Japanese Production Strategies and Competitive Success: Mazda's Quiet Revolution

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The contribution of Just-in-Time manufacturing systems to competitive success - most notably in the case of Japanese companies, and specifically Toyota - has been widely recognised, but there has been less emphasis on the nature of these systems and their diversity. Production strategies are a response to specific market circumstances and variations in organisational capability, and they will differ with each corporate context. Whilst undergoing radical restructuring, and in transforming itself from a family-run to a professionally-managed multinational, Mazda re-thought JIT into mixed-model production. As a result, it developed the means to compete effectively against Toyota and Nissan, the Japanese leaders in auto-manufacture. In broadening our understanding of JIT, Mazda stands as an object-lesson in organisational renewal, revealing how a production-based strategy has enabled this company to compete in a highly competitive industry. %Z article
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)15-35
JournalJournal of Far Eastern Business
Volume1
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 1995

Keywords

  • best-practice, bibliometrics, bibtex-import, cell, electric-vehicle, fuel, global, innovation, alignment, local, management, manufacturing, patent, portfolio, strategies, technology

Cite this