EXPLORATIONS - W. Edward Deming

EXPLORATIONS -July 17, 2002: W. Edward Deming

By Gayle Shiraki
VOICE ONE:
This is Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Shirley Griffith with the VOA Special English program, EXPLORATIONS. Today we tell about an

American who was better known in Japan than in the United States. W. Edwards Deming was responsible for
shaping the industrial rebirth of Japan following World War Two.
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:

W. Edwards Deming was born in the state of Iowa in nineteen-hundred. His family soon moved to a small town
in Wyoming. His family was very poor. As a child, he earned money for his family by working after school
carrying wood and coal to a nearby hotel.
This early experience had a lasting¹ effect. It reportedly gave Mister² Deming a deep sympathy
for poor people and a bitter hatred³ of waste.

Mister Deming said that his parents believed in the importance of education, although his
family did not have very much money. He was able to attend the University of Wyoming
where he studied engineering⁴. He earned a Masters' degree in mathematics and physics from
the University of Colorado. He received a doctorate⁵ in physics from Yale University in
nineteen-twenty-eight.

VOICE TWO:

After he graduated from Yale, Mister Deming worked as a federal⁶ government employee in Washington for
several years. He later joined the Census⁷ Bureau⁸ as its chief mathmetician. He developed many new methods for
collecting information about the population of the United States.

In nineteen -forty-seven, he was sent to Japan to help with population studies there. Japan was governed by an
occupying force led by American General Douglas MacArthur in the first years after World War Two. One of
General MacArthur's goals was to rebuild Japanese industry.

VOICE ONE:

Mister Deming already was recognized for his knowledge about the operation of companies. During the war, he
had developed a plan to train American engineers in ideas needed to improve production.

Japanese industrial leaders were especially interested in learning⁹ his ideas. They knew that Japan lacked many
natural resources. They believed that their country would be successful only if Japanese companies could sell
goods on world markets. So, they invited Mister Deming to teach them his methods to produce the best-made
goods possible.

In nineteen -fifty, Mister Deming taught for eight days in Japan. Eighty percent of Japan's top business and
industrial leaders attended the classes. He told them that they could do a better job than American companies if
they would try to fill the demands of people who buy their products. He discussed ways to produce goods that
would not break or wear out easily. His main ideas became known as methods of quality control.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))


VOICE TWO:

In general, W Edwards Deming believed that managers who supervised¹⁰ workers -- and not the workers -- were
responsible for most production problems. He said effective managers should spend most of their time setting¹¹
goals for the company. He said managers should communicate with their workers. And he said cooperation, not
competition, was important in a company.

Mister Deming rejected the idea of using inspectors¹² to judge the work of company employees. He denounced¹³
company rules that set production limits for workers. He also criticized¹⁴ the system of giving workers money
awards.

Mister Deming argued that the real secret to producing better goods is to depend on workers to do the job
correctly the first time. He often said people have the right to enjoy their work and feel that they have control
over their job. He believed that people do their best work when they are urged to use their minds and their skills
on the job.

VOICE ONE:

Mister Deming believed that another important goal for any company is to work to reduce waste. Motions¹⁵ by a
worker that do not add value to the final product are waste, he said. So are supplies that companies do not use for
long periods of time.

Mister Deming also was known for his money-saving methods in his personal life. One of his daughters says he
would write dates on eggs in the refrigerator. He was sure then that the oldest egg would be eaten first. No egg
would be wasted!

((MUSIC BRIDGE))

VOICE TWO:

Japanese companies closely¹⁶ followed Mister Deming's advice about industrial management. In about twenty
years, products made by Japanese companies easily beat their competition in international markets. For example,
Japanese companies, like Sony and Panasonic, almost forced American television and radio industries out of
business. At about the same time, Japanese car companies captured¹⁷ huge markets once led by the American
automobile¹⁸ industry.

VOICE ONE:

After Mister Deming's first trip to Japan, the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers collected his notes.
They published the ideas as a book named, "Elementary Principles of the Statistical¹⁹ Control of Quality."

Mister Deming refused to accept any money earned from the book. Instead, he suggested that the money be used
to support efforts aimed at improving production. So the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers created the
Deming Prize. It rewards companies that produce some of the best designed goods. The award became one of the
most highly²⁰ sought prizes by Japanese companies. Yet, the man recognized for leading Japan's industrial
revolution remained almost unknown in the United States.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))

VOICE TWO:

By nineteen-eighty, American industries were in trouble. Japanese products continued to be leading sellers²¹ in all
major markets.

