The relationships between soft and hard factors of the Toyota way: a socio-technical perspective

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the effects of the soft Respect for People pillar of the original Toyota Way proposed by Fujio Cho and its elements (respect, and teamwork) on the hard Continuous Improvement pillar and its elements (challenge, kaizen, genchi-genbutsu). Structural equation modelling was employed to test hypotheses at three levels (pillar to pillar, element to pillar, and element to element) from data gathered from 216 automotive parts manufacturers. It was found that Respect for People and its elements had significant positive impacts on Continuous Improvement and its elements, except for the insignificant effect of respect on kaizen. This is one of the first research projects to examine the influences of soft dimensions on hard dimensions of the Toyota Way. It confirms the merging of soft factors into the lean manufacturing framework as a socio-technical system for more efficient and sustainable technical improvements.