Author: N. Muthukumar
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
ISBN: 1802624058
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 121
Book Description
Organizational Culture and its Impact on Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing presents detailed insights into recent studies, providing solutions that can be scaled up at a global level.
Organizational Culture and its Impact on Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing
Author: N. Muthukumar
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
ISBN: 1802624058
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 121
Book Description
Organizational Culture and its Impact on Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing presents detailed insights into recent studies, providing solutions that can be scaled up at a global level.
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
ISBN: 1802624058
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 121
Book Description
Organizational Culture and its Impact on Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing presents detailed insights into recent studies, providing solutions that can be scaled up at a global level.
Culture, Change, and Continuous Improvement: From Bankruptcy to Industry Leadership A True Aerospace Story
Author: Colin E. Cramp
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1483496570
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
How does a company go from being two days away from filing bankruptcy papers to unparalleled performance in the Aerospace business? The answer can be found in this fascinating story of Aerostructures, a Chula Vista, California-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of major components and assemblies to all the major commercial aircraft manufacturers and to the world's airlines. In 1993 Rohr Industries, as it was known then, was in trouble. Business financials, income and cash flow in particular, were rendering the business unsustainable. The way the business was being run was archaic, organizational structure was cumbersome, and morale was low. Customers were very concerned, and several were preparing to exit.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1483496570
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
How does a company go from being two days away from filing bankruptcy papers to unparalleled performance in the Aerospace business? The answer can be found in this fascinating story of Aerostructures, a Chula Vista, California-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of major components and assemblies to all the major commercial aircraft manufacturers and to the world's airlines. In 1993 Rohr Industries, as it was known then, was in trouble. Business financials, income and cash flow in particular, were rendering the business unsustainable. The way the business was being run was archaic, organizational structure was cumbersome, and morale was low. Customers were very concerned, and several were preparing to exit.
Lean Culture - The Leader's Guide
Author: Lawrence M. Miller
Publisher: Miller Management Press, LLC
ISBN: 9780578075846
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Asserts that lean techniques will fail in an organisation without the right culture to support them. Provides a guide to developing a lean culture within an organisation, with the aim of ensuring that continuous improvement becomes a daily habit at every level.
Publisher: Miller Management Press, LLC
ISBN: 9780578075846
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Asserts that lean techniques will fail in an organisation without the right culture to support them. Provides a guide to developing a lean culture within an organisation, with the aim of ensuring that continuous improvement becomes a daily habit at every level.
How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement: A Primer for Becoming the Best in the World
Author: Joakim Ahlstrom
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071835245
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 128
Book Description
Your organizational transformation begins here! Comprehensive, detailed, and easy to read and understand, How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement takes you through a real-life case study of one organization’s journey to a world-class continuous improvement process. Joakim Ahlstrom—one of the world’s most respected continuous improvement experts—serves as your coach. He first helps you decide whether you want to embark on the continuous improvement journey and takes you through the entire process step by step, all the way through generating remarkable business results with his unique methods. In each chapter, Ahlstrom describes a specific stage of the transformation story and provides a clear analysis of each one to help you apply his methods in your own company. In no time you’ll grasp all the concepts you need to know. How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement covers it all, including: How to shift mindsets and behaviors using the often neglected practice of coaching Common pitfalls to help you plan out how you will apply the principles and practices Using “six-legged spiders” and “fishy” diagrams to achieve measurable results Ways to avoid “Watermelon” key performance indicators that often mask the truth Ahlstrom explains rational behind all the methods in the book—the results they produce, and why—and offers practical advice on how to get full input from everyone involved. Ahlstrom concludes the book with a chapter offering a current-state analysis tool and a simple template to apply in your company. If you’re seeking to design and launch a continuous improvement program, How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement is the first book you should turn to—and it’s the last one you’ll ever need! Praise for How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement “Using a story he lived through, Joakim vividly brings to life for us the transformation from a mediocre top-down organization depending on a few internal experts for its survival to a high performance organization of empowered employees engaged in continuous improvement.” –Jeffrey Liker, bestselling author of The Toyota Way “This succinct book packs an enormous amount of wisdom and experience into an entertaining fast read. It gives a clear roadmap for any leader to implement a strong continuous improvement program in his or her unit. Highly recommended!” –Alan G. Robinson, Professor of Management, University of Massachusetts and author of Corporate Creativity and Ideas are Free “The most valuable and lean book I have read about lean.” –Göran Martinsson, Continuous improvement Manager, IKEA “Well written, easy to read, filled with excellent examples . . . If you only plan to read one change management book this year, this is the book you should read.” –Dag Näslund, Professor of Management, University of North Florida “An amazing guide in lean principles, with simple tools for simplifications.” –Susanne Schipper, Continuous Improvement Coach, AstraZeneca “Simplicity is the essence of this great book. Ahlstrom delivers a straightforward and simple approach to support your work with continuous improvement.” –Ronny Ålund, Productivity Management, Volvo CE “This book is a little gem with large content! Unlike many other books on the subject, you only have to read it once because it sticks.” –Johan Valett, Vice President Haldex Way, Haldex “I recommend How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement to anyone who needs a fast and inspiring introduction to continuous improvement.” –Janne Lundberg, Global Lean Innovation Manager, Assa Abloy
