Productivity management: the Japanese experience

Gives an overview of Japanese productivity management in both manufacturing and service industries. Discusses education and training, as well as corporate attitudes to productivity. Highlights the relationship of productivity to the Japanese economy, looking at both large and small organizations. Features approaches and underlying competitive philosophies to productivity management and their control systems. Reveals the prominence of productivity and quality in Japanese operations strategy through both analysis and models. Draws comparisons with the West through a discussion on how Japanese productivity management works and could work in Europe. Brings to the fore the inevitable challenges and changes facing Japanese industry since the recession, and their consequent reactions.