Toyota Team Orientation

Abstract

There was a time when Toyota faced a corporate crisis of epic proportions with a worldwide recall of some 8 million cars and 51 deaths that U.S. regulators said had been caused by mechanical failure in its cars. To restore faith in the company's brands, Akio Toyota, the Toyota Motor Company President, bowed in apology during a press conference where announced a global vehicle recall. This action reflected the regrets of the whole company and helped the company regain its reputation, but a more potential force inside which leaded the action was company's organizational culture. Based on this case, this essay is going to talk about Toyota's organizational culture and how it affect the company's performance.

People orientation

People orientation, which means valuing fairness, supportiveness, and respect for individual right. From the Toyota Way, the company keeps the employee as a valuable asset and thinks they should be managed accordingly. When Toyota sets up assembly lines, it selects only the best and brightest workers, and challenges them to grow in their jobs by constantly solving problems. Toyota invests time and money into their employees and has become the model for a true learning organization. Everyone within the organization, from executives to shop-floor workers, is challenged to use their initiative and creativity to experiment and learn.

Team orientation

Team orientation, are collaborative and emphasis cooperation among employees. In Toyota, besides the high-qualified employees. the company also require a good teamwork to solve all the problem. The importance of teams and teamwork is a way of life: team-building training is required, and it is put to practice daily. This investment in its employees far exceeds that of the typical organization that focuses on making parts and counting quarterly dollars.