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071835245
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 128
Book Description
Your organizational transformation begins here! Comprehensive, detailed, and easy to read and understand, How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement takes you through a real-life case study of one organization’s journey to a world-class continuous improvement process. Joakim Ahlstrom—one of the world’s most respected continuous improvement experts—serves as your coach. He first helps you decide whether you want to embark on the continuous improvement journey and takes you through the entire process step by step, all the way through generating remarkable business results with his unique methods. In each chapter, Ahlstrom describes a specific stage of the transformation story and provides a clear analysis of each one to help you apply his methods in your own company. In no time you’ll grasp all the concepts you need to know. How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement covers it all, including: How to shift mindsets and behaviors using the often neglected practice of coaching Common pitfalls to help you plan out how you will apply the principles and practices Using “six-legged spiders” and “fishy” diagrams to achieve measurable results Ways to avoid “Watermelon” key performance indicators that often mask the truth Ahlstrom explains rational behind all the methods in the book—the results they produce, and why—and offers practical advice on how to get full input from everyone involved. Ahlstrom concludes the book with a chapter offering a current-state analysis tool and a simple template to apply in your company. If you’re seeking to design and launch a continuous improvement program, How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement is the first book you should turn to—and it’s the last one you’ll ever need! Praise for How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement “Using a story he lived through, Joakim vividly brings to life for us the transformation from a mediocre top-down organization depending on a few internal experts for its survival to a high performance organization of empowered employees engaged in continuous improvement.” –Jeffrey Liker, bestselling author of The Toyota Way “This succinct book packs an enormous amount of wisdom and experience into an entertaining fast read. It gives a clear roadmap for any leader to implement a strong continuous improvement program in his or her unit. Highly recommended!” –Alan G. Robinson, Professor of Management, University of Massachusetts and author of Corporate Creativity and Ideas are Free “The most valuable and lean book I have read about lean.” –Göran Martinsson, Continuous improvement Manager, IKEA “Well written, easy to read, filled with excellent examples . . . If you only plan to read one change management book this year, this is the book you should read.” –Dag Näslund, Professor of Management, University of North Florida “An amazing guide in lean principles, with simple tools for simplifications.” –Susanne Schipper, Continuous Improvement Coach, AstraZeneca “Simplicity is the essence of this great book. Ahlstrom delivers a straightforward and simple approach to support your work with continuous improvement.” –Ronny Ålund, Productivity Management, Volvo CE “This book is a little gem with large content! Unlike many other books on the subject, you only have to read it once because it sticks.” –Johan Valett, Vice President Haldex Way, Haldex “I recommend How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement to anyone who needs a fast and inspiring introduction to continuous improvement.” –Janne Lundberg, Global Lean Innovation Manager, Assa Abloy
Toyota Culture (PB)
Author: Jeffrey K. Liker
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071712577
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 593
Book Description
Winner of the Shingo Prize for Research and Professional Publication, 2009 The international bestseller The Toyota Way explained the company's success by introducing a revolutionary 4P model for organizational excellence-Philosophy, People, Process, and Problem Solving. Now, in Toyota Culture, preeminent Toyota authorities Jeffrey Liker and Michael Hoseus reveal how Toyota selects, develops, and motivates its people to become committed to building high-quality products-and how you can do the same for your company. Toyota Culture examines the “human systems” that Toyota has put in place to instill its founding principles of trust, mutual prosperity, and excellence in its plants, dealerships, and offices around the world. Beginning with a look at the evolution of the Toyota culture and why its people are the heart and soul of the Toyota Way, the authors explain the company's four-stage process for building and keeping quality people: Attract, Develop, Engage, and Inspire. Drawing upon numerous examples from Liker's decades of research as well as Hoseus' insider access as a Toyota manager, Toyota Culture gives you the tools you need to: Find competent, able, and willing employees Start training and socializing your people as you hire them Establish and communicate key business performance indicators at every level of your organization Train your people to solve problems and continuously improve processes in their daily work Develop leaders who live and teach your company's philosophy Reward top performance-and offer help to those who are struggling Fascinating vignettes of Toyota's innovative culture highlight the nuances of translating and recreating a people-centric culture in factories and offices across the globe. These exclusive, behind-the-scenes details are just what your company needs to successfully learn from The Toyota Culture.
