Can Automakers Change Their Culture?

The Big 3 automakers are getting some form of bailout/help/rescue package whatever you want to call it. The past few weeks have been marked by bickering over the financial future of the organizations and whether the government should step in.

All along I went from having no opinion, having opinions and changing my opinions. What I couldn't make sense of was if the automakers were having financial issues with the status quo what were they going to do to change? The politicians asked the same question and the automakers made their second trip back down to Washington to plead their case and got their deal halfway through congress. But still what I don't understand is how they are going to change.

I know they've talked about cutting costs, renegotiating contracts with unions but what about their culture. Why is it all about the financials. There has to be consideration for how all of this has already affected and will continue to affect their corporate culture and that hasn't really been answered or addressed.

Another concern I have is how those organizations are going to manage the new Auto Czar's expectations, politician's expectations and the public's. If we go back and look at GM in a year and say why haven't you made drastic leaps, is that fair? Can a massive organization change overnight?

As I was ruminating on these issues (and getting work done) the Wall St. Journal beat me to the punch in getting it published but check out how they also noticed the lack of attention to company culture when preparing for the changes these organizations have embarked on.