HONDA OF AMERICA MANUFACTURING, INC.: Lean Manufacturing and Environmental Management at Honda

The document examines the integration of lean manufacturing and environmental management at Honda of America Manufacturing (HAM) in Ohio. It explores how Honda's 'localization' policy and lean principles—such as waste reduction, continuous improvement, and employee empowerment—contribute to environmental performance, specifically in reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The case compares HAM's decentralized, employee-driven approach to Toyota's more centralized environmental management structure and assesses the potential for HAM to achieve ISO 14000 certification.

• Honda of America Manufacturing (HAM) integrates its environmental management with its lean production philosophy, focusing on efficiency and waste reduction rather than treating environmental concerns solely as regulatory compliance issues.
• HAM utilizes specific lean human resource policies to improve environmental performance, including the use of 'NH Circles' for brainstorming and 'suggestion systems' where approximately 90 percent of employee ideas are implemented.
• The paint shop is a primary source of pollution at HAM, specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs); in 1996, the Marysville plant emitted approximately 1.2 million pounds of toxic air pollutants, mostly from this area.
• To proactively address emissions and improve relations with regulators and community groups, HAM participated in the EPA's '33/50 Industrial Toxics Program,' committing to reduce toxic emissions by 25 percent in 1994 and 50 percent in 1995.
• Honda's environmental management is characterized by a decentralized structure driven by its 'localization' policy, delegating most manufacturing-related environmental decisions to HAM managers.
• In contrast to Honda, Toyota Motor Manufacturing (TMM) employs a more centralized, top-down environmental management structure with a higher reliance on specialized environmental staff and corporate-level committees in Japan.

APA

Maxwell, J., Briscoe, F., Schenk, B., & Rothenberg, S. (1998). HONDA OF AMERICA MANUFACTURING, INC.: Lean Manufacturing and Environmental Management at Honda. World Resources Institute. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-246-9_full_version_english.pdf

Chicago

Maxwell, James, Forrest Briscoe, Brian Schenk, and Sandra Rothenberg. HONDA OF AMERICA MANUFACTURING, INC.: Lean Manufacturing and Environmental Management at Honda. World Resources Institute, 1998. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-246-9_full_version_english.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maxwell |first1=James |last2=Briscoe |first2=Forrest |last3=Schenk |first3=Brian |last4=Rothenberg |first4=Sandra |title=HONDA OF AMERICA MANUFACTURING, INC.: Lean Manufacturing and Environmental Management at Honda |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=1998 |url=https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-246-9_full_version_english.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maxwell1998honda, author = {Maxwell, James and Briscoe, Forrest and Schenk, Brian and Rothenberg, Sandra}, title = {{HONDA OF AMERICA MANUFACTURING, INC.: Lean Manufacturing and Environmental Management at Honda}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {1998}, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-246-9_full_version_english.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }