Japanese management philosophy: can it be exported?
Japanese companies have many characteristics common to innovative organizations. Missions and goals are clearly stated. These motivate the employee and make it easier to introduce innovation. They also encourage more of a sense of involvement with the organization. Japanese corporations have growth oriented and long-range goals. This derives from the expectation of life-time employment. And pressure from shareholders is not as strong as in the U.K. The separation of management from ownership is well advanced with a management committee being in effective control. Group decisions tend to be innovative, in part due to the high number of university graduates. Japanese management thus remains sensitive to new technology and new ideas. Many characteristics of Japanese management do not originate in the uniqueness of their culture but rather in the positive introduction of new theory. Strategic decisions are made by top management. Formal long-range planning has a very high diffusion among large Japanese companies. Strategies are competition oriented. There is a long-term co-operative relation between the final products manufacturer and the parts manufacturers. There is also more use of internal growth and less use of acquisition.
D007564:Japan; D009934:Organization and Administration; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010934:Planning Techniques