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Recently, firms like Toyota and social planners like the Government of India have invested in various initiatives leading to the firm's cost reduction. Further, such cost reduction collaborations also benefit the social planner because of higher industry output, and therefore, higher employment opportunities. In this paper, we investigate different scenarios in which the firm, or the social planner, or both exert efforts to reduce the firm's manufacturing cost. Interestingly, we find that under certain conditions, the firm may exert lower effort than the social planner. Our analysis reveals that when both players' cost reduction effectiveness is low, then collaboration results in higher payoffs for both the players. However, when the effectiveness of any player is high, then both players are better off if only one of them exerts effort. Our study further reveals that collaboration between the social planner and the firm always leads to a win–win situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful strategic planning is a different method that companies use to plan the future production of goods and materials in manufacturing plants. Nowadays, many companies actively strive to ensure that the production of their goods is the main focus. This research paper aimed at bringing focus on some successes in strategic management in the global automotive manufacturing industry between Europe and Asia. However, it faces a few challenges such as unevenness of regulation and standards, for example, different rules regarding the safety of products' parts. In addition, there are more issues related to the environment that accompany the higher level of production such as the release of dangerous gas compounds into the atmosphere resulting in pollutants like carbon monoxide gas and greenhouse gases. Moreover, import supply sources in unstable global political and economic circumstances pose another challenge due to uncertain diplomatic relations. In order to resolve these problems effectively, harmonization of regulations and standards should be integrated. In addition, a high level of environmental consciousness is necessary for Euro and Asian parties, including the development of an effective combustion system, and diplomatic matters. The methodology used in this study is a PESTEL analysis that includes political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal aspects that impact production and markets for Europe and Asia. A comparative survey for the European and Asia market reveals that Toyota is still the most popular choice among customers and at the same time on top of the list in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automobile industry is shifting from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) or electric vehicles (EVs) extremely fast. Our calculation regarding the most popular private car brand in Bangladesh, Toyota, shows that the life cycle cost (LCC) of a Toyota BZ3 (EV), USD 43,409, is more expensive than a Toyota Aqua (HEV) and Toyota Prius (HEV), but cheaper than a Toyota Axio (ICEV) and Toyota Allion (ICEV). It has been found that about a 25% reduction in the acquisition cost of a Toyota BZ3 would lower its LCC to below others. EVs can be a good choice for those who travel a lot. Changes in electricity prices have little effect upon the LCC of EVs. With the expected decline in the annual price for batteries, which is between 6 and 9%, and the improvement of their capacities, EVs will be more competitive with other vehicles by 2030 or even earlier. EVs will dominate the market since demand for alternative fuel-powered vehicles is growing due to their environmental and economic advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Envy freeness is one of the most widely studied notions in fair division. Because envy-free allocations do not always exist when items are indivisible, several relaxations have been considered. Among them, possibly the most compelling notion is envy freeness up to any item (EFX). Informally speaking, EFX requires that no agent i envies another agent j after the removal of any item in j's bundle. The existence of EFX allocations is a major open problem. We study the existence of EFX allocations when agents have general valuations. For general valuations, it is known that an EFX allocation always exists (i) when n = 2 or (ii) when all agents have identical valuations, where n is the number of agents. It is also known that an EFX allocation always exists when one can leave at most n − 1 items unallocated. We develop new techniques and extend some results of additive valuations to general valuations on the existence of EFX allocations. We show that an EFX allocation always exists (i) when all agents have one of two general valuations or (ii) when the number of items is at most n + 3. We also show that an EFX allocation always exists when one can leave at most n − 2 items unallocated. In addition to the positive results, we construct an instance with n = 3, in which an existing approach does not work. Funding: This work was partially supported by Kyoto University and Toyota Motor Corporation [Joint Project "Advanced Mathematical Science for Mobility Society"]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous research has managed to clearly define lean technical competencies. However, the behavioral competencies remain underestimated, and the roles of lean experts are not clearly stated: are they teachers, facilitators or technical experts? The present paper investigates lean behavioral competencies and their relationship to lean experts' roles. Design/methodology/approach: This article serves as an exploratory study built on interviews, observations and focus groups conducted during a three-year longitudinal study accompanied by a three-year follow-up. The case takes place in an international automotive company in partnership with Toyota in which lean adoption was part of a consistent strategy over a period of 20 years. Findings: The study clarifies lean behavioral competencies related to organizational efficiency (nominal management, improvement management and respect for people) and relational efficiency (problem resolution, competencies development and systemic interactions). The study helped create a typology of lean experts' roles related to the maturity level of the environment in which they intervened. Moreover, Lean experts' roles in congruence with the environment seem to positively influence the creation of emerging human relationships that are beneficial to process improvement and competencies development. Originality/value: This paper is the first to clarify behavioral competencies with respect to lean experts' roles and to study the temporality of the introduction of lean practices. The findings recommend that researchers better acknowledge the influence of lean behavioral competencies during lean adoption and their relationship to contextual factors and organizational performance. A practical methodology is proposed to measure the necessary behavioral adjustments of lean experts or employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Chinese companies have emerged as global competitors in the non-traditional automotive industry and have become attractive partners for foreign firms in high-technology development. To identify the motives behind such strategic partnerships in the new energy vehicle industry, we combine dynamic capabilities with institutional factors of both national and emerging regional levels generated by the Belt and Road Initiative. Case studies of BYD, SinoHytec, Hino, and Toyota's joint ventures reveal that besides pursuing complementary technology, firms are being pushed into NEV production by government policies targeting carbon neutrality while strategic alliances with Chinese companies may yield facilitated access to BRI projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluates the implementation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies at PT Nasmoco Kaligawe Semarang, focusing on handling customer service complaints to enhance satisfaction. Using a descriptive qualitative approach and SWOT analysis, the study gathered primary data through interviews and field observations, alongside secondary data from literature and documentation. The findings indicate that PT Nasmoco's CRM strategies possess notable strengths, such as a strong Toyota brand image and effective promotional activities. However, weaknesses include prolonged service times and relatively high service costs compared to competitors. Opportunities for improvement are highlighted in the company's official Toyota repair shop status, which can be leveraged to attract more customers. Threats identified include intense competition and challenges with service timeliness. The research suggests that PT Nasmoco should address these weaknesses by increasing staffing in the CRM division, enhancing communication channels, and developing a smartphone application to streamline service booking and reduce customer complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toward the end of the 1960s, the car industry in Japan was reaching its maturity, and it seemed increasingly certain that Japan's future was firmly linked to cars. At the 16th and 17th Tokyo Motor Shows, in 1969 and 1970, an unprecedented number of show cars made by Japanese car manufacturers were introduced. At these shows, Toyota introduced a series of show cars, the EX-I, EX-II, EX-III, and EX-7, as well as the Commuter. The end of the 1960s was not just a turning point for the Japanese car industry but also for Japanese society as a whole. Through rapid (re)modernization, the country had attained economic wealth and power, but the consequences of modernization were becoming increasingly devastating. The anticipated and endorsed future was under revision when the news about pollution and political turmoil reached the nation's media. Focusing on Toyota Motors, this article examines early Japanese "show cars" by approaching them from the viewpoint of the anticipated but complex and uncertain future at the turn of the 1960s to the 1970s. The purpose of this article is to analyze and summarize the future vision(s) of Toyota by applying a close analysis of the design objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]