The Past Speaks

Eiji Toyoda, the man who led Toyota from its formative years into a worldwide manufacturing empire, has passed away at the age of 100 years.  He died in Toyota City, near Nagoya. 

I mention Toyoda in one of the lectures in my history of globalization course. I also mention him when I teaching using Ken Lipartito’s “Culture and the practice of business history.” Business and Economic History 24 (1995): 1-42. which shows how cultural differences influence the strategies of firms. That article begins with a comparison of Toyota, which focused on improved fuel economy, and the designs developed by US carmakers, which emphasized the inclusion of creature comforts such as large cupholders. I find that students really enjoy reading this article, or at least the opening paragraphs, which remind them of a famous episode of the Simpson’s in which Homer is tasked with designing an automobile that is supposed to turn around the fortunes of a struggling Detroit automaker.