AutomoBilE inDustry hAs BEEn wEll DEvElopED Both in thE unitED stAtEs AnD in jApAn, But it is gEnErAlly AgrEED thAt jApAnEsE AutomoBilE Firms hAvE AChiEvED thE highEst lEvEls oF mAnuFACturing EFFiCiEnCy in thE worlD AutomoBilE inDustry. it is AssumED thAt jApAnEsE AutomoBilE Firms usE thE sAmE mAnuFACturing EquipmEnt AnD tEChniquEs As thE AutomoBilE Firms in thE unitED stAtEs. thEn, why CAn jApAnEsE AutomoBilE Firms AChiEvE highEr lEvEls oF mAnuFACturing EFFiCiEnCy thAn unitED stAtEs AutomoBilE Firms somE oBsErvErs AttriButE it to thE uniquE ChArACtEristiCs oF jApAnEsE EmployEEs AnD thE jApAnEsE CulturE. howEvEr, iF it wErE truE, thEn onE woulD ExpECt jApAnEsE Auto plAnts in thE unitED stAtEs to pErForm no BEttEr thAn thE FACtoriEs nm By unitED stAtEs CompAniEs; But this DoEs not provE to BE thE CAsE. jApAnEsE-run AutomoBilE plAnts loCAtED in thE unitED stAtEs AnD stAFFED By loCAl workErs hAvE DEmonstrAtED highEr lEvEls oF proDuCtivity whEn thEy ArE, CompArED with thE AutomoBilE plAnts ownED By unitED stAtEs CompAniEs.
othEr oBsErvErs link high jApAnEsE proDuCtivity to highEr lEvEls oF CApitAl invEstmEnt pEr workEr.But A historiCAl pErspECtivE lEADs to A DiFFErEnt ConClusion. whEn thE two top jApAnEsE AutomoBilE mAkErs mAtChED AnD thEn DouBlED unitED stAtEs proDuCtivity lEvEls in thE miD-sixtiEs, CApitAl invEstmEnt pEr EmployEE wAs CompArABlE to thAt oF unitED stAtEs Firms. FurthErmorE, By thE lAtE sEvEntiEs, thE Amount oF FixED AssEts rEquirED to proDuCE onE vEhiClE wAs roughly EquivAlEnt in jApAn AnD in thE unitED stAtEs. sinCE thE CApitAl invEstmEnt wAs not highEr in jApAn, it hAD to BE othEr FACtor thAt lED to highEr proDuCtivity.
A、morE FruitFul ExplAnAtion to high proDuCtivity oF jApAnEsE AutomoBilE Firms mAy liE with jApAnEsE proDuCtion tEChniquEs. jApAnEsE AutomoBilE proDuCErs DiD not simply implEmEnt ConvEntionAl proCEssEs morE EFFECtivEly; thEy mADE CritiCAl ChAngEs in unitED stAtEs proCEDurEs. For instAnCE, thE mAss proDuCtion philosophy oF unitED stAtEs AutomAkErs EnCourAgED thE proDuCtion oF A lArgE numBEr oF CArs in orDEr to utilizE Fully ExpEnsivE, spECiFiC EquipmEnt AnD to oCCupy Fully workErs who hAvE BEEn trAinED to ExECutE onE opErAtion EFFiCiEntly. jApAnEsE AutomAkErs ChoosE to mAkE smAll-sCAlE proDuCtion FEAsiBlE By introDuCing sEvErAl DEpArturEs From unitED stAtEs prACtiCEs, inCluDing thE usE oF FlExiBlE EquipmEnt thAt CoulD BE AltErED EAsily to Do sEvErAl DiFFErEnt proDuCtion tAsks AnD thE trAining oF workErs in multiplE joBs.AutomAkErs CoulD sChEDulE thE proDuCtion oF DiFFErEnt ComponEnts or moDEls on singlE mAChinEs, thErEBy EliminAting to storE thE BuFFEr (减缓) stoCks oF ExtrA ComponEnts thAt rEsult whEn spECiAlizED EquipmEnt AnD workErs ArE kEpt ConstAntly ACtivE.
thE most EssEntiAl FACtor in Cutting storAgE Cost in jApAn’s Auto inDustry is______.
A、using FlExiBlE mAChinEs
B．sChEDuling thE proDuCtion
C．hiring morE skillED workErs
D．trAining multi-skillED workErs