Kaizen management and corporate cohesion

Last registered on May 11, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Kaizen management and corporate cohesion
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0009492
Initial registration date
May 25, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 26, 2022, 11:45 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
May 11, 2026, 6:01 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
South Africa
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Yuki Higuchi
Affiliation
Sophia University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Justin Barnes
PI Affiliation
Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Anthony Black
PI Affiliation
University of Cape Town
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Keijiro Otsuka
PI Affiliation
Kobe University
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2022-06-01
End date
2025-12-31
Keywords
Firms & Productivity
Additional Keywords
Kaizen; management training; automotive industry; corporate cohesion
JEL code(s)
D2, L6, O1
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We conducted a randomized controlled trial of management trial in the automotive sector targeting Tier 2, mostly local suppliers. Our training featured the Kaizen approach, which is a Japan-pioneered production management approach. We analyze its impacts on adopted management practices, business performance, and corporate cohesion. Corporate cohesion has been one of the major social problems in this formally segregated country. We test whether the improved production management that requires the cooperation of managers and workers improves corporate cohesion.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Higuchi, Yuki et al. 2026. "Kaizen management and corporate cohesion ." AEA RCT Registry. May 11. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.9492-2.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention includes two phases of management training.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2022-08-01
Intervention End Date
2023-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
adopted management practices, business performance, corporate cohesion
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
A randomized controlled trial.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization will be done in the office by a computer after the baseline survey.
Randomization Unit
Firm
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
132 firms.
Sample size: planned number of observations
396 firm-year level observations.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
33 firms receive treatment A, 66 firms receive treatment B, and 33 firms remain control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
JICA Ogata Research Institute
IRB Approval Date
2022-05-12
IRB Approval Number
N/A.
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
December 31, 2024, 12:00 AM +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
December 31, 2025, 12:00 AM +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials