The Wit and Wisdom of Japanese Management: An Iconoclastic Analysis

As Japan’s economic success has continued, albeit somewhat bated, interest in the ‘secrets’ of Japanese-style management has grown considerably. Many people have expressed the need to transfer Japanese practices to Western firms, and various modes of transfer have been mentioned. First, the transfer could occur through the direct adoption of Japanese management practices by Western firms. Second, as Japanese firms invest increasingly in Western countries we can expect spillover effects resulting from interaction between the local population (workers, local managers, clients, suppliers, competitors) and Japanese management. Finally, many subsidiaries of Western firms in Japan (especially joint ventures) have had to adopt to Japanese conditions. It can be suggested that any benefits so gained (including better management practices) may be transferred back to the parent company, especially through the flow of personnel.