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071712577
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 593
Book Description
Winner of the Shingo Prize for Research and Professional Publication, 2009 The international bestseller The Toyota Way explained the company's success by introducing a revolutionary 4P model for organizational excellence-Philosophy, People, Process, and Problem Solving. Now, in Toyota Culture, preeminent Toyota authorities Jeffrey Liker and Michael Hoseus reveal how Toyota selects, develops, and motivates its people to become committed to building high-quality products-and how you can do the same for your company. Toyota Culture examines the “human systems” that Toyota has put in place to instill its founding principles of trust, mutual prosperity, and excellence in its plants, dealerships, and offices around the world. Beginning with a look at the evolution of the Toyota culture and why its people are the heart and soul of the Toyota Way, the authors explain the company's four-stage process for building and keeping quality people: Attract, Develop, Engage, and Inspire. Drawing upon numerous examples from Liker's decades of research as well as Hoseus' insider access as a Toyota manager, Toyota Culture gives you the tools you need to: Find competent, able, and willing employees Start training and socializing your people as you hire them Establish and communicate key business performance indicators at every level of your organization Train your people to solve problems and continuously improve processes in their daily work Develop leaders who live and teach your company's philosophy Reward top performance-and offer help to those who are struggling Fascinating vignettes of Toyota's innovative culture highlight the nuances of translating and recreating a people-centric culture in factories and offices across the globe. These exclusive, behind-the-scenes details are just what your company needs to successfully learn from The Toyota Culture.
The Toyota Way Fieldbook
Author: Jeffrey K. Liker
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071502114
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 498
Book Description
The Toyota Way Fieldbook is a companion to the international bestseller The Toyota Way. The Toyota Way Fieldbook builds on the philosophical aspects of Toyota's operating systems by detailing the concepts and providing practical examples for application that leaders need to bring Toyota's success-proven practices to life in any organization. The Toyota Way Fieldbook will help other companies learn from Toyota and develop systems that fit their unique cultures. The book begins with a review of the principles of the Toyota Way through the 4Ps model-Philosophy, Processes, People and Partners, and Problem Solving. Readers looking to learn from Toyota's lean systems will be provided with the inside knowledge they need to Define the companies purpose and develop a long-term philosophy Create value streams with connected flow, standardized work, and level production Build a culture to stop and fix problems Develop leaders who promote and support the system Find and develop exceptional people and partners Learn the meaning of true root cause problem solving Lead the change process and transform the total enterprise The depth of detail provided draws on the authors combined experience of coaching and supporting companies in lean transformation. Toyota experts at the Georgetown, Kentucky plant, formally trained David Meier in TPS. Combined with Jeff Liker's extensive study of Toyota and his insightful knowledge the authors have developed unique models and ideas to explain the true philosophies and principles of the Toyota Production System.
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071502114
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 498
Book Description
The Toyota Way Fieldbook is a companion to the international bestseller The Toyota Way. The Toyota Way Fieldbook builds on the philosophical aspects of Toyota's operating systems by detailing the concepts and providing practical examples for application that leaders need to bring Toyota's success-proven practices to life in any organization. The Toyota Way Fieldbook will help other companies learn from Toyota and develop systems that fit their unique cultures. The book begins with a review of the principles of the Toyota Way through the 4Ps model-Philosophy, Processes, People and Partners, and Problem Solving. Readers looking to learn from Toyota's lean systems will be provided with the inside knowledge they need to Define the companies purpose and develop a long-term philosophy Create value streams with connected flow, standardized work, and level production Build a culture to stop and fix problems Develop leaders who promote and support the system Find and develop exceptional people and partners Learn the meaning of true root cause problem solving Lead the change process and transform the total enterprise The depth of detail provided draws on the authors combined experience of coaching and supporting companies in lean transformation. Toyota experts at the Georgetown, Kentucky plant, formally trained David Meier in TPS. Combined with Jeff Liker's extensive study of Toyota and his insightful knowledge the authors have developed unique models and ideas to explain the true philosophies and principles of the Toyota Production System.
