Abstract

The case is about design and quality issues at Japanese multinational corporation Honda Motors Co. Ltd. (Honda Motors). The case examines in detail Honda Motors’ journey as the world’s leading automobile company and the problems it later faced. The case discusses the factors that led the company into trouble. It also highlights the initiatives the company took to ensure an upgrade in the design of its vehicles as well as an improvement in quality. The case ends with a discussion on whether Honda Motors will be able to turn its fortunes around.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• To determine a company's responsibility toward its customers in maintaining the quality of its products
• Understand how design and quality issues can damage the company’s corporate image and its brand
• Discuss Honda Motors’ initiatives to maintain its fundamental approach to quality as well as improving the design of its future products

Keywords

Design,Quality,Operations management,Engineering,Product portfolio,Corporate image,Brand image,Innovation,Quality issues,Product recall,Quality Cycle,Quality enhancement systems