An Empirical Study of American and Japanese Approaches to Quality Management in the United States

The results of personal observations of on‐site visits to ten manufacturing firms are presented. Several important differences between traditional American firms, non‐traditional American firms, and Japanese firms operating in the United States are noted with regard to quality management. Interviews with managers in these firms illustrate various degrees of concern for quality and its improvement. The most important findings are: (1) the Japanese and nontraditional American managers' commitment to quality and use of quality as a strategic tool to improve market shares, productivity and profit; (2) the use of pure financial measures to evaluate managers by the traditional American firms versus the Japanese and non‐traditional American firms which add quality performance to financial measure before evaluating employee performance.