What was the impact of management and efficiency of operation, production process, and improvement process within these companies? Surely not none. In the decades post WWII they were simply able to produce better product faster and with more predictability and consistency—that was not an accident, nor was it simply capacity, world economy, or internal policy.

"If Japan Can, Why Can't We?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcG_Pmt_Ny4

The opportunity still exists to make a sea change in industry through the widespread improvement of the management of people.