Inventory Reduction and Productivity Growth: A Comparison of Japanese and US Automotive Sectors
Author(s)
Lieberman, Marvin B.; Asaba, Shigeru![Thumbnail](/bitstream/handle/1721.1/1620/lieber1.pdf.jpg?sequence=4&isAllowed=y)
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Show full item recordAbstract
This study assesses the inventory and productivity performance of the Japanese
and US automotive industries in recent decades. Within each country we distinguish
between vehicle assemblers and parts suppliers. In Japan, assemblers and suppliers made
dramatic inventory reductions and productivity gains, particularly during the 1970s. By
comparison, we find an unbalanced pattern for the United States: American assembly
plants have been streamlined, but parts suppliers have stagnated. In both countries our
findings suggest a strong association between inventory reduction and productivity
growth.
Description
Revised: June 30, 1996
Date issued
1996-04-25Series/Report no.
Managerial and Decision Economics; special issue on Japanese Technology
Keywords
productivity growth, Japan, United States, inventory reduction, automotive sector