Category Archives: Economics

Burning Toast: American Health System Style

Posted on October 4, 2016 by John Hunter

Democrats and Republicans have created a health care system in the USA over the last 40 years that “burns toast” at an alarming rate. As the symptoms of their health care system are displayed they call in people to blame … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health care, Management, Public Sector | Tagged blame, Economics, global, government, health care system, organization as a system | Comments Off

Decades Later The USA Health Care System is Still a Deadly Disease for Our Economy

Posted on March 30, 2016 by John Hunter

Decades ago W. Edwards Deming named 7 deadly diseases of western management. One of those was excessive health care costs. Sadly that deadly disease has become much worse in the last several decades. Americans pay 300% more for this prostate … Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Economics, Health care | Tagged deadly diseases, Deming, Economics, government, Health care, patent | 3 Comments

Kleptocrat CEOs and Their Apologists

Posted on March 10, 2014 by John Hunter

I am disgusted by the lack of ethical and moral fiber of many CEOs of the largest corporations (along with their cronies and apologists) in the USA. This lack comes out in many ways (see all the scandals at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Investing, Psychology | Tagged business, commentary, ethics, executive pay, Investing, overpaid executives, respect for people | 2 Comments

Manufacturing Outlook and History In the USA and Globally

Posted on February 27, 2014 by John Hunter

I write primarily about management improvement on this blog – which makes sense given the title. In the very early days I had more on investing, economic data, science, engineering and travel. Then I created three new blogs (Curious Cat … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Manufacturing | Tagged China, Data, economic data, economy, Germany, Japan, Manufacturing, USA | 1 Comment

Business 901 Podcast: Two New Deadly Diseases for Business

Posted on February 4, 2013 by John Hunter

I continue to record podcasts as I promote my new book – Management Matters: Building Enterprise Capability. In this podcast I discuss the 2 new deadly diseases facing companies. The second part of the Business 901 podcast will be posted … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Economics, Management | Tagged copyright, Deming, Economics, government, John Hunter, management, overpaid executives, patent, podcast | 1 Comment

The Market Discounts Proven Company Leadership Far Too Quickly

Posted on January 28, 2013 by John Hunter

Developing a strong executive leadership culture is not a short term effort. It isn’t based on one person. It almost never deteriorates quickly. Yet markets continually overact to minor blips on the long term success of companies. I think this … Continue reading →

Posted in Data, Economics, Investing | Tagged business, commentary, Investing, leadership, stockholders, Toyota | 1 Comment

Using Incentives to Guide Social System Improvements

Posted on December 5, 2012 by John Hunter

When confronted with the challenge of managing a social system (or market) I like to find ways to use a few simple rules that will guide the system to find improvements. I favor allowing participants in complex social system to … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Economics, Public Sector, Systems thinking | Tagged Creativity, Economics, leadership, Systems thinking | 2 Comments

New Deadly Diseases

Posted on August 29, 2012 by John Hunter

Management and the economy keep evolving. Many good things happen. In the last decade the best things are probably the increased deep adoption of lean thinking in many organizations and the adoption of lean and Deming methods in software development … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Deming, Economics, Innovation, Lean thinking, Management, quote, Systems thinking | Tagged Creativity, curiouscat, Deming, executive pay, Innovation, John Hunter, lean management, lean manufacturing, overpaid executives, Systems thinking | 12 Comments

Marketplace Looks at the Apple Economy

Posted on April 15, 2012 by John Hunter

Marketplace looks at the Apple economy in China [the broken link was removed]. Marketplace is an excellent source of actual journalism; rare in the post Bill Moyers days, sadly. A look inside a Foxconn factory< [the broken link was removed] … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Economics, Manufacturing | Tagged Apple, China, Economics, Manufacturing | 1 Comment

Looking at Auto Manaufacturing in the USA

Posted on February 6, 2012 by John Hunter

America’s Dirty War Against Manufacturing Bob Lutz, the former head of GM, says it was neither uncompetitive wages nor unions that drove the Big Three into decline. It was a management with its eye focused on the bottom line and … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Economics, Manufacturing | Tagged cars, Deming, economic data, economy, lean manufacturing, Manufacturing, Toyota, USA | 1 Comment