The belief that there is a positive connection between quality and innovation is widely shared among quality professionals. Yet the experience of Japanese manufacturing companies, who are famous for their high standards of quality performance, casts doubt upon this relationship. In fact, the inability of some Japanese high technology businesses to introduce new technologies that are revolutionary and disruptive is in part due to the weight they have put on merchandise quality.
By postponement of the introduction of new technologies until their worth could be assured, they lost out to American companies who were willing to introduce new products and service features that met the needs of consumers, although they were not free from want, such as Apple's iPod. Uses three major case studies from the Japanese high-tech sector to analyze what kinds of initiation might be undermined by a focus on quality and explores its managerial implications.
Too Much of a Good Thing Quality as an Impediment to Innovation Case Study Solution
PUBLICATION DATE: November 01, 2007 PRODUCT #: CMR379-HCB-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about STRATEGY & EXECUTION
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