Do you think it is fair for Barra to be held responsible for mistakes made under prior

CEOs? If not, then how do we hold organizations responsible once a leader departs?

It is definitely unfair for Barra to be held solely responsible for mistakes made prior to
her appointment as CEO, but it was brave of her to take responsibility, showcasing the type of
leader she is. Though it was equitable for her to be questioned since she worked under GM since
the 1980s and held several important positions which suggests that she was probably
knowledgeable to some degree about the problem at hand even before it was publicized.
Even after the resignation of the former CEO, organizations are still accountable for their
mistakes and their aggravating effects on the consumers, thus major issues should not be hidden
under the rugs until someone finds them.

Barra was criticized for spending a significant portion of her congressional testimony
responding that she just "didn't know." From what you read here, do you think that she
made effective decisions on her arrival at GM to address the problem.
It may be true that she “didn’t know” certain information as investigations were still
undergoing during her testimony and it was the safest answer than spouting something the media
can crop and focus on which will just worsen the issue.
From the available information presented, I think Barra formulated effective decisions to
tackle the faults in the company’s management specially by changing GM’s primary focus from
a “cost culture” to a “customer culture” because that is the root of their problem. Also, it was just
right to give compensation to the families of the victims for the damage caused to them. Instead
of pretending to be infallible, she acknowledged the mistake and made a corrective action plan
which basically alters how GM operates as a whole, but cemented their goal to not just be the
“biggest”, but the “best” automaker in the market.

What additional facts might you need to uncover, if any, to respond to this particular
issue?
The costing, the specific engineering and quality control procedures need to be
investigated to respond to the issue. Also, there may be underlying controversies that need to be
unraveled specially on why the company decided to avert the issue instead of addressing it as
soon as possible. Maybe there are conflicting personal interests that’s why the $0.57 was
considered more costly than the safety of the riders.
Do you see any additional ways to respond to the issue(s) facing Barra? If you were
Barra, what else might you do at GM (1) respond to this particular issue and (2) modify
the culture?
Barra’s way of responding to the issues and her decisive leadership saved general motors
from impending catastrophe which is worthy of applause, but I think an additional and quicker
way is to enlist others who are much more aware of the issue such as the former CEO and the
engineers directly responsible so that the public wouldn’t be upset every time she answers that
she does not know.
If I were Barra, I would definitely retrain my manpower and motivate them to report
irregularities without being sanctioned or blamed. In modifying the culture, I want the company
to adapt being both compliance-based and value-based. The company must ensure that all
customer demands are fulfilled without compromising legalities.

Who are Barra's primary stakeholders in her most pressing decisions during that time?
Her primary stakeholders are the customers, specially the ones who were affected, the
employees because operations are being hindered amid the issue, the government due to safety
violations and substandard products, and of course, the investors because the value of the
company fluctuates downward during those time.