The Japanese Approach to Quality Management – A Human Resource Perspective

Unlike the traditional approach to quality control that is administered by quality inspectors at the end of the production process, the Japanese approach to quality control focuses on building superior quality in the production process through the development of team‐oriented human resource management (HRM) practices. Develops a conceptual model on how HRM functions are integrated into the production system in Japanese firms. The theoretical discussion is supported by empirical reports of how Japanese plants in the USA use team‐oriented HRM policies to control product quality.