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The Toyota Way
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<p>The Toyota Way is a set of principles defining the <a href="/facts/Organizational_culture/FdAzHDyV">organizational culture</a> of <a href="/facts/Toyota/wHIb40oG">Toyota Motor Corporation</a>. The company formalized the Toyota Way in 2001, after decades of academic research into the <a href="/facts/Toyota_Production_System/cSLEm5Rq">Toyota Production System</a> and its implications for <a href="/facts/Lean_manufacturing/XgQk595B">lean manufacturing</a> as a methodology that other organizations could adopt. The two pillars of the Toyota Way are respect for people and <a href="/facts/Continual_improvement_process/tcIYRuHK">continuous improvement</a>. Jeffrey K. Liker popularized the philosophy in his 2004 book, <i>The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer.</i> Subsequent research has explored the extent to which the Toyota Way can be applied in other contexts. </p>