Workers, managers, productivity [electronic resource] : Kaizen in Developing Countries / Edited by Akio Hosono, John Page & Go Shimada.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Overview -- 2. Industrial Policy, Firm Capabilities and Kaizen -- 3. Kaizen towards Learning, Transformation, and High-Quality Growth: Insights from Outstanding Experiences -- 4. Why is Kaizen Critical for Developing Countries? Kaizen as a Social Innovation in the Era of Global Inequality -- 5. Kaizen promotion in Ethiopia -- A role of the government and change of mindset of people -- 6. Kaizen Dissemination through the Government and Private Sector in Southeast Asia: A Comparative Study of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar -- 7. Opportunities for Kaizen in Africa: Developing the Core Employability Skills of African Youth through Kaizen -- 8. The Role of Kaizen in Participation in the Global Value Chain: The Case of the Mexican Automotive Industry -- 9. Enhancing Learning through Continuous Improvement: Case Studies of the Toyota Production System in the Automotive Industry in South Africa -- 10. Does Management Matter? An Assessment of Kaizen in Brazil -- 11. Kaizen for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Vietnam -- 12. Management Practices and Performance Improvement in Manufacturing Enterprises: The Case of Kaizen Adoption in Ghana -- 13. Consequences of Kaizen practices in MSMEs in the Philippines: The case of the Manufacturing Productivity Extension Program (MPEX).

This open access book provides a glimpse into the Japanese management technique known as "Kaizen," and the ways it has been disseminated around the developing world. The novelty of this book is three-fold: it provides a contextualized view of the mechanisms of initiatives implementing Kaizen in developing countries; compared with productivity studies, it places the relationship between workers and managers at the center of inquiry, reflecting the intent of SDG8 concerning decent work and economic growth; and it provides an overview of the heterogeneity of Kaizen in terms of geography and firm size. This book explores how improving management techniques can support firms productivity and quality. Given its wide range of case studies from across Africa, Asia and Latin America, this book will be of value to scholars, policymakers and advocates of sustainable development alike.