My Psychology of Business 101 professor told this anecdote in the 80's: IBM decided to use a Japanese subcontractor to make chips for the first time. Since the

My Psychology of Business 101 professor told this anecdote in the 80's: IBM decided to use a Japanese subcontractor to make chips for the first time. Since they didn't know what to expect, they put a clause in the contract stipulating "3 defects per 100,000." When they got the shipment, they also received a package with a letter: "We do not understand American business practices. Enclosed are your 3 defects." Quality is a cultural value that's built into the system and Boeings culture seems to be garbage. This is exactly what I thought of, when I head they were moving manufacturing to South Carolina. (I lived there while in grad school.)