. He angrily returned the historic cursive logo. However, he got his revenge by refusing to remove his personally designed logo from atop the GE building in New York. The electrically lit, gigantic sign atop the building continued to build Welch's already inflamed ego by lighting the New York night skies for decades, and showed the world he was not to be trifled with.To make a very long story short, you can't totally change the very core essence of a company just to build your ego and show the world, and your peer CEO’s that you are a power player. Welch destroyed GE from the inside out. Dissecting and pulling out its core industries and selling them to buy unrelated business, business totally outside the GE's expertise, history and infrastructure. Welch was playing corporate poker and using GE divisions as his chips.Foolishly, Welch ignored the fact that you must have both short cycle profit industries and long cycle profit industries to weather any financial crises.GE had many division of both long and short cycle profiting. For example, take GE Housewares, which sold hairdryers, blenders, mixers, fans, toasters, etc. These devices went from assembly line, to retail stores, to consumer, in time intervals that could be measured in weeks, and sometimes even days. Time from design to profit was short and profits, though small, came quickly. Due to the popularity of GE’ innovative consumer products, the profits came in abundance.Long cycle profits came from GE divisions that produced locomotives, nuclear power plants, turbines, etc. Design-to-profit times were often measured in years, although when they came they were large.GE Appliances, GE Lighting, GE Heating/Cooling and GE Consumer Electronics provided smaller profits but more continual, steady profits. They were relatively inflation proof. No matter what the economy, people have to eat. They need refrigerators to preserve food and stoves to cook on. They have to wash their clothes. No matter what the economy, there will be weddings and Christmas, and people will buy toasters, blenders, etc. for gifts, and for themselves as well. No matter what the economy, people have to heat their homes. Even in the worst of economies people will scrimp and save and buy a television. They still need to get up in the mornings and will buy a GE clock or a GE clock-radio.Some divisions with long cycle profits may not always fare as well during times of recession or inflation, but the need is always there for generators, transformers, and other power distribution equipment. When the economy allows for larger projects such as power plants, the long cycle profits can be enormous.So the short cycle businesses and the long cycle business work with each other to level out the curve and give General Electric profits no matter what is happening with the economy. Case in point, during the Great Depression, GE was one of the only U.S. companies who was still paying dividends on their stock.General Electric had a perfect set up. It could weather any storm and it was producing devices the consumer needed, and wanted, and was providing the electricity, through power generation and distribution equipment, to the consumer. That is, GE made the products consumers wanted then created the electricity, and distributed it to these very same consumers, to operate these products. In short, GE created the demand for its own products. It worked flawlessly for over a 100 years. When a division was not doing as well as hoped, it was tweaked and worked on until it was back to full health.Welch's philosophy was if a division was not doing as well as expected, or he didn't like it, it was gone. Destroyed from the inside out. That is what "Neutron Jack" did with GE. An egotistical man, whom many say suffers from "short-man's syndrome,” was out to show the world, and his business peers, he was something to be contended with.Every action, has an opposite and equal reaction. Westinghouse found this out. Westinghouse was GE's main competitor, and at one time in history was even larger than GE. Just as GE is now doing, Westinghouse began divesting itself of its divisions, slowly, one by one…until the very heart of the company was gone. Westinghouse died in the early 90's, and currently is nothing but a name and logo. “Westinghouse Nuclear” is now owned by Toshiba of Japan, and “Westinghouse Licensing” owns the rights to the name. For a fee, any company can buy a license from Westinghouse Licensing to stick the name “Westinghouse” and the famous logo onto their product to benefit from the recognition factor of the name. You see the name Westinghouse on TV's and air conditioning today, but they have never seen a Westinghouse employee for the Westinghouse Corporation is non-existent.Similarly, GE has already begun licensing out their logo. The GE logo is being placed on Haier-Qingdao built appliances, China's Haier owns the former GE Appliance manufacturing complex "Appliance Park" in Louisville, KY, lock