THE DIFFUSION OF ORGANIZATIONAL REFORM IN DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES - A CASE-STUDY FROM INDIA

This contribution recounts the experience of a large Indian firm which has pursued a programme of organizational reform based upon Japanese experience. This programme followed from a visit made by its chief exe cutive to Japan in the early 1980s. As a consequence the firm has intr oduced a corporate-wide programme of education and training and a more open management structure. At the same time changes have been made to layout and production scheduling in most of its plants. These detaile d changes are discussed in the case of one large plant, and evidence i s provided of its impact upon operating corporate profitability.