To manufacture high-quality products and achieve customer satisfaction throughout the world, it is essential that TMC share the beliefs and values that it deems important with Toyota employees throughout the world. The Toyota Way 2001 gathers and organizes the management beliefs and values that TMC has handed down since its establishment. Based on mutual trust and respect between labor and management, long-term employment stability, and communication, each Toyota employee is taking measures to enhance work-related skills and work ethic.
Gathering and Organizing Toyota's Management Beliefs and Values - The Toyota Way 2001
The Toyota Way 2001 is supported by the two main pillars of "Continuous Improvement" and "Respect for People" and can be summed up in the five key terms - challenge, kaizen, genchi genbutsu, respect, and teamwork. All Toyota employees, at every level, use these two values in their daily work,
Labor-Management Relations
 Signing ceremony for Labor-Management Joint Declaration
Based on Mutual Trust and Respect Mutual trust and respect between labor and management is a fundamental principle of Toyota's employee relations. Following a labor dispute in 1950, mutual trust between labor and management was adopted as the foundation of the Labor-Management Joint Declaration concluded in 1962. Also, in the Labor-Management Resolve for the 21st Century signed by labor and management representatives in 1996, mutual respect was added as a basic principle of labor-management relations. Based on this fundamental principle, Toyota has adopted the Basic Principles of Human Resources Management.
Fundamental Stance on Human Resource Development
Toyota believes that "making things is about developing people". Thus, Toyota undertakes human resource development based on on-the-job training. Toyota also strives to create workplaces with abundant vitality while establishing and improving educational systems that focus on sharing and conveying appropriate values in accordance with the Toyota Way.
●Core Training: Work Methods that Put the Toyota Way into Practice
Toyota Institute (TI) is an organization dedicated to promoting the implementation of the Toyota Way at overseas affiliates through the training of Toyota employees. The TI conducts core training at affiliates globally on work methods (problem solving and management expertise) so Toyota personnel around the world can put the shared Toyota Way into practice.
The Toyota Institute's Training Structures
●Skills Training: Passing along Technical Expertise through the GPC to Employees Hired at Overseas Sites
The Global Production Center (GPC) was created as a human resource development institution to raise the efficiency and pace of technical skills acquisition through technical training of employees hired at overseas sites. Veteran technical personnel from Toyota plants in Japan gather at the GPC to develop and create training equipment for teaching technical skills, and training methods using manuals that employ animation, video, and other techniques, drastically reducing the time necessary for skills acquisition. Overseas GPC personnel who have received "trainer's trainer" certification currently conduct training on GPC methods at the regional centers in the U.S., U.K., and Thailand.
Global Expansion of the GPC
●Personnel Exchange and Training with Overseas Affiliates: ICT Program
The Intra Company Transferee (ICT) program is an educational program designed to promote the global expansion of the Toyota Way and to train personnel and encourage personnel exchanges. Practical training in the Toyota Way has been performed for employees of overseas affiliates primarily through on-the-job training in Japan to foster employees of overseas affiliates who can make significant contributions to their companies and communities after returning to their home countries.
 Monika Wojcik speaks with ICTs
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Foreign Employee plans Systems for Accepting ICTs
Monika Wojcik, a Polish national who works in the HR Division, studied technical engineering and business management in Japan and was subsequently hired by TMC. Her work includes planning systems for ICTs and extends to training, management, and lifestyle support.
What Diversity Means to Toyota
Toyota strives to be a company with a working environment that promotes self-realization while respecting diversity of values and ideas among its employees. The focus of respect for diversity varies in different countries and regions. Issues in Japan include providing greater opportunities for women, disabled people, senior citizens, and part time employees. Toyota believes that employing people with diverse abilities and values will be an extremely effective stimulus that will lead to innovation.
●Women: Initiatives to Help Balance Work with Childcare, Support Career Development, and Reform the Workplace Environment and Attitudes
 "Sodatete Net" Website (Intranet)
In 2002, Toyota launched its Diversity Project 2002 to promote gender diversity. Since that time Toyota has undertaken initiatives that help women balance work with childcare, support their career development, and raise understanding in the workplace concerning the development of workplace environments that enable women to realize their full potential at work. The company intranet, Sodatete Net, aims to help promote the creation of a diverse workplace through such efforts as introducing the concerns and difficulties that female and other employees face in the workplace. The intranet introduces female employees who can serve as role models and further enhances mutual understanding between female employees and their colleagues.
●People with Disabilities: Increased Employment Opportunities
Toyota is working to promote the employment of people with disabilities as well as ensure a safe and comfortable environment in which to work by making adjustments to facilities as required by the disability in question. Hiring is done both on a fixed and irregular basis. Irregular, year-round hiring is conducted through public employment offices nationwide and national vocational skills development schools.
