Japanese management style. Management solutions Japan

Management in Japan, as in any other country, reflects its historical characteristics, culture and social psychology. It is directly related to the socio-economic structure of the country. Japanese management methods are fundamentally different from European and American ones. This does not mean that the Japanese govern more effectively. Rather, we can say that the basic principles of Japanese and European management lie on different planes, with very few points of intersection. Japanese management is based on collectivism. He uses all the moral and psychological levers of influence on the individual. First of all, a sense of duty to the team, which in the Japanese mentality is almost identical to a feeling of shame. Considering that the tax system works to average the income and material condition of the population with its emphatically progressive fiscal mechanism, there is minimal wealth stratification in society, and this makes it possible to use the sense of collectivism as effectively as possible.

How does the Japanese management method differ from the methods used in most countries in Europe and America? First of all, its focus: the main subject of management in Japan is labor resources. The goal facing the Japanese manager is to increase the efficiency of the enterprise mainly by increasing labor productivity. Meanwhile, in European and American management the main goal is profit maximization, that is, obtaining the greatest benefit with the least effort.

According to Japanese management expert Hideri Yoshihara, there is six characteristic features of Japanese management:

1) Job security and creating an environment of trust. Such guarantees lead to workforce stability and reduce staff turnover. Stability serves as an incentive for workers and employees; it strengthens the sense of corporate community and harmonizes relations between ordinary employees and management. Freed from the nagging threat of layoffs and with a real opportunity for vertical advancement, workers are motivated to strengthen their sense of community with the company. Stability makes it possible to quantitatively increase management resources, on the one hand, and consciously direct their vector towards goals more significant than maintaining discipline, on the other. Job security in Japan is ensured by a system of lifetime employment - a unique phenomenon and in many ways incomprehensible to the European way of thinking.

2) Publicity and values ​​of the corporation. When all levels of management and workers begin to share a common base of information about the policies and activities of the firm, an atmosphere of participation and shared responsibility develops, which improves communication and increases productivity. In this regard, meetings and conferences in which engineers and administration workers take part produce significant results. The Japanese management system also tries to create a common basis for all employees of the company to understand corporate values, such as the priority of quality service, cooperation between workers and management, cooperation and interaction of departments. Management strives to continually instill and support corporate values ​​at all levels.

3) Information-based management. The collection of data and its systematic use to improve economic efficiency of production, quality of production and quality of products is given special importance. Managers review revenue, production volume, quality and gross receipts monthly to see if numbers are on track and to see early challenges ahead.

4) Quality-oriented management. Company presidents at Japanese enterprises most often talk about the need for quality control. When managing the production process, their main concern is obtaining accurate quality data. The personal pride of the manager lies in consolidating quality control efforts, and ultimately, in the operation of the production area entrusted to him with the highest quality.

5) Constant presence of management in production. To cope with difficulties and to help solve problems as they arise, the Japanese often station management personnel directly on the production premises. As each problem is solved, small innovations are introduced, leading to the accumulation of additional innovations. In Japan, the innovation proposal system and quality circles are widely used to promote incremental innovation.

6) Maintaining cleanliness and order. One of the significant factors for the high quality of Japanese goods is cleanliness and order in production. Managers establish procedures that would promote increased productivity and quality of work.

In general, Japanese management is characterized by an emphasis on improving human relations: consistency, collectivism, high moral qualities of workers and employees, job stability and harmonization of relations in the corporation between workers and managers.
1.1. Principles of Japanese management.

Modern management methods developed in Japan in the context of post-war devastation, which confronted leaders with the task of restoring social, political and economic life. Under the influence of the American occupation administration, future Japanese managers became acquainted with American ideology and business management methods. It was during this period that Japanese business leaders began to comprehend social responsibility for the consequences of their activities. This does not mean that Japan did not have an effective production management system before 1945. Back on May 5, 1932, K. Matsushita, the founder of the Matsushita Denki company, who in Japan is called the “all-powerful wizard of management” and “the founder of the creed of management,” gave a fiery speech to almost two hundred of his employees. It was on this day that he realized the purpose of the manufacturer: “The role of the manufacturer is to overcome poverty.”

The managers of Japanese enterprises, combining the application of traditional management methods with the theories and methods of American management, learning useful lessons from testing theory with practice, tried to find a new Japanese path of development.

As a result, the main features of the Japanese management system are determined by a number of concepts that are absent in the American model. The most important of these are the lifetime employment system and the collective decision-making process.

Japanese society is homogeneous and imbued with a spirit of collectivism. The Japanese always think on behalf of groups. A person realizes himself, first of all, as a member of a group, and his individuality as a unique part of the whole. The guiding principle of Japanese management is, according to E. Mayo, that work is a group activity. The question of which human traits will be strong enough to rely on in the context of rapid changes in social psychology and ethical values, for Japan, as for other countries, still remains open. Many researchers believe that even the seemingly most modern features of thinking and feeling of individuals and social groups are the product of past eras and will disappear as society develops.

