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Originally Posted by LightngSVT I grew up in an American car household and until I was 30 (2 years ago)...One thing I have alwasy wondered is why the "Big 3" (hey Im from the Detroit Area) have not tried to steal away designers, engineers, etc form the Japenese companies so that they can learn new proecesses and improve their vehile lines?.... |
They do snitch a few people here and there and when they have corporate partnerships, Ford/Mazda, GM/Toyota, etc. there's some crosspollination but by and large you don't see major changes of style/approach/attitude.
It's actually not just auto manufacturing, all US industries that whine about "Japanese Quality" kicking their butts have the same issues.
IMHO it's all philosophical. The management styles, methodologies, cultures and behavior patterns of those companies are so deeply ingrained they miss the point. They can't even comprehend where they need to change, much less implement the changes. If they stole the best and brightest from some other outfit all they'd do is stifle them the same way they'd been crushing any hope of progress from the people they already have.
Typically, any changes that do happen occur very slowly as attrition removes the people causing roadblocks and, with any luck, replaces them with new blood and new ways of thinking.
Side note; Chrysler turned its R&D upside down and went form from K-cars and other peoples designs (old Jeeps) to Vipers, PTs, Magnums, new Jeeps, etc. after a huge internal power struggle that finally managed to install a French Formula 1 engineer in charge of things.
PC.