Suchergebnisse

Proposes that features unique to Japanese industrial management
practice such as excessive emphasis on training, a mainly intuitive,
pragmatic approach to problems of productivity and quality (as against
exclusive dependence on scientific methods), the ethos of hard work, the
quest for continuous performance improvement, and stress on
self‐reliance in technology derive from the component of Japanese
culture known as Zen Buddhism. Zen has always been associated with
practical, economic pursuits; examination of its philosophy and
techniques gives insight into the values underlying modern management in
Japan.

All human activities involve a dimension of time. Usually, the accomplishment of a stated task within lesser duration, other parameters remaining unchanged, entails superior performance. The factor of time is particularly important in economic endeavours. Thus, in manufacturing situations, functions such as forecasting, goal‐setting, planning, scheduling, evaluation and control become significant. The efficiency with which these tasks are accomplished, to an extent, determines the performance of the firm. Similarly, the time taken to complete a commercial project acquires importance. If an undertaking is unduly delayed, goods and services produced by it frequently turn out to be less economical because of cost escalations.

Management practices in Japan differ from those prevalent in the West partly because of different cultural assumptions regarding the basic character of humanity itself. Whereas opinion in Western tradition tends to favour the pessimistic assumption, Japanese tradition (as represented, particularly, by Confucianism) has always held man′s nature to be intrinsically good. Confucian ideology has been gradually absorbed into business management, and various well‐known features of Japanese management such as emphasis on personal relations, informal superior‐subordinate ties, consensus oriented decision making, and life‐time employment derive from the notion of the individual′s intrinsic virtuousness.