Clubjazz - Honda Jazz & HR-V Forums
Other Hondas & General Topics => Honda & Other Honda Models => Topic started by: guest4669 on August 08, 2014, 11:42:51 PM
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Heard an interesting article on the BBC World Service programme "Business Daily" this morning. They mentioned a book called "Driving Honda" by Jeffrey Rothfeder, which looks like quite a new book.
What I found really interesting is how the author explained Honda's ethos of decentralisation. Basically, the branches of the company in different countries around the world are allowed to be autonomous, as opposed to the "control from the centre" that's in use in so many companies around the world.
I remember reading an article some 30 years ago, in which that author stated that a successful company should allow their staff as much autonomy as possible, and get their workforce involved in decision making, whatever their level in the company. From Jeffrey Rothfeder's interview, it sounds as if Honda is doing precisely those things. I'm not in management (far from it!), but from what I understand, autonomous companies can move far quicker to address the concerns of the market and the business.
If anyone wants to hear it, I've provided the link below to the Business Daily section of the BBC site. There are two editions a day, but as I'm not sure how they'll flag this edition up (either by title or just by date, they do both), it would be best to check both just in case. The date you want in both cases though is 8 August. The article starts at 07.30 minutes in, and continues to 13.32 minutes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsxs/episodes/guide (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsxs/episodes/guide)
Hope the info helps.
Note added 9 Aug: Checking the BBC site again, it would appear that there is only ONE programme for 8 August (there are usually two a day during the week!), so that makes things a lot easier!!
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Honda history
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcq4fRa2vGk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcq4fRa2vGk)
power of dreams – power of failure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJAq6drKKzE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJAq6drKKzE)
‘Twist the throttle - Honda part 2’ (there are more of these, part 1 to 7 at least)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V0JUeTcRyI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V0JUeTcRyI)
As people on these videos quite rightly say, Honda is not so much a car maker, but
and engine and engineering research company, who have made other makers improve
their products as well. Thank goodness Honda came along and shook up the worlds
motorcycle and car industries.