Summary

This book presents a new approach to explaining the JIT/Lean system. JIT elements are classified into three categories: industrial engineering, Japanese management and Japanese workforce-related characteristics. JIT in Japan is shown as strongly impacted by the surrounding Japanese management setting to which it has borrowed a number of its techniques.

Concerning the Japanese management, its features are shown as making up a consistent system. The system is revealed as consisting of management principles or strategies. For the first time, Japanese management is explained from inside, but not from the social and/or cultural point of view.

Contrary to established academic management theories, survey findings show that Japanese management and JIT manifest their presence fairly well (i.e. they are prefigured) in the small and mid-size enterprises.

Company executives whose companies are competing directly or indirectly against Japanese corporations; consulting firms interested in lean production methods; manufacturing company managers; management researchers, educators; and students make up the different kinds of audience that will profit the most from reading and exploring the book. Besides, it is a valued source of information for anyone interested in management in general, and in intercultural/international management in particular.