●Senior Citizens: Passing on Technical Expertise through Re-employment of Skilled Retirees
Following the introduction in 1991 of the Skilled Partner System, which encourages re-employment of skilled workers who have reached mandatory retirement age, the Optional Re-employment Program was introduced in 2001 to offer employment to former workers at group companies and affiliates. Through these two programs, Toyota has created systems for supporting the internal and external re-employment of people aged 60 years and older. When revisions to the Law concerning Stabilization of Employment of Older Persons came into effect in FY2006, Toyota expanded its internal re-employment program to cover all employees and reviewed the program to enable even more employees to be re-employed.
Number of Retiring Employees and Number Re-employed
●Non-fulltime Employees: Program Enabling the Switchover to Full-time Status Expanded
In addition to fulltime employees, Toyota has many non-fulltime employees (including short-term employees, seconded employees of other companies, temporary employees, and fixed-term contract employees). Toyota is working to improve job security, especially for fixed-term contract employees, who number in excess of 10,000 individuals. While respecting the wishes of employees, Toyota has extended contract terms to a maximum of three years, developed a program for preferential measures for contract employees in the second year of their contracts, introduced the Senior Fixed-term Contract Employee System to provide opportunities for skill enhancement, and introduced the TMC Temporary Experience Hiring System.
 Toyota Loops Corp. established in May 2008
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Toyota Loops Corp. Established to Expand Employment of Disabled People
The Toyota Loops Corp. was established in 2008 with the aim of contributing to increased employment opportunities in society for people with disabilities. Toyota Loops Corp. will hire individuals with severe physical and intellectual disabilities. In 2009, the new company will begin printing operations, the receiving of mail, and dispatch operations under consignment at the TMC Head Office in Toyota City and its Nagoya Office.
The company will strive to create an ideal work environment in terms of facilities and systems for disabled employees and the fostering of "universal" work environments where disabled and non-disabled employees can work together.
Ensuring One of Toyota's Most Important Corporate Activities - Employee Safety and Health
Ensuring employee safety and health is one of Toyota's most important corporate activities. Toyota believes fundamentally that "safety is essential for sustaining and developing the company, and that placing safety first is everyone's responsibility, from senior executives to every employee at the workplace." Towards this end Toyota seeks the development of lively workplace environments that promote good physical and mental health.
Incorporation of Occupational Safety and Health Management
Toyota has been promoting Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) as safety and health promotion activities.
Structure of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System
 WELPO health support center in Toyota City (Aichi Prefecture)
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WELPO Health Support Center Begins Examinations
The WELPO health support center in Toyota City (Aichi Prefecture) offers physical examinations once every four years for all employees and members of their families aged 36 years and older. The period examinations are intended to lead to the establishment of a healthcare system suitable for a global business and the development of independent health-related activities. The examinations comprise of a physical examination that includes a metabolic syndrome assessment and educational sessions based on the results.
Examples of Overseas Initiatives (Thailand and South Africa)
●Regional Production Center Develops Local Personnel and Provides Skills Training
TMAP-EM, Thailand
 An AP-GPC trainer's trainer with Toyota employees from Vietnam
The operations of the Asia-Pacific Global Production Center (AP-GPC)* cover Toyota's production affiliates in nine countries and regions. AP-GPC has eight workfloors, including painting, stamping, molding, and assembly shops and uses visual manuals like those employed at the GPC in Japan to conduct skills and equipment training to ensure that each affiliate can maintain the quality, safety, and efficiency that Toyota requires.
Starting in 2006, a trainer's course for the personnel of other affiliates was launched with the training of two employees from Vietnam. Mr. Pratheep Krasaesom, an AP-GPC trainer's trainer said, "When I was first appointed, I was not confident that I could become a trainer's trainer, but when I saw the visual manuals at the GPC in Japan, I knew that everything would be fine." He continued, "The training is conducted in English, so language is the biggest problem for both me and the trainees. In the end, however, we are able to make a true personal connection. I believe that it is very important for me to understand completely the visual manuals and other materials as well as to get to know my trainees on a personal level. I love my job training others."
* Global Production Centers (GPC) are training institutions aimed having personnel hired oversees acquire professional skills.
●HIV/AIDS Countermeasures Implemented to Maintain Employee Health
TSAM, South Africa
 "Peer Educator" Employee Volunteers
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) employs approximately 10,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Under a labor-management agreement that allows employees infected with HIV to continue working as long as they are able, TSAM began implementing HIV/AIDS countermeasures in 1993. A health team composed of industrial physicians is central to the provision of services to prevent further infections and ensuring proper treatment and care for employees who are infected. The team conducts HIV/AIDS education for employees and their families, encourages HIV testing, and provides care to infected employees. Employee education includes training volunteers as peer educators to conduct educational activities for other employees during working hours.
According to Dr. Minty, an industrial physician and team leader of the HIV/AIDS team, "Our activities are having a steady effect, including improvements over the past five years in HIV testing rates, reduced infection rates, and reductions in the percentage of employees who are unable to work because of deteriorating health."
Special Story 2007 Edition : Promoting Self-reliance of Overseas Production Affiliates
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