stock and barrel. Haier made an agreement to pay GE a licensing fee to give them the right to use their logo and the right to continue to use to the name, "GE Appliances." Haier sought to do this reasoning that U.S. consumers would balk at our purchasing Communist built appliances. The use of the GE logo would help to hide the true Chinese ownership of the appliance manufacturer from the general public.GE is now weaving the same pattern as Westinghouse, as the core industries are dissected and thrown off. Everyone said Westinghouse was too big to fail. Some are saying the same with General Electric. Will history repeat itself and will we see GE succumb to be nothing more than a name and a logo to be bought and sold? The irreversibly process seems to have started.GE's death spiral is out of control. It is hemorrhaging money and selling its logo, and name, to other companies to try to get any available cash that it can.Soon, just as with Westinghouse, the logo may be the only thing left of the once mighty GE... .the American icon, the king of the electrical, world, the "everything to everyone" company. From mainframe computers to TV's to blenders to nuclear power plants, if it could be plugged in or had flowing electrons, GE probably made it.General Electric is now in its final death throes. Death from one man, Jack Welch, an egotistical man who tried to remake GE into a company in his own image. A man who sought profit at all costs. A man who forgot that a company answers to the consumers who keep it alive and not to the stockholder.No General Electric didn’t “fail.” Jack Welch failed, on all counts.Who would believe the emotional immaturity of one man, and the crazed drive of his ego, could destroy an icon and monolith of electrical manufacturing.A sad demise for a company that didn't deserve it.

Thanks, Sajith V for the questionWhy does the Kerala still be a 'consumer state', is it because of the Communism in the state?Consumerism and Communism never mix as per in classic Communist ideology.Traditionally communists are against the concept of Consumerism, which they believe as a byproduct of Capitalism. In traditional communist ideology, the sole aim of capitalists is Profit and for increasing profit, they push more and more products in the market, induce a forced mental demand or compulsion to buy more among consumers, thus exploiting the limited income of workers.So one of the aims of traditional communists was to limit consumerism. If you check old Soviet-era posters, they always highlight how ordinary people in western world constantly check their pockets/wallets to count their pennies to buy the products in the market which only make capitalists wealthy/fatty out of it, while in USSR, folks get content with all the basic things required for life, provided by the state. The concept of Public distribution system (State Rationing) was part of this philosophy.A famous USSR poster showcasing a happier Russians hold a handful of necessities of life compared to an American who is counting his money to constantly buy more and more to feed his capitalist bosses.USSR Propaganda Poster- Millions of Americans have limited means to buy things in the market, when its market is flooded with products, creating awe in the eyes of young kids who are deniedSo if someone says, Communism is the main reason for consumerism, it's a stereotyped image, far from reality, as consumerism is a strong indicator of a capitalist society. It focuses on society that loves to consume more and more goods/services which is something any capitalist/marketer/businessman loves having a huge market for their products/services.And among all states of India, Kerala has an extraordinary high consumerist society, with a very huge market and high consumption rates.As per recent World Economic Forum study report, Kerala ranks one among top 10 states which drives India’s Consumer markets. It ranks 4th major consumer market among big states of India (after Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka)http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Consumption_Fast-Growth_Consumers_markets_India_report_2019.pdfSo as Kerala ranks very high in spending.Though the figures are outdated, the above figures give an idea of the pattern of spending among Malayalees when compared with the rest of IndiansAs per 2011–2012 figures, Malayalees in city regions spend more than Delhite (which is primarily a megapolis, not a state).So essentially there is a very high consumer market, which is very evident for anyone who travels around Kerala. You see Mercs, Audis and all sorts of luxury cars even in smaller villages, so as modern retail stores and branded shops even in small towns.So what are the key reasons that push for higher consumerism in Kerala?Kerala is high on the prosperity indexMalayalees are definitely higher on the prosperity side. All official stats show, Kerala ranks very high in Per capita incomeAs per available figures, Kerala