THE EFFECT OF JAPANESE KAIZEN ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN U.S. MANUFACTURING

The transition of U.S. manufacturing from traditional methods to Japanese kaizen has resulted in dramatic gains in productivity. While kaizen clearly employs scientific management techniques, this conversion also appears to result in enriched jobs and increased motivation. To determine any such effect, the Job Characteristics Model was utilized to study a sample of 236 production employees drawn from three manufacturing facilities. The results suggest that kaizen increases job enrichment and employee motivation, and may move employees to higher levels of growth need strength. Implications for manufacturing management are also discussed.