GE didn't just split into three companies. Before this current split it basically shedded entire industries worth of spin off companies. Short term thinking l

GE didn't just split into three companies. Before this current split it basically shedded entire industries worth of spin off companies. Short term thinking led to over commitment to financial services like annuities, which paid upfront but then they had to pay back more than they got in the first place. It also led to sales with steep discounts on maintenance contracts, once again gaining significant cash upfront at the cost of a long tail of costs. This was directly related to the competitive culture, where anyone questioning something bringing in cash was seen as risk adverse and unaggressive.