Dave Gordon wrote:
You can always make a company look good in the short term by cutting
back longterm projects like research, and by cutting staff and
forcing the rest to work stupid hours. Eventually the strain shows
and the company suffers from lack of new products and excessive key
staff turnover. Nardelli's way is to get out before that happens,
trousering his performance bonus.

Has happened in business many times and will again however it does not apply
to Nardelli....at all....... He had a very long, well respected career with
GE

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20150129/
Welch said GE's power systems business was losing money and had trouble with
unions before Nardelli took over and invested in products, cut costs and
improved labor relations. Nardelli created joint ventures around Europe and
efficient, environmentally sensitive power products at a time when the
market demanded them, making power one of GE's most important businesses,
Welch said. "He's a global thinker," Welch said. "He delivers."

He as well in no way business wise slashed and burned HD.....sales more than
doubled and profits increased even more. He left a very healthy company that
we all love to hate....Incidentally retail operations are not well known for
heavy long term research nor particularly developing new products. Nardelli
did not receive a so called performance bonus either, remember the stock
price languished, but rather the board offered a high salary to originally
entice him and a high severance package to get rid of him...their choices
not his. In fact if he had indeed done what you imply to whatever degree one
can in a retail operation his stock price would have assuredly increased and
the "business press" would be calling him a savior instead of a goat...they
often do not respect anything other than short term share price
appreciation.....at any cost. Ever notice how the market rewards companies
that simply announce a massive layoff or have significant downsizing?
Appropriately I think it should do just the opposite....Rod