Banishing the necktie: As automakers discover as much useful knowledge on the factory floor as in the executive suite, respect and productivity follow

Vice presidents wearing coveralls, lack of preferred parking spaces, and open offices may seem only token gestures, but simple measures like these symbolize an upheaval in the way U.S. automakers now manage production-line workers. More practical measures that are beginning to be adopted widely in the United States include arranging workers in teams, permitting any worker to stop the production line to fix a problem, eliminating job classifications, and mutual planning by managers and United Auto Workers (UAW) union representatives. The Japanese philosophy of making all workers as equal as possible has invaded U.S. manufacturing plants.