One issue Toyota Motor Corp. faces as
the automaker continues its rapid growth is too few experienced management types, especially for its overseas
operations. According to Reuters Business Channel, the company has stretched its current staff worldwide.
“We have 280,000 employees at the group, and less than 70,000 of those at the Japanese parent,” says
Mitsuo Kinoshita, executive VP of human resources.
The company has been taking steps to resolve the issue
with alacrity. Materials that spell out “The Toyota Way” are distributed to workers. There is a school at the
base of Mount Fuji, Japan to train foreign managers. The Global Production Center, which trains management handling the
overseas plants, has expanded with branches for the North American and European markets. (Details are provided at the
link.)
But the biggest issue is trusting foreign management to be more self-reliant, a tough proposition for
this deeply-Japanese company. Says Kinoshita, “We’re afraid of slipping, so we can’t help but interfere. But we
can’t let this (stretched resources) go on much longer.”
[Source: Reuters]