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AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JAPANESE APPROACH TO QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON PRODUCT QUALITY IN U.S. MANUFACTURING FIRMS (QC, TQC, JIT, PRODUCTIVITY, UNITED STATES)
Abstract
The successful strategy of Japanese firms, using high quality products and competitive prices in the international market, shook the economies of some industrialized nations. Improving the quality of American-made products is one strategy available to U.S. firms in response to this Japanese competition. Quality improvement programs are perceived as offering greater advantages than such measures as using import barriers against Japanese products. Among various methods to improve product quality, a growing number of U.S. manufacturing firms are implementing the Japanese approach to quality management. This research examines the impact of the Japanese approach on quality management when adapted by U.S. manufacturing firms. This study identifies a set of organizational characteristics which are necessary for a successful implementation of the Japanese approach to quality management in U.S. manufacturing firms. To identify these characteristics, (1) comparisons are made between the U.S. manufacturing firms and Japanese manufacturing firms operating in the United States, (2) implementation problems encountered by U.S. firms are delineated, and (3) the real benefits of Japanese approach to quality management are explored. This research utilizes three data collection methods. First, managerial personnel in ten manufacturing firms are interviewed. Second, documents and internal publications of various firms are examined. Third, a questionnaire is sent to managerial personnel in more than one thousand manufacturing firms operating in the United States. The findings of this study indicate that successful implementation of the Japanese approach to quality requires a specific set of organizational characteristics. Furthermore, research findings support the following conclusions: (1) the Japanese approach to quality management can be successfully implemented in the United States. (2) The benefits of Japanese approach to quality management are substantially greater than those of a traditional U.S. approach. (3) Implementation of the Japanese approach can, indeed, improve the product quality and productivity of U.S. manufacturing firms.
Subject Area
Management
Recommended Citation
EBRAHIMPOUR, MALING, "AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JAPANESE APPROACH TO QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON PRODUCT QUALITY IN U.S. MANUFACTURING FIRMS (QC, TQC, JIT, PRODUCTIVITY, UNITED STATES)" (1986). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8614450.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8614450