Ohio automotive supplier emergency call from Honda

Theory X vs Theory Y management; Japanese partnership style vs Detroit "fix-it-or-we'll-sue-you" style.

Here's another story. I had to give a talk in Columbus, Ohio, to a professional society in the mid-1990s. The head of this professional society ran a manufacturing plant that supplied GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda — all these manufacturing assembly lines in Ohio. I don't remember what he was supplying, but he made automotive products. He was late to the dinner, so we started without him. He missed the rubber chicken; he got there in time for dessert. He apologized and said he had gotten a call at eleven o'clock that morning. I think it was Honda — they wanted him at Marysville, Ohio, by one o'clock, because they had a problem with the parts he was supplying. It's two hours away, so they meant leave right now and come see us at one. And he did, because they were a major customer.