In the 1950's buying American products was a very wise decision. The idea of buying foreign products was simply Un-American. The quality of American products has declined to the point that it is very unwise to consider American made. Electronics have already faded from the production of American industry because it could not compete with foreign producers. Are American cars on that same decline? Why people don't buy American cars anymore is the same reason that people stopped buying American made electronics-quality.

The history of quality control in American industry methods began as early as WWII when dropped bombs failed to explode. We hear about it in our lives when friends or family recommend buying cars like Honda and Toyota as apposed to Ford and Chevrolet. The breakdown records for these American made cars are significantly higher than the Japanese cars. Who wants to buy a car that breaks down? Consumers pay more for quality.

The quality control methods that were adopted by Japanese manufacturers was an American. Dr. W. Edwards Deming changed the way companies are managed, coming up with some revolutionary ideas for improving management so that it would impact the quality of output within a business. His book, Out of Crisis, presented 14 points that were as simple as creating and communicating to all employees the aims and purposes of the company and remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship. When he presented his research-based methods to American businesses they rejected his ideas, so he traveled to a country whose economy had been ravaged by war and defeat. They welcomed new ideas and implemented Deming's programs and they worked.

As Japanese companies took manufacturing and quality to what it is today, American companies stayed working within their 1950's style of management. The quality of Japanese electronics were by far superior in quality than their American competitors, and by the 1980's American electronics producers had completely disappeared. When Honda started manufacturing cars in the 80's with 0% breakdown; cars that would last 200,000 plus miles; American companies then saw that their 1950's style management needed to change. However, Japanese companies were 30 years ahead of these American companies in terms of quality control. The American way of managing companies was at that time still a hard habit to break.

It is sad that people don't buy American cars anymore, but can you blame them? Who wants to buy a American car when you know that it won't last as long as a foreign car? The answer is no one.

Learn more about this author, Abbi Sharp.
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