Evolution of success in the Japanese automotive industry

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

8 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

01/09/2009

Category :

Business & market

Sub category :

Management

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Summary :

Introduction - The miracle of the Japanese automotive industry.
New businesses and imported technology.
1. Assimilating foreign technology and improving upon it.
2. Two important developments that allowed for the expansion of these industries.
3. The onset of the Korean War.
4. The dissolution of pre-war Zaibatsu.
Specialized production and the labor force.
1. The Japanese auto industry.
2. Taiichi Ohno's approach to production.
3. The policy of specialization among auto parts suppliers.
4. The automobile industry today.
The role of the State.
1. MacArthur's plan of pursuing 'an integrated approach across the entire economic front.'
2. Liberalization of the market in 1960.
3. High tariff barriers and limiting foreign entry.
4. The oil shock crisis of 1971 and 1979.
Conclusion - The future ahead.

Abstract

"The work of helping Toyota grow and of helping Toyota's people realize their ambitions has for me been a kind of mission. Yet I also realize that a corporation is just one part of society, that Japan is just one society in the world, and that the pursuit of only Toyota's interests would be folly. The policies of a corporation must conform not only to the interests of Japan, but also to the needs of every society, however great or small. This thought occupies my mind even during the busiest of days."1
-Shotaro Kamiya (Founder of Toyota)

Fifty years ago, American consumers could hardly have imagined seeing a flux of Japan-made cars on their doorsteps, much less owning one. Japan, war-torn and politically turbulent, was far removed from producing world players in an industry so thoroughly dominated by American and European developers. Yet, today tells a different tale altogether: as of 2007, Toyota assumed the role of the world's largest auto manufacturer2, surging ahead of American rivals Ford and General Motors. Many of Japan's other car manufacturing companies, such as Nissan and Honda, also occupy top seats on the ladder. Few countries have been able to engineer ascension within such an expansive industry as quickly as Japan, now known across the globe for their space-efficient, gas-friendly, and readily-affordable vehicles.