At the risk of sounding overly snarky, I don't think that GM's leadership is in any position to make recommendations on how to run a car company.
And to get to his point, it's fluff. Which engineers, exactly, will run the show? The ones with the marketing skills, the social influence, and business knowledge to get the job done. I wonder if he knows that about 1/3 of MBA's are engineers.
At the risk of sounding overly snarky, I don't think that GM's leadership is in any position to make recommendations on how to run a car company
Despite the general level of incompetence among GM's leadership there were a few smart people there. Lutz was one of them. He has a strong track record of developing successful products and has never been shy about criticizing his bosses.
And to get to his point, it's fluff
It's not fluff. Perhaps this synopsis of his book didn't provide sufficient detail, but his point is broadly acknowledged as one of the major problems with the US auto industry. If you look at a US made car from the early 2000's, the level of cost optimization at the expense of all other factors is embarrassing. It's indisputable that as MBAs have gained prominence in the US auto industry, the products have become less compelling. Lutz is simply advocating that the people who love the product be the ones who have the final say.
Yet I think GM's leadership is in an ideal position to point out what they tried and failed with. And to note the exceptions to that approach that birthed their few successes.
And to get to his point, it's fluff. Which engineers, exactly, will run the show? The ones with the marketing skills, the social influence, and business knowledge to get the job done. I wonder if he knows that about 1/3 of MBA's are engineers.