officially ranks 12th when comes to GDP Per Capita Income basisList of Indian states and union territories by GDP per capita - WikipediaKerala’s NSDP Per capita is too close to Maharashtra’s figures, despite the fact, Maharashtra leads India when comes to GDP. The average Per capita of Malayalees is $9891, close to MH’s $10,203.If we remove the very smaller states like Goa, Delhi, Chandigarh etc which are mostly a city/district rather than states, Kerala ranks 6th in position among the Big States of India.Note: I am talking this on basis of NSDP which doesn’t include any remittances and foreign funds. Its sum total of economic activities solely within the state.So add the remittances effect too, it makes an average Malayalee much richer than many other states.If you have so much money, what would you do? Buy more and more things from the market and loves to enjoy the choice. Simple!!!!The primary reason for extraordinary consumption is the higher income of Malayalees or people living in Kerala. The state boasts the highest wage rate in India.Even within South India, people working in the unorganized sector gets much higher pay in Kerala than other states. Just look at the figures based on 2017 Economic Review report. A sowing worker in agriculture sector earns approx 704 Rs, so as general agriculture worker earns around 658 Rs in Kerala. Compare that with neighbouring Karnataka, where the same worker earns only 284 Rs.I took the figures in Agriculture because it represents a rural society. So even in rural areas, an agrarian worker earns almost 3 times what earned in Karnataka. So what happens? He is likely to spend more on consumables.He will buy more food products for his home, spends more money on entertainment/leisure etc, buys durables like grinders, mixies, washing machines etc. Naturally, it increases consumption and increases the overall market.Just, for example, you see a major retailer like Nandilath G Mart which specializes in retailing of electronics and white goods opened large showrooms even in remote towns like Kattappana of Idukki, boasting goods of international brands like Hitachi, Daikin, Panasonic etcThey could open showrooms in such smaller towns, primarily because the people have money to spend on it.2. Remittance EconomyIts a fact, that Kerala’s consumerism is heavily linked to Remittances which has skyrocketed the purchasing power of average Malayalees.The biggest advantage of this model is that it spread the consumption patterns uniformly across the state. Across India, consumption is mostly an urban activity and urban hubs fuels 2/3rds of the total market consumption.Take neighbouring Karnataka, it's primarily because of Bangalore, Karnataka ranks big in the consumer market. So as Mumbai for Maharashtra. Bangalore/Mumbai are such huge consumer markets, several times bigger than average Kerala cities. Our Kochi or Trivandrum may look minuscule in front of these metro cities when comes to its market consumption.But beyond Mumbai or Bangalore, these states have little/smaller consumer market. If we remove Mumbai and Pune from Maharashtra, it would be at par with Bihar in when comes to consumption. So as Haryana without Gurugram or Telangana without Hyderabad… You would see endless choices of brands and products/services in Bangalore, but drive 70 Kms away from the city, at Kolar region (which was once the Gold Mine of India), you hardly get anything you enjoyed in Bangalore.This situation doesn’t happen in Kerala, as regions are pretty uniform, so as its markets. This is primarily because cities like Bangalore or Mumbai are the economic hubs with has a huge number of people who earn higher incomes who can spend in the markets which a person in Murbad (a town 70 Kms away from Mumbai) or Kolar (near Bangalore) never earns at all and can’t spend in their markets.Y Mall is a world class mall in a small rural town of Tripayar (Thrissur district) which boasts anchoring India’s second Toy R Us showroom (Toy R Us is an American MNC) along with dozen of leading national brands.H&J Mall in Karunagapally is a small village area near Kollam, boasts mall with many major brandsAs the majority of the earnings of Malayalees happens outside Kerala and wealth flows into the state equally, the local markets got developed in a big way. So as you can find malls even in very small towns like Karunagapally or Perinthalmanna or Tripayar having high-end shops. Across Kerala, one can find many Duty Paid shops selling foreign imported products, higher-end branded shops, gold showrooms, car showrooms etc primarily because the wealth is never accumulated in Kochi or Trivandrum alone.3. Tertiary sectorThere is one factor which everyone discounts when commenting about the growth of Consumerism in Kerala. The role played by the tertiary sector. Kerala has a very unique context. Its tertiary sector has grown extraordinarily high. Around 61% of Malayalees employed in Kerala is into the tertiary/service sector, while