Creating a Kaizen Culture: Align the Organization, Achieve Breakthrough Results, and Sustain the Gains
Author: Jon Miller
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071826858
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
FOSTER AND SUSTAIN A "KAIZEN" CULTURE IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONFOREWORD BY JOHN TOUSSANT, CEO OF THEDACARETransforming a culture is far more about emotional growth than technical maturity. Co-written by leaders at the Kaizen Institute, "Creating a Kaizen Culture" explains how to enable an adaptive, excellent, and sustainable organization by leveraging core "kaizen" values and the behaviors they generate. The proven methods presented in this book will dramatically increase your chances of success in implementing a "kaizen" culture by closing the biggest gaps in the correct understanding of: WHAT KAIZEN CULTURE IS AND WHY WE NEED IT HOW EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE CAN PRACTICE "KAIZEN" EVERY DAY THE LEADER'S ROLE IN TURNING KAIZEN CULTURE INTO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEBased on more than 50 years of combined experience from experts who have successfully used "kaizen" to lead real transformation in a wide variety of industries, "Creating a Kaizen Culture" reveals how to propel rapid and sustainable performance improvement. It provides a detailed and illustrated road map to organized "kaizen" implementation through kaizen events. Real-world examples demonstrate "kaizen" culture in action at Toyota, Zappos, Wiremold, and many other companies. Featuring valuable insights from Kaizen Institute leaders, this practical resource covers: WHY WE NEED A "KAIZEN" CULTURE THE TRUE MEANING OF "KAIZEN" THE ORIGIN OF THE "KAIZEN" EVENT "KAIZEN" AS A STRATEGY IN PRACTICE DAILY "KAIZEN" SUSTAINING A "KAIZEN" CULTURE ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS FOR "KAIZEN" TRANSFORMATION FACING UP TO THE CULTURE MONSTER CASE STUDIES OF REAL-WORLD "KAIZEN" IMPLEMENTATION IN ORGANIZATIONS OF VARIOUS SIZES AND INDUSTRIES.
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071826858
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
FOSTER AND SUSTAIN A "KAIZEN" CULTURE IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONFOREWORD BY JOHN TOUSSANT, CEO OF THEDACARETransforming a culture is far more about emotional growth than technical maturity. Co-written by leaders at the Kaizen Institute, "Creating a Kaizen Culture" explains how to enable an adaptive, excellent, and sustainable organization by leveraging core "kaizen" values and the behaviors they generate. The proven methods presented in this book will dramatically increase your chances of success in implementing a "kaizen" culture by closing the biggest gaps in the correct understanding of: WHAT KAIZEN CULTURE IS AND WHY WE NEED IT HOW EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE CAN PRACTICE "KAIZEN" EVERY DAY THE LEADER'S ROLE IN TURNING KAIZEN CULTURE INTO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEBased on more than 50 years of combined experience from experts who have successfully used "kaizen" to lead real transformation in a wide variety of industries, "Creating a Kaizen Culture" reveals how to propel rapid and sustainable performance improvement. It provides a detailed and illustrated road map to organized "kaizen" implementation through kaizen events. Real-world examples demonstrate "kaizen" culture in action at Toyota, Zappos, Wiremold, and many other companies. Featuring valuable insights from Kaizen Institute leaders, this practical resource covers: WHY WE NEED A "KAIZEN" CULTURE THE TRUE MEANING OF "KAIZEN" THE ORIGIN OF THE "KAIZEN" EVENT "KAIZEN" AS A STRATEGY IN PRACTICE DAILY "KAIZEN" SUSTAINING A "KAIZEN" CULTURE ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS FOR "KAIZEN" TRANSFORMATION FACING UP TO THE CULTURE MONSTER CASE STUDIES OF REAL-WORLD "KAIZEN" IMPLEMENTATION IN ORGANIZATIONS OF VARIOUS SIZES AND INDUSTRIES.
Always Making Progress
Author: Ian Madden
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000570177
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 196
Book Description
This book guides process-industry professionals from the implementation of the basic foundations of Continuous Improvement (CI) through to an organization where CI is a “way of life” and a defining feature of the culture of the organization. The readers of this book are seeking solutions to such pressing issues as: • Eliminating accidents and near misses. • Reducing customer complaints. • Improving customer delivery performance. • Elimination of accidents and near misses. • Reducing customer complaints. • Improving customer delivery performance. • Introducing new products. • Improving staff productivity. • Removing costs to meet the budget. • Dealing with absence and poor morale. • Improving staff retention. This book provides them with guidance on how to address issues in these areas in a way that enables improvements to be realized quickly but not at the expense of a long-term goal of a sustainable Continuous Improvement culture. In addition, this book presents the implementation of CI as a cyclical journey with no endpoint. The stages are ordered in a sequence that enables the reader to get started in their area of the company and build up the elements without the need for an overall organizational strategy at the beginning. Continuous Improvement is a vast subject with many takes on principles, approaches, and tools. This book is about how all the fundamentals of these areas fit together and, as such, covers only some of them. However, within the bibliography, I have signposted the books that have guided me during my career and which go into the principles, approaches, and tools further.
