Purpose: Implementing new quality initiatives in organizations is challenging, as it requires managers and employees to adjust to new processes, methodologies and even mindsets. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality management (QM) practices and readiness...

There has been a great deal of interest recently in the Japanese approach to manufacturing, growing out of a concern for finding ways to reduce inventories and increase productivity. At this project's inception, its objective was to assess whether the kanban system could perform well in the...

1. Perspectives on disaggregation -- 2. Disaggregation in manufacturing and service organizations: survey of problems and research -- 3. Toward a theory of hierarchical coordination and conflict -- 4. An MSA view of disaggregation -- 5. Hierarchical planning systems: a production application --...