Taking Quality to Japan

Japan has become a signatory to the whole concept of worldwide standards at ISO 9000 level but it appears that the complexities of the standard and its application have not always translated well into Japanese. Describes how a UK‐based international TQM consultancy has worked in Japan, surmounting the language barrier and accommodating to Japanese styles of negotiation and management, to present a series of intensive courses to representatives of electrical appliance manufacturers and the national certification body‐the Japanese Electrical Test Laboratory. Concludes that, having committed themselves to ISO 9000 certification,the Japanese are certain to achieve it.