Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Ronald Jones
Abstract
Automotive industry managers face monumental product recall situations resulting in fatalities and injuries to their customers. The recall of defective products cost an automotive manufacturer $4.1B and an estimated $150M compensation funds to victims. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies some automotive industry managers use to minimize the use of products that contribute to a product recall. The high-reliability theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 3 automotive industry managers in one Michigan company, a review of organizational documents, and from the company website. During data analysis using Yin’s 5-step process, 3 major themes emerged: communications strategy, inspection strategy, and process strategy. The findings indicated that implementing strategies to improve communications, increase product inspections, and development of process strategies potentially increases a manager’s ability to identify products that can contribute to a product recall. Managers should improve communication among stakeholders, adopt visual and digital inspection processes, and implement a process to follow all safety and regulatory directives to minimize the use of products that contribute to a product recall. The implications for positive social change include the potential for automotive managers to provide more trustworthy and dependable automobiles and increased stakeholder trust, satisfaction, and loyalty.
Recommended Citation
Hansen, Joseph, "Strategies to Minimize the Use of Automotive Products that Contribute to Recalls" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8456.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8456
