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A longitudinal study of Japanese manufacturing strategies for quality, JIT and flexibility

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Abstract

This study examines the manufacturing strategies of Japanese firms by comparing data from the late 1980s to data gathered in 2003 from manufacturing managers in well-known automotive, heavy equipment and electronics enterprises in Japan. The study specifically addresses the issue of trade-offs with regard to quality, just-in-time (JIT) production and flexibility strategies (Boyer and Lewis, 2002) and also examines the provision of specific goal-setting, feedback and incentive systems to support them. Our findings indicate that in the face of both low-cost competition from China and sophisticated competitors from Korea and the United States, Japanese manufacturers have not changed their strategic focus on quality, JIT production and flexibility.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Education through the University of Hawaii Center for International Business Education and Research. We also thank Mr. Ken Kurahashi, Mr. Ken Katashiba and Mr. Yuichi Kurita for their assistance in our interviews in Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Asian Management Institute, University of Hawaii, Shidler College of Business, 2404 Maile Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA

    Shirley J Daniel

  2. University of Hawaii, Shidler College of Business, 2404 Maile Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA

    Wolf D Reitsperger

  3. Research Assistant,

    Kayo Morse

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  1. Shirley J Daniel
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  2. Wolf D Reitsperger
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  3. Kayo Morse
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Daniel, S., Reitsperger, W. & Morse, K. A longitudinal study of Japanese manufacturing strategies for quality, JIT and flexibility. Asian Bus Manage 8, 325–356 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/abm.2009.8

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