Another important feature of Japanese management is the concept of continuous learning. The Japanese are confident that continuous learning leads to constant improvement of skills. Each person can significantly improve their performance through continuous learning. This leads to self-development. Having achieved results that bring moral satisfaction, a person approaches his goal on the path to self-realization. On the other hand, the purpose of training is to prepare for more responsible work and career advancement. But unlike the Western approach to management, the Japanese emphasize duty in mastering excellence without the expectation of any material gain. They have the belief that improving one's skill in itself can bring great satisfaction to a person.

The Japanese are receptive to new ideas. They love to learn from other people's mistakes and benefit from other people's experiences. They carefully observe what is happening in the world and systematically study information from abroad, borrowing and quickly assimilating new technological methods and processes. Japanese workers do not resist the introduction of new scientific and technological progress. Innovation is the basis of economic growth, and the Japanese are truly committed to it.

Thus, modern Japanese management has acquired a spirit of openness, which has made it possible to subordinate technological development to the solution of problems posed by life itself. The Japanese management system can be seen as a synthesis of imported ideas and cultural traditions. Therefore, in order to understand the nature of modern management thought in Japan, it is necessary to touch upon some features of the traditional culture of this country.

As noted, the Japanese management system has formed to date as an organic fusion of national traditions and advanced management experience. As for national traditions, their distinctive feature is that the Japanese prefer not to adhere to written rules. Their language, due to the hieroglyphic nature of writing, does not have the clear unambiguous definitions characteristic of European languages. The Japanese themselves write “... in traditional Japanese society there was no both a universal code of ethics and categorical religious precepts. There was not even a clear system of ideas about sin...” (M. Yoshino).

Chiye Nakane conducted a brilliant study on the types of relationships in groups in connection with the traditions of national cultures. He put forward the main provisions of the concept of analyzing the internal structure of social groups, dividing the types of relationships established between people into two: horizontal, as a set of individuals who have common traits (for example, people of the same profession) and vertical, in which individuals with different traits are connected by a certain social connection (for example, family, clan, club). It is the second, “vertical” type of relationship that is characteristic and determines the “face” of Japanese society.

The group to which a Japanese belongs is as important to him as his family. In a Japanese company, its head is like his father. Family members cooperate spontaneously. The atmosphere is informal. Internal conflicts are minimized, and friendly relations reign in the groups. In Japan, a company is considered an organic whole, a living organism endowed with a soul. The manager may change, but the company remains. The firm is considered to be a long-term organization because it guarantees lifetime employment.

The formula “enterprise is people” is the sincere belief of employers. Japanese managers instill in their employees not only technical skills, but also moral values.

The Ringi system of group decision-making can be seen as an outgrowth of the concept of “human potential.” According to it, responsibility for decision making is not personified. The entire group is responsible for the decision made. It is assumed that no one person has the right to make a decision alone. The essence of the Ringi system is that decisions must be made by consensus. The system requires that the decision be made by everyone. If someone is against it, then the proposal returns to its initiator. This approach is still retained, although the procedural part of the Ringi system has undergone changes. Each proposal is discussed in informal groups. A decision is never submitted for formal discussion without an informal one.

Here's how Richard Halloran describes the group decision-making process: “In a formal discussion, each member of the group expresses a small part of his thoughts on the matter, but never comes out with a complete convincing speech. The Japanese, having a highly sensitive ego, do not want to get into a state of being in minority or, even worse, with a dissenting opinion. They are afraid to accidentally offend a colleague with their harsh speech, which may contradict the opinion of their comrades. When the leader is sure that everyone basically agrees with the minimum decision, he summarizes the opinion of the group and asks if everyone agrees. , and looks around the room for nods of approval."

It must be clearly understood that the Japanese method assumes complete unanimity. This is not a majority decision. The Japanese abhor the tyranny of the majority. If there is no complete unanimity, the decision is not made. If a decision is opposed by the views of a small minority, he is persuaded to respect the views of the rest. This compromise position will be rewarded later. It is considered impolite for a Japanese to openly object to an elder or superior: disagreement must be expressed very diplomatically.

The Japanese allow in organizational life uncertainty, ambiguity, imperfection, like many other things that really exist. In addition, the Japanese feel much more interdependent. Therefore, they are ready to make constant efforts aimed at improving people and developing the ability to work effectively with each other.

In contrast to the traditional “X” and “Y” model of behavior, the Japanese have developed and successfully applied the “human potential” model, which emphasizes the idea that people need the opportunity to use and develop their abilities, receiving satisfaction from it. The concept of "human potential" advocates working conditions in which the employee's abilities are encouraged to develop, and the desire for self-direction and self-control is stimulated.

