The Competitive Status of the U.S. Auto Industry A Study of the Influences of Technology in Determining International Industrial Competitive Advantage (1982) / Chapter Skim
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V igorous import competition, drastic shifts in consumer preferences, and anemic f inal sales combined to make 1980 and 198 1 two of the most difficult years in the industry's history. The current picture is bleak: literally hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs; communities dependent on the industry have suffered devastating losses in employment and financial resources all the domestic producers have suffered major financial losses; large facilities have permanently closed.
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THREE HISTORICAL THEMES A basic premise of this report is that the nature of the current crisis in the automobile industry, the specific problems faced, the patterns of observed response, the barriers to adjustment, and the strengths and weaknesses of domestic firms can be understood only if one first understands something of the history of the industry. Chapters 3-5 of the report sketch out three themes that have characterized the evolution and development of the industry in the United States: the convergence of technology, the internationalization of markets, and the growth of public demand on the industry.
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As played out in the United States, internationalization occurred primarily in the small-car segment through import penetration; the U.S. response has been conditioned by a legacy of large-car production.
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Product Cost and Quality Our analysis of productivity and product cost makes use of a variety of sources of information, including government reports and other published analyses as well as studies conducted within companies in the industry and made available by members of the panel. (Where use has been made of internal company analyses, trip reports, or other "industry sources," these have been explicitly noted.)
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Because of a production control system that emphasizes minimum inventory and elimination of downtime and a job structure that places responsibility for quality on workers, the Japanese operate processes at a high level of good output over extended periods of time. While several elements of the Japanese system are refinements of practices developed in the United States, certain critical aspects of their approach are
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The innovations in machinery and process design of the World War I era were accompanied by a system of workforce management characterized by highly structured rules and procedures. Planning and control of work were vested in staff groups far removed (organizationally)
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Recent changes have not just refined existing ideas but have also introduced new concepts; downsizing, trans-axles, and new materials are examples. Future technologies carry the possibility of significant change in production facilities; advanced engine concepts, materials, and control systems require radically different equipment, skills, and organization.
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. -A ~r~ ~ ,~ fundamental Structural Change Industry moves from full-line products and cost competition to more performance-oriented competition; the United States recoups market share with innovative vehicles, but the U.S.
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Both carry the potential for significant influence on the future of the industry. The future of the industry is by and large in the hands of its participants -- the firms, the unions, the suppliers -- but public policy has a critical supporting role to play, particularly in mitigating risks and facilitating necessary change during the period of transition.
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