Reference no: EM132237809

Cases: Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation is a leading, global manufacturer of motor vehicles. It has seven key operating principles that drive what the company does and how it does it:

Honor the language and spirit of the law of every nation and undertake open and fair business activities to be a good corporate citizen of the world.

Respect the culture and customs of every nation and contribute to economic and social development through corporate activities in their respective communities.

Dedicate our business to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all of our activities.

Create and develop advanced technologies and provide outstanding products and services that fulfill the needs of customers worldwide.

Foster a corporate culture that enhances both individual creativity and the value of teamwork, while honoring mutual trust and respect between labor and management.

Pursue growth through harmony with the global community via innovative management.

Work with business partners in research and manufacture to achieve stable, long-term growth and mutual benefits, while keeping ourselves open to new partnerships.

The company consists of three business units: automotive operations, financial services, and all others. The company was started by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan. The company has a workforce of more than 348,000 employees, and it sells its vehicles in 190 countries and regions. The company has won many industry awards including most trusted brand, longest-lasting vehicles, and best overall value.

Toyota has established itself as an industry leader in quality, reliability, and efficiency in its automotive operations. Its methods for product development, production, and operations have served as the benchmark for others in the industry. One set of practices that has enabled Toyota to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage is the Toyota eight-step problem-solving process that it deploys throughout its global operations. The steps include the following:

Step 1: Clarify the problem

Step 2: Break down the problem

Step 3: Set the target

Step 4: Analyze the root cause

Step 5: Develop countermeasures

Step 6: Implement countermeasures

Step 7: Monitor results and process

Step 8: Standardize and share success

Clarifying the problem (step 1) involves Toyota management and employees working in teams to obtain direct experience with the problem for themselves to understand the nature of the problem. Breaking down the problem (step 2) focuses on further analyzing the problem and decomposing it into subproblems that are more specific and manageable. Setting the target (step 3) involves Toyota management and workers agreeing to challenging goals for solving a problem (e.g., reducing defects) as well as mapping out a plan and timeline for achieving the objectives. Analyzing the root cause (step 4) refers to collecting empirical data to understand the underlying causes of a problem. This step is typically helpful in terms of identifying multiple causes of the problem. Developing countermeasures (step 5) focuses on teams of Toyota managers and workers brainstorming specific solutions to remove the root causes of a problem. Implementing countermeasures (step 6) is the actual deployment of the selected countermeasure. Monitoring results and process (step 7) is based on a process called Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) that supports the effective implementation and continuous improvement of a countermeasure. Basically, PDCA involves implementing a countermeasure, evaluating its effectiveness, modifying the countermeasure to further improve it, and then implementing that countermeasure as a cyclical process. Standardizing and sharing success (step 8) focuses on “institutionalizing” the new practice or process into Toyota’s overall production and operational system. This could involve redesigning a process, changing rules and policies, job redesign, and realigning the culture of the organization. This also involves communicating the new practices or processes to others in the Toyota organization so that they may also learn from the success of the change and obtain guidance about how they can achieve similar results.

The decision-making and problem-solving process used at Toyota Motor Corporation has enabled it to produce some of the most popular and reliable vehicles in their respective market segments including the Camry sedan and the RAV4 sport utility vehicle.

Discussion Questions

1. How does Toyota address both decision making and problem solving in its operations?

2. How does Toyota’s approach to decision making and problem solving address the four management functions?

3. How does Toyota apply the six-step decision-making process model in its operations?

4. How does Toyota use groups to support decision making and problem solving?

5. What do you think of Toyota’s 8-Step Problem Solving Model? Do you think you could use it at any of the employers where you have held part-time jobs or internships as a student? Why or why not?

6. Do you think that it would be better for Toyota to use a more informal approach to decision-making and problem solving so that management and workers have more flexibility to address issues they face in performing their jobs? Why or why not?