ABSTRACT

Japan’s share of the automobile market increases each year. In the American market, Japanese subcompact cars have become well accepted by American consumers. ™is is because of the now long-standing reputation of Japanese cars for high quality and value. Foreign and Japanese companies have shown a strong interest in transferring the Japanese production control system abroad. Is such a transfer possible? Environmental conditions among the companies are so di£erent that the possibility of a transfer might have seemed impossible. On the contrary, the Japanese system is already being transferred. American motor companies have been achieving quality improvement and cost reduction by applying the Japanese production system to their manufacturing processes.