American managers sought to find ways to compete with Japanese companies. They finally began to notice W.
Edwards Deming.

VOICE ONE:

The Ford²² Motor Company was one of the first large American companies to seek help from Mister Deming. Ford


officials asked him to visit their headquarters²³ in Michigan in nineteen-eighty-one. The company's sales were
falling. Ford was losing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Ford officials were expecting to learn quick new ways to improve their cars. Mister Deming, instead, began
questioning the company's culture and the way its managers operated. He told the officials that management
actions are responsible for eighty-five percent of all problems in developing better cars.

Ford officials followed his advice. In a few years, Ford Motor Company led the American automobile industry in
improvements²⁴.

VOICE TWO:

As the success of Ford Motor Company grew, demand for Mister Deming's services increased. He worked only
with a small number of companies. He also refused to provide advice for companies that did not let him meet
with their top officials. He said that the only way to bring about change was to have direct meetings with top level
company managers.

Companies that followed Mister Deming's methods often found that they had to change the way they operated.
For example, separate parking spaces and dining rooms for company officials were taken away. Factory workers
thought that special treatment for managers was unfair. The move helped show workers that managers really did
want to work with them as equals.

VOICE ONE:

W. Edwards Deming continued to give educational speeches to managers until shortly before his death In
Nineteen-Ninety-Three. He was ninety-three years old.
In recent years, many American businessmen and managers were influenced by Mister Deming's theories.
Former President Bill Clinton said the theories of W. Edwards Deming led to the effort to reinvent government in
the nineteen-nineties.

Former Labor²⁵ Secretary Robert Reich said Mister Deming's advice resulted not just in better goods and services,
but in better lives for millions of people.

Business experts say W. Edwards Deming's ideas about business should continue to find new life in companies
throughout the world.

((THEME))

VOICE TWO:

This Special English program was written by Gayle Shiraki and directed by Cynthia Kirk. This is Shirley
Griffith.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another EXPLORATIONS program on the Voice of
America.

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1 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

2 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

3 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

4 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

5 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

6 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

7 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

8 bureau   

n.提供或收集消息的机构；局，司，处；署

参考例句：

• The weather bureau makes daily reports on weather conditions.气象局每天报告天气状况。
• The Tourist Bureau arranged everything for our journey to Rome.旅游局已为我们去罗马旅行准备了一切。

9 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

10 supervised   

v.监督，管理( supervise的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The architect supervised the building of the house. 建筑工程师监督房子的施工。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He supervised and trained more than 400 volunteers. 他指导和培训了400多名志愿者。 来自辞典例句

11 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

12 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 denounced   

公开指责( denounce的过去式和过去分词 )； 揭发； 告发； 通知废止

参考例句：

• She publicly denounced the government's handling of the crisis. 她公开谴责政府处理这场危机的方式。
• He was denounced as a foreign spy. 有人告发他是外国间谍。

14 criticized   

vt.批评(criticize的过去式)v.评论，批评( criticize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The decision was criticized by environmental groups. 这个决定受到了环保团体的批评。
• The movie has been criticized for apparently legitimizing violence. 这部电影因明显地美化暴力而受到了指责。

15 motions   

n.（物体的）运动( motion的名词复数 )；提议；通便

参考例句：

• She just went through the motions of being a poetess. 她只不过装成一个女诗人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always accompanied his speech with motions. 他讲演时总是伴以手势。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

17 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

18 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

19 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。

20 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

21 sellers   

n.卖者( seller的名词复数 )；卖方；销售者；销售商

参考例句：

• buyers and sellers transacting business 进行交易的买方和卖方
• All manner of hawkers and street sellers were plying their trade. 形形色色的沿街小贩都在做着自己的买卖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

23 headquarters   

n.司令部，指挥部；总部，总店

参考例句：

• Several great guns from the headquarters are coming to see us today.总部的几个大人物今天要来看我们。
• The bank has its headquarters in Pairs.这家银行的总行在巴黎。

24 improvements   

增加或修改( improvement的名词复数 )； 改进； 改善； 改良

参考例句：

• improvements in efficiency at the factory 工厂效率的提高
• They've spent a lot of money on home improvements. 他们花了很多钱装修家居。

25 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。