Description

As the United States continues to run General Motors and Toyota continues to dominate the United States Auto Industry, it is important to look at why this is the case. How could GM, a company that once held over 50 % of the market share in the US, be brought to its knees as companies like Toyota continue to thrive in the same market? While some argue that it lies in GM’s dependency on “gas guzzler” vehicles or union labor (yes, these reasons have contributed), the fact is that Toyota’s now-clear competitive advantages are rooted in a Japanese culture that prides itself on the idea of continuous improvement, which contrasts with the US’s holier-than-thou satisfaction with the status quo. Today, the United States Auto Industry is finally implementing lessons from the Japanese that it should have learned from them years ago.