Enhancing learning through continuous improvement: Case studies of the toyota production system in the automotive industry in South Africa

Abstract

This chapter aims to measure the impact of Kaizen, known as Toyota Production System to automotive suppliers in South Africa. In total thirty-one people from target suppliers participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate Kaizen enhanced the competitiveness of suppliers through an improvement in quality and productivity. The findings also indicate the impact of Kaizen differed among the suppliers. The contributory factors of Kaizen implementation are management commitment, resource allocation, and continuous training. The findings suggest that Kaizen had a positive impact on employees when learning is emphasized. These results contribute to understanding how to promote successful implementation of Kaizen.