only 22% in the Secondary sector (industries/production etc) and just 17% in the agriculture sector.This means the majority of Malayalees work in the service sector like transportation, banking, finance, administration, teaching, healthcare, insurance, communications, retail etc which comparatively pays higher than the other two sectors. A teacher in a school would definitely earn better than a blue-collar worker in a factory. A cashier in a supermarket do earn much better than a farmer, isn’t it?Again these jobs are of Middle-class levels who are aspirational class. A farmer in a village may have very limited aspirations. He doesn’t dream of owning the latest model of Renault Duster or similar. His aspirations would be smaller in nature, probably buying a cow or marrying of his daughter etc. Whereas a teacher who is from Middle-class segments who currently owns a two-wheeler do aspire for a car and would seek for a loan to buy so. This naturally spins off a series of economic activities, employing more and more in this sector.Essentially this tertiary sector modelled economy fuels more market consumption.4. Cash crop farmingEven those who engaged in agriculture, they are mostly into cash crop farming. Kerala Agriculture is mostly into the cash crop sector (72%), mostly into rubber, spices, coconuts etc, which do have a higher value in markets. Though there are problems with the Rubber market, still on average a rubber farmer earns around 12–20k per month within his limited land. In its peak days like that of the late 90s and early 2000s, they were earning like anything. Naturally, these farmers are more prosperous than their counterparts in Bihar or UP or MP.If we drive around the rubber plantations oriented areas of Kerala, like Pala or Thiruvalla or Kottayam area, one can see most of these so-called farmers lives in double storied houses with luxury cars parked in their poaches. Naturally, due to their higher income, they can spend more on markets.This is true even in the case of new-gen Organic farmers who able to sell their vegetables etc at almost double the normal market prices.In any of these above cases, you won’t see COMMUNISM or adherence to Communist/Left values are the main reasons for rising consumerismBut indirectly yes, as all the above reasons have a back-story related to communism.The higher wage rage also owes a lot of left movements which has successfully prevented exploitation of workers and collective bargaining to make wages higher. Well, collective bargaining isn’t the sole reason for higher wages, but essentially it does contribute to a big way.Many factors, some linked to socialist ideologies has kept industries away from Kerala. I explained that in detail in another post and I strongly believe, it is NOT COMMUNISM/LEFT that solely responsible for it. But at the same time, its role cannot be eliminated too, as they enabled the society to question the wrongs and injustice against them. So unlike many pro-industrial friendly states like Gujarat, Kerala have a system of questioning the wrongdoings which also resulted in lower investment, thereby lower employment and more foreign employment resulting in a remittance society.Communists equally helped in pushing the social indices high. They successfully retained the growth of education and healthcare which started during the Monarchy era and gave a much stronger push in the democratic era. This helped in creating more better-educated generation, who didn’t prefer to work as a blue-collar worker or as a traditional farmer. This is one key reason for a shift to the tertiary sectorFinally, the land reforms act brought by communists in 1957, altered the farming culture in a big way. As it put ceilings on land holdings, no more large scale paddy agriculture can continue as land got fragmented and it was too had to do paddy in small holdings. The division of farms resulted in the Malayalee agrarian community to make a paradigm shift towards Cash crops, especially Rubber which can give more value in fewer land areas. So essentially cash crop farming became the new social order.So the answer to the question isCommunism never helped Consumerism anywhere in the world, so as in Kerala too. But due to some effects of communist ideals or rather socialist ideals, it helped for major social changes, that pushed for a huge consumerist society.But the only MAIN reason for consumerism, be it in Kerala or anywhere in the world, is the availability of money to spend in market… So in a way, its the prosperity that fuelled consumerism in Kerala.Suggested ReadingsArun Mohan (അരുൺ മോഹൻ)'s answer to Why is Kerala not so developed industrially like Tamil Nadu?Arun Mohan (അരുൺ മോഹൻ)'s answer to Why is Kerala not generating many jobs despite having India's highest literacy rate?Arun Mohan (അരുൺ മോഹൻ)'s answer to What are some pros and cons of the communist state government in India's Kerala?Arun Mohan (അരുൺ മോഹൻ)'s answer to How is the CPIM so powerful at Kerala?