Jeffrey K. Liker (b. 1955), University of Michigan professor whose the-toyota-way (2004) became the bestselling book on TPS. Liker spent over 20 years studying Toyota and organized TPS into 14 management principles across four categories: long-term philosophy, the right process produces the right results, add value by developing people, and continuously solving root problems drives organizational learning. While Womack/Jones focused on the production system (flow, pull, waste elimination), Liker emphasized the management and cultural dimensions — the "respect for people" pillar that many Western lean implementations neglected. The book's popularity made "the Toyota Way" a common synonym for TPS, though Toyota practitioners distinguish between the two.