CASE STUDY 2

TOYOTAS TEAM CULTURE

 SUMMARY
Many companies proudly promote their
team culture. At Toyota, the promotion
seems sincere
Teamwork is one of Toyotas core value,
along with trust, continuous improvement,
long term thinking, standardization,
innovation and problem solving.
The firms value statement says the
following: To ensure the success of our
company, each team member has the
responsibility to work together, and
communicate honestly, share ideas, and
ensure team member understanding.
 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
1. Do you think Toyota has succeed because of its team oriented culture, or do
you

think it would have succeed without it?

ANSWER

Yes, I think Toyota has succeeded because of its team-oriented culture. We can
say that on the basis of their statement Which is to ensure the success of our
company, each team member has the responsibility to work together and
communicate honestly, share ideas, and ensure team-member understanding.

From the above lines, we can say that team-oriented culture is mainly

responsible for their success.

2. Do you think you would be comfortable working in Toyotas culture? Why or
Why not?

Solution

Yes, of course. Not only I think but believe I would be comfortable working

in Toyotas culture. Because they practice teamwork. Teamwork is one of

Toyotas core values. Along with trust, continuous improvement, long term

thinking, standardization, innovation and problem solving. It becomes very

easy if a team perform a work or task which is followed by the Toyotas. So, I

prefer that it will be very comfortable for me to work in Toyotas culture.

 3. In response to the recession and the firms first ever quarterly loss, Toyotas

managers accepted a 10% pay cut in 2009 to avoid employee layoffs. Do you

think such a response is a good means of promoting camaraderie? What are the

risks in such a plan?

Solution

No, I do not think that such a response is a good means of promoting

camaraderie. For the reason of pay cut, there are some risks involved in

such a plan which are

Firstly, for the pay cut during recession and the firms first

ever quarterly loss, the employees can be dissatisfied. And as

a result, their performance will be gradually lower.

Secondly, if managers accepted a 10 percent pay cut, skilled

employee leave the organization for doing better jobs on other

organization.

Finally as a reason of pay cut employees dislike work,

become lazy and do not want to take responsibility.

4. Recently, a company comprised of 33 auto dealerships, decided
to adapt Toyotas culture to its own, particularly its emphasis on
teamwork. CEO Susan Scarola said, Trying to bring it down to day-
to-day operations is tough. It was not something that everybody
immediately embraced, even at the senior level. Do you think the
culture will work in what is typically the dog-eat-dog world of auto
dealerships?

Why or why not?

 ANSWER
Yes, I think the team culture will work in what is typically the dogeat-
dog world of auto dealers. There are some reasons:

In teamwork culture people can be able to trust their team, solve

problem collaboratively and motivated to achieve collective

outcomes.
 5. So how does Toyotas culture reflects its
emphasis on teamwork?

ANSWER

Although individualism is a prominent value in

western culture, it is deemphasized at Toyota. In its
place is an emphasis on system, in which people
and products are seen as interwined valued
streams and people are trained to be
problem solver so as to make the product system
leaner and better.