Dr. W. Edwards Deming, who believed that improved quality increases productivity and worker morale, revolutionized excellence in the Japanese production process and, thereby, guaranteed Japan a world-class reputation. He gave credence to the philosophy of TQM (Total Quality Management), meaning that defects could be reduced and quality be attained by “getting it right the first time” (Rowen).
Deming began his career as a statistician and was recruited during World War II to assist with quality control for U.S. war materials. After the war, he was rejected by corporate America, so he accepted Japan’s invitation to help them change their reputation from one of cheap products to producing innovative quality products (Cohen x). Deming advised the Japanese to maintain high quality control principles, rather than copy from the American system. He believed that American industries had become lazy, and that they had incorrectly surmised that customers wanted cheap prices, rather than quality goods. According to Deming, the Americans failed to realize that by presenting an improved product, customers could attain cheap prices and a durable good at the same time. Currently, the Japanese are focused on and are known for producing excellent products. The car industry is one example. Toyota, Nissan, and other Japanese car companies are producing high quality cars at relatively cheaper prices than the U.S. brand cars. Many times, if a Japanese car is more expensive than a U.S. model, customers will usually pay the higher price, simply for the reliability and safety. Without Deming and his philosophy, the Japanese would not have achieved so quickly this high reputation and had such an incredible post-war industrial revival (Rowen). For this reason, the Japanese have established an award after Deming called the Deming Prize, which is given for industrial achievement for companies