Toyota had several recalls and issues in 2010 where many blamed their HR department not manufacturing on why Toyota was struggling. We know the purpose of training is to make sure that employees have...

Toyota had several recalls and issues in 2010 where many blamed their HR department not manufacturing on why Toyota was struggling. We know the purpose of training is to make sure that employees have the right skills and capabilities to identify and handle all situations they may encounter.


As you know, Toyota is famous for its four-step cycle — plan/do/check/act. In addition, to the automotive industry, safety is paramount.  Everyone should have been trained on the symptoms of groupthink and how to avoid the excess discounting or ignoring of negative external safety information. If Toyota’s training was more effective, would the recalls have happened to the extent they did? What if Toyota had documented the training which all employees underwent, would that have made a positive or negative impact? Do you think Toyota used training and documentation to avoid the same pitfalls? Why or why not?