Kaoru Ishikawa
| Kaoru Ishikawa | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 13, 1915 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | April 16, 1989 (aged 73) |
| Citizenship | Japan |
| Fields | quality, chemical engineering |
| Institutions | University of Tokyo, Musashi Institute of Technology |
| Alma mater | University of Tokyo |
| Known for | Ishikawa diagram, quality circle |
| Notable awards | Walter A. Shewhart Medal, Order of the Sacred Treasures |
Kaoru Ishikawa (石川 馨 Ishikawa Kaoru?, July 13, 1915 – April 16, 1989) was a Japanese organizational theorist, Professor at the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Tokyo, noted for his quality management innovations. He is considered a key figure in the development of quality initiatives in Japan, particularly the quality circle. He is best known outside Japan for the Ishikawa or cause and effect diagram (also known as fishbone diagram) often used in the analysis of industrial processes.
Born in Tokyo, the oldest of the eight sons of Ichiro Ishikawa. In 1939 he graduated University of Tokyo with an engineering degree in applied chemistry. After graduating from the University of Tokyo he worked as a naval technical officer from 1939-1941. Between 1941-1947 Ishikawa worked at the Nissan Liquid Fuel Company. In 1947 Ishikawa started his academic career as an associate professor at the University of Tokyo. He undertook the presidency of the Musashi Institute of Technology in 1978.
In 1949, Ishikawa joined the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) quality control research group. After World War II Japan looked to transform its industrial sector, which in North America was then still perceived as a producer of cheap wind-up toys and poor quality cameras. It was his skill at mobilizing large groups of people towards a specific common goal that was largely responsible for Japan's quality-improvement initiatives. He translated, integrated and expanded the management concepts of W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran into the Japanese system.
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