Toyota And GM's NUMMI Plant

摘要

The Story: In the early 1980s, General Motors, then the largest car manufacturer in the world, was facing many problems. Its reputation as a reliable car maker was taking a hit from the well made import cars from Japan. Not only that, GM was having tons of problems with its unionized workers, as well. The United Automobile Workers (UAW) was constantly fighting with management. Stopping the manufacturing line for any reason was grounds for dismissal, so cars would come off missing doors, without engines, etc., and had to be repaired before they were even sold. A significant percentage of cars coming off the line needed to be reworked. Essentially, the message from management to the workers of the UAW was, "It is better to produce incomplete cars than to slow up production." This was not sustainable. The workers stopped putting effort into their work. Things continued to spiral downward.