Here's what management researcher Ishikawa Kaoru advises Japanese middle managers:

1) The company’s need for an employee is determined by such qualities as speed of reaction, intelligence, and initiative.

2) The one who manages his subordinates is only half a leader. An accomplished leader can be called one who is able to manage his superiors.

3) Empowering subordinates with rights stimulates the comprehensive development of their abilities and activates their creative potential. The leader is the educator of his subordinates. He must share his knowledge and accumulated experience with them directly in the workplace. One of the methods of personnel training is to empower subordinates with the necessary rights, allowing them to resolve issues at their own discretion, but taking into account compliance with the requirements of the overall strategy of the company.

4) Do not strive to constantly monitor the reaction of senior management to the results of work.

5) Middle managers and their subordinates are responsible for the accuracy of information about the results of their work.

6) Middle management is responsible for the activities of quality circles.

7) Cooperation and communication with other departments is management by function.

8) Orientation towards the future is the key to the company’s successful activities. The head of the company must focus his work 10 years ahead, a senior manager - 5 years, and a department head - 3 years.

Management power in Japan is believed to be legitimate and is therefore readily accepted and respected. Workers feel that their managers are more educated and competent. Managers do not have excessive privileges that could cause jealousy. Their salaries and other rewards are considered modest in comparison to their merits. And effective management is a necessary condition for the prosperity of the workers themselves.

Thus, in Japan, behavior in an organization has its own characteristics, namely:

behavior is determined by vertical communication in the structure of the company, which contributes to the reliability and satisfaction of its members;

the strategic focus of the corporate spirit leads to harmony of interests and results;

the group decision-making system stimulates the use of the potential of each employee in achieving the goals and objectives of the enterprise.

The last step is the submission of the draft branch plan. This estimate is called a document bearing the royal seal. The ceremony of this handover is a purely Japanese peculiarity, because the "royal seal document" is considered to be a contract between the president of the company and the manager of the branch. Each manager is responsible only for the implementation of the points of this plan. The choice of method for implementing the plan is left to the branch manager. Obviously, this approach to management requires the manager to have a high sense of responsibility and self-control. It should be noted that management control over the implementation of assigned tasks is carried out not by adopting certain directives, as is customary in traditional management, but by providing assistance and identifying weak links in the production process. Thus, they associate the word control not with the “detection-punishment” model, but with the “check-help” model.

In order not to be tempted by subjectivity, Japanese managers use statistical methods wherever possible. The Japanese believe in numbers. They try to quantify all aspects of the business. And they do it with their usual diligence and impeccability.

To maintain discipline and improve quality, Japanese management relies more on rewards than punishment. Rewards are based on helpful suggestions, saving lives in accidents, outstanding performance in training courses, excellent performance of duties, and "dedication to one's work as a model for one's colleagues." These rewards can be different: certificates, gifts or money, additional leave. Punishments include reprimands, fines and dismissals. The latter are allowed in cases of theft, bribery, cruelty, and deliberate disobedience to the instructions of elders. In addition to stimulation, the Japanese actively use the practice of declaring corporate slogans and principles. For example, Hitachi put forward three principles in its corporate manifesto: sincerity, a spirit of optimism and ultimate harmony.

Thus, the Japanese control system can be characterized as humane, striving to predominate the impact of reward over punishment.

1.4. Human Resources Management
One of the distinctive aspects of the Japanese management system is personnel management. Corporations strive to manage their employees in such a way that they perform as efficiently as possible. To achieve this goal, Japanese corporations use American personnel management techniques: effective wage systems, analysis of labor and workplace organization, and employee certification. At the same time, unlike American systems, they place great emphasis in their motivation on the loyalty of employees to their companies, which helps strengthen morale and achieve high labor efficiency.

The Japanese employee, from the very beginning of his work, completely identifies himself with the corporation that hired him. At the same time, the management system strives to strengthen this identification, bringing it to the point of sacrificing the interests of the company. Both senior officials and ordinary executives consider themselves representatives of the corporation. In Japan, every employee is convinced that he is an important and necessary person for the company - this is one of the manifestations of identifying himself with the company. Another manifestation is that a Japanese employee, in response to a question about his occupation, names the company where he works. Many employees rarely take rest days, and often do not fully use their paid vacation, because they believe that it is their duty to work when the company needs it, thereby showing their loyalty to the company.

Lifetime employment is not a legal right. His statement is a tribute to a tradition that may have originated in a primitive community and received a complete form in Japanese feudal society. The company takes moral care of its employees until retirement. The staff is staffed on the basis of personal qualities, biographical data and character. Loyalty is valued more than competence. Every worker is treated like a family member. Likewise, if financial difficulties arise, everyone bears the reduction in income with dignity.

