this is a talk for a general audience. let $g$ be a complex lie group and let $q$ be a stein manifold (closed complex submanifold of some $\bbb c^n$). suppose that $x$ and $y$ are holomorphic principal $g$-bundles over $q$ which admit an isomorphism $\phi$ as topological principal $g$-bundles. then the famous oka principle of grauert says that there is a homotopy $\phi_t$ of topological isomorphisms of the principal $g$-bundles $x$ and $y$ with $\phi_0=\phi$ and $\phi_1$ biholomorphic. we prove generalizations of grauert's oka principle in the following situation: $g$ is reductive, $x$ and $y$ are stein $g$-manifolds whose (categorical) quotients are biholomorphic to the same stein space $q$. we give an application to the holomorphic linearization problem. let $g$ act holomorphically on $\bbb c^n$. when is there a biholomorphic map $\phi\colon \bbb c^n \to \bbb c^n$ such that $\phi^{-1} \circ g \circ \phi \in \rm{gl}(n,c)$ for all $g \in g$? we describe a condition which is necessary and sufficient for ``most" $g$-actions. this is joint work with f. kutzschebauch and f. larusson.