In an age of mistrust, even the smallest slipup can destroy a well-cultivated corporate image. So it’s no wonder that Toyota is scrambling to control the fallout from their latest recalls. The acceleration problems that have led to a recall of more than two million cars aren’t simply a quality-control issue – they strike at the heart of the company’s value proposition: reliable cars that keep your family safe.
Much has already been written about Toyota’s response to this corporate crisis, and especially their failure to act more quickly. I want to focus on a specific event, Akio Toyoda’s February 9 Op-Ed in the Washington Post. The point is not to assess Toyota’s overall approach to this crisis or to predict its effectiveness. Continue reading
