Emphasis on the Group
In
the corporate world, the Japanese enterprise becomes a
social as well as economic group that is quasi-tribal
and permeates the lives of its
employees. A
Japanese company is regarded as a community with a
common destiny. It is able to elicit worker attitudes
similar to school spirit, patriotism, and
religious fervor. Group cohesion is buttressed by
several other means like morning calisthenics, company
songs, and recitations of the company creed. An emphasis
on broad social goals and service to society further
enhances group consciousness. They also emphasize a
united company spirit through company traditions,
history, atmosphere, and discipline. The strength of the
group identity gives rise to some interesting operations
characteristics of
Japanese business.
Emphasis on Human Relationships
In
Japanese companies, the permanence of the group forces
managers to place more emphasis on people than on the
system. They place great weight on the quality of the
people in the organization and on maintaining
harmonious relationships among them. This emphasis
on human relations can be seen in careful recruitment
practices, a concern for the whole employee, harmonious
resolution of conflicts, and
ambiguity in expressing differences, which minimize
hurt feelings and allows for
face saving.
Managers as Generalists
In
Japan, top management is rich in experience and has been
with the company for long time. Managers tend to be
generalists and facilitators - much like the elders of a
tribe. Actual
decisions tend to be made by middle managers after
consultation with superiors and then circulated for
final approval. Responsibility is widely dispersed, and
the system is highly flexible. In addition to
obvious
cultural uniqueness of Japan, the following
considerations could also be important:
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