ch production schedules are carefully coordinated, and where there are low levels of rework. Quality is required for the vendor's supplies, since any rejected parts would have to be returned and delays would result. Quality is also required for the each assembly task since any delays in assembly have a "ripple" effect and result in delays throughout the assembly process (Oliver, p. 26).
The ways in which quality programs have been implemented vary from company to company, but Japanese companies generally focus on quality circles. These are small groups of workers who develop the best way in which to accomplish their tasks. The goal is to have this be an ongoing process so that workers are always bringing up suggestions for ways to improve their work flow and the quality of their work (Rehder, p. 89). Pressure from within the group encourages each member to meet the levels of quality that the group as a whole agrees on.
One of the reasons that Japanese management techniques gained increased attention in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s is because of the enormous success of Japanese products within the United States during that time. Japanese products were once shunned by the American consumer as being inferior to American-produced goods, but that image has changed greatly during the past two decades. Japanese products, particularly Japanese cars and electronics, are recognized by American consumers as providing a high level of quality and value. Technological advances, the Japanese culture and the nonadversarial management-labor relations in Japan have all been credited with the change in the products and the perception of Japanese products (Rehder, p. 88). However, it is a combination of these factors and the Japanese work environment which is responsible for the turnaround; this combination has been termed Japanese management.
As a result of the tremendous popularity of Japa
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