Japanese management – is it possible in Western

culture

Daiga PlokštaDarja Panova

Anna StrēlnieceAdrian SpeckerIeva Krasovska

Caterina De StefaniGatis Sjanīts

Japan

• Japan– remarkable country;– interesting history;– wonderful nature;– unique culture

• Japan’s management models, principles and business approaches influence management theories and business operations in Western cultures.

Facts, which influenced development of Japanese management

Confucianism End of Japan’s Isolating policy•family spirit

•spirit of harmony•collectivism•respect of superior •importance of relationships, goodness,•good manners•trust

•increased unity of Japanese people

Japan is open to Western world

Industrialization

Japanese management style

WORK-ORIENTEDAREA

PEOPLE-ORIENTEDAREA

Production and engineering functions

Human resources management

PEOPLE-ORIENTED AREA Long-term horizon VS. short term horizon

key-role of the human resources

- fresh graduates, lifetime employment, seniority wage system

- hiring and promotion based on the basis of anticipated future needs VS.

current needs

human oriented VS. system oriented “groupthink”mentality

Japanese management philosophy: traditional family values to group settings

Contracts expression of willingness VS. specific set of promises and limitations

Japanese management philosophy -> ownership structure

Companyism VS. Capitalism

Continuously improving products, kaizen method VS. developing innovative new products

-the Just in Time production system

-subcontracting and quality control

Work oriented area

-Producing and dispatching

Japanese management philosophy

• A cost effective system for integrating the continuous quality improvement efforts of people at all levels in the organization to deliver products and services which ensure consumer satisfaction

• produce and serve the quality the customers need in a most economic manner

Goal of Total Quality Management

Critic: more stress for the workers due to „Just in Time“

Meetings• For Japanese - a forum of information exchange where

everyone is updated on necessary issues;• For British managers - debates and decision taking

during the time of a meeting.• A meeting seen by Japanese:‘British try to get some sort of a result out of a meeting

rather than have a common knowledge and reach a similar level of understanding before decision making’ (Wingrove: 44).

• A meeting seen by British:‘ The role of the meeting is quite different. Meetings are

not there to decide policy; they are there for information to be passed amongst managers. Decision making during a meeting is very rare and they are awful at running meetings. There is no chair’ (Wingrove: 44).

Language• Japanese have a tendency to issue orders

rather than ask, "Please, would you mind doing such and such"

• The British are much more outspoken and direct which can cause offence to the Japanese who perceive it to be a rudeness.

• Some misunderstandings occur because the Japanese avoid speaking directly about themselves

Decision making

• The British finds the decision- making process slow because so many people needed to be involved or informed, Japanese system is found inflexible and unable to work effectively in fast moving environments.

• The classic Japanese practice of agreement management is not really democratic participation in the decision making, but rather the gathering of ideas and views of all people involved in the issue.

Managing others

• A fundamental difference in the role of the manager in both cultures.

• British – a manager should be further along the spectrum of being a leader and decision maker, it doesn't dabble in details, trusts staff to get on with their jobs.

• Japanese - the co-ordinator, the one who knows all the details of the subordinates' work and loyally follows all instructions.

• The Japanese do not associate the specific tasks of the manager with either his title or his salary;

• Promotions occur once a year;• Japanese have difficulty to understand the

British desire to match job with salary and title;

• Japanese managers commonly involve themselves in the detail of subordinates' work which demotivates local staff;

• The Japanese exhibit a strong commitment to training;

• The Japanese are extremely motivated people in their work and expect local staff to do the same;

• Locals believe of greater opportunities for self-development in a Japanese company

• British believe that Japanese bosses were very uncomfortable with the annual review and appraisal system expected in the UK as the Japanese do not like to discuss money, nor do they find it easy to give direct explicit feedback on performance.

Conclusions

• The Japanese and Western management are very different

• The Japanese cherish their ethnical values and implement them when business

• The main goal of Japanese is to work efficiently in one team, to trust each other, to contribute in company's history

Conclusions

• Europeans prefer individual type of work, they try to develop themselves, their professional level

• The main goal of a Western company is gaining profit and keep up with the economical growth

• In spite of the vast differences between these cultures, Japanese management is very welcome in Western countries

Conclusions

• The work relations between Japanese management and Western management are carried out with the help of multinational company creation

• Nissan and Toyota in the UK. Japanese subsidiaries increased productivity and quality

Discussion

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sllusobfs9w

• “Ocha-kumi” – women are expected to serve tea, coffee or water to their male colleagues

• A tradition since the World War 2• The women feel discriminated• Their efficiency is not high enough

References• Wingrove, T. (1995) Japanese management style in Europe and how to work with

it. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 2 (2): 42-48.• - Particularities of Japanese Management, Kristina LAZARIDI, Journal of Business,

1(2):29-34,2012 ISSN:2233-369X• - Japanese Management, R. Anthony Inman and David A. Victor• - Japanese-style versus American-style Human Resource Management Overseas:

Examining Whether the Data Support the “Facts”, Schon Beechler, Michelle Najjar, Kristen Stucker & Allan Bird, Working Paper No. 105

• - JAPANESE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: INSPIRATIONS FROM ABROAD AND CURRENT TRENDS OF CHANGE, Markus Pudelko and Anne-Wil Harzing

• - Management Practices in the United States, Japan, and the People's Republic of China, Heinz Weihrich

• - Mission-Driven Organizations in Japan: Management Philosophy and Individual Outcomes, Yingyan Wang. Journal of Business Ethics

• - Japanese and American Management: A Contrast of Styles, Management world, CM article by and for CMS

Thank you for your attention!