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000570177
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 196
Book Description
This book guides process-industry professionals from the implementation of the basic foundations of Continuous Improvement (CI) through to an organization where CI is a “way of life” and a defining feature of the culture of the organization. The readers of this book are seeking solutions to such pressing issues as: • Eliminating accidents and near misses. • Reducing customer complaints. • Improving customer delivery performance. • Elimination of accidents and near misses. • Reducing customer complaints. • Improving customer delivery performance. • Introducing new products. • Improving staff productivity. • Removing costs to meet the budget. • Dealing with absence and poor morale. • Improving staff retention. This book provides them with guidance on how to address issues in these areas in a way that enables improvements to be realized quickly but not at the expense of a long-term goal of a sustainable Continuous Improvement culture. In addition, this book presents the implementation of CI as a cyclical journey with no endpoint. The stages are ordered in a sequence that enables the reader to get started in their area of the company and build up the elements without the need for an overall organizational strategy at the beginning. Continuous Improvement is a vast subject with many takes on principles, approaches, and tools. This book is about how all the fundamentals of these areas fit together and, as such, covers only some of them. However, within the bibliography, I have signposted the books that have guided me during my career and which go into the principles, approaches, and tools further.
The Critical Few
Author: Jon R. Katzenbach
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1523098732
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
In a global survey by the Katzenbach Center, 80 percent of respondents believed that their organization must evolve to succeed. But a full quarter of them reported that a change effort at their organization had resulted in no visible results. Why? The fate of any change effort depends on whether and how leaders engage their culture: the self-sustaining patterns of behaving, feeling, thinking, and believing that determine how things are done in an organization. Culture is implicit rather than explicit, emotional rather than rational--that's what makes it so hard to work with, but that's also what makes it so powerful. For the first time, this book lays out the Katzenbach Center's proven methodology for identifying your culture's four most critical elements: traits, characteristics that are at the heart of people's emotional connection to what they do; keystone behaviors, actions that would lead your company to succeed if they were replicated at a greater scale; authentic informal leaders, people who have a high degree of "emotional intuition" or social connectedness; and metrics, integrated, thoughtful measures to track progress, encourage the self-reinforcing cycle of lasting change and link to business performance. By leveraging these critical few elements, you can tap into a source of catalytic change within your organization. People will make an emotional, not just a rational, commitment to new initiatives. You will elicit enthusiasm and creativity and build the kind of powerful company that people recognize for its innate value and effectiveness.
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 1523098732
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
In a global survey by the Katzenbach Center, 80 percent of respondents believed that their organization must evolve to succeed. But a full quarter of them reported that a change effort at their organization had resulted in no visible results. Why? The fate of any change effort depends on whether and how leaders engage their culture: the self-sustaining patterns of behaving, feeling, thinking, and believing that determine how things are done in an organization. Culture is implicit rather than explicit, emotional rather than rational--that's what makes it so hard to work with, but that's also what makes it so powerful. For the first time, this book lays out the Katzenbach Center's proven methodology for identifying your culture's four most critical elements: traits, characteristics that are at the heart of people's emotional connection to what they do; keystone behaviors, actions that would lead your company to succeed if they were replicated at a greater scale; authentic informal leaders, people who have a high degree of "emotional intuition" or social connectedness; and metrics, integrated, thoughtful measures to track progress, encourage the self-reinforcing cycle of lasting change and link to business performance. By leveraging these critical few elements, you can tap into a source of catalytic change within your organization. People will make an emotional, not just a rational, commitment to new initiatives. You will elicit enthusiasm and creativity and build the kind of powerful company that people recognize for its innate value and effectiveness.
Empowered Teams
Author: Richard S. Wellins
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
ISBN: 9781555425548
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
Provides the frank answers to questions about how teams work, what makes them effective, when they are useful, how to get them going, and how to maintain their vigor and productivity over the long haul. Draws on a survey of over five hundred organizations and an in-depth study of twenty-eight companies (conducted jointly by Industry Week and the Association for Quality and Participation).
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
ISBN: 9781555425548
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
Provides the frank answers to questions about how teams work, what makes them effective, when they are useful, how to get them going, and how to maintain their vigor and productivity over the long haul. Draws on a survey of over five hundred organizations and an in-depth study of twenty-eight companies (conducted jointly by Industry Week and the Association for Quality and Participation).