Japanese managers believe that people are their greatest asset. When selecting applicants for top-level management, the ability to manage people is most valued.

The American firm strives for efficiency, achieved through high specialization and strict delineation of responsibilities.

The American company and the union agreed that promotion from one level to another in the hierarchy of jobs, as well as the movement of an employee from a higher level to a lower one in the event of a reduction in the number of workers, should be based on two criteria - the merits and length of service of the employee. However, in practice, the criterion of length of service in most cases is the main one.

The duration of employment contracts can be several years, consistent with the usual length of collective bargaining agreements used in the United States. Contract work is standardized under union control in such a way that fixing wages throughout the contract period is theoretically possible and effective only for a risk-neutral employer and a risk-averse employee.

Remuneration

The remuneration of a worker at an American firm is determined by the category of the workplace to which he is assigned.

The American company operates in a social atmosphere that promotes equality. Accordingly, workers here are more mobile and easily change their place of work in search of better individual opportunities. In such an environment, the role of managers is precarious and must be constantly reaffirmed by institutionalizing a hierarchical information structure within the firm, and the threat of dismissal is an important disciplinary measure for managers. On the other hand, the development of a functional hierarchy based on high specialization and clear classification of work tasks helps create a standardized labor market within and outside the firm and encourages workers to be more mobile. These cause-and-effect relationships mean decentralization of personnel management.

Managers of a US firm have less freedom to set individual pay rates, which depend mainly on staffing (a single pay level for each full-time position) and length of service.

Of course, there is a threat of an unfair decision when the boss evaluates the merits of a subordinate. But control by the trade union of enterprise workers and the centralization of personnel from the service can partly mitigate this undesirable effect. First, the merit evaluation procedure is formalized and standardized by the human resources department to ensure that an individual supervisor cannot make a biased decision. Second, the average worker is evaluated by many different managers over the course of his or her career due to job rotation patterns for both superiors and subordinates. Third, many companies allow dissatisfied employees to contact the human resources department to transfer them to another workshop. In this case, the HR department can satisfy the employee’s request or verify the correctness and objectivity of his boss’s assessments. Fourth, a manager's reputation among his subordinates has a direct impact on his own career. In other words, the boss is the subject of informal counter-observation by subordinates.

Payments that depend on the employee's position are closely related to payments that depend directly on the employee, although in principle they are determined according to the American job evaluation scheme. In addition to contract payments, employees receive a 25% premium for any overtime work and twice-yearly bonuses.

Trade union in an American company

The legal basis for organizing a trade union in the United States is fundamentally different from that in Japan. In the United States, labor group members who officially win a majority of votes in elections supervised by the National Labor Relations Board are granted exclusive rights by their local union to represent workers and negotiate with management. The workers' representatives in the negotiations are members of a "sectoral" trade union (formed on the basis of membership in a particular profession). However, despite this, most collective agreements in the manufacturing industry are reached at the enterprise level.

In the US, the best strategy for an industry union to secure the support of a majority of individual members is to represent the interests of the average voter on the issue. This fact explains why the American union is concerned more with wage issues than with providing job security, as long as there is no real threat of mass layoffs. When using the seniority rule in employment decisions, the youngest workers are most vulnerable to dismissal, and the “average” union member, usually with average years of service, would normally be well protected from the threat of dismissal.

3. Comparative analysis of the application of American and Japanese management models in Ukraine

For Ukraine, a review of the fundamental changes that are taking place in the field of management is of particular importance, as the socio-economic system continues to change. New economic conditions require new approaches to management. Hence, the need to decisively break the stereotypes of thinking that have developed over a long time comes to the forefront.

In order to construct a management model for Ukraine, it is necessary to consider crisis phenomena in domestic management, features of the Ukrainian character and the transition period.

Professor B. Budzan, thoroughly studying the features of Ukrainian management, notes that there is a management crisis in the state. One of its reasons is the loss of controllability due to the disruption of social structures through excessive centralization.

Another reason for the management crisis is that the planned economy failed to create in Ukrainian management traditions of accuracy, punctuality, the ability to manage one’s own time and the time of subordinates, to create mechanisms to counter subjective emergency, spontaneity, campaignism, etc.

To understand the modern problems of Ukrainian management, it is necessary to analyze management methods in the administrative-command system. Their essence:

In the 50s of our century, the whole world admired American management, the essence of which was the ability to create a system that corresponded to the conditions of a particular production and environment. The main task of the manager was declared to be the ability to manage the system, that is, to rebuild it in accordance with changing conditions. It was assumed that by creating a system, it would be possible to put a person in conditions where he is interested and able to act in the interests of the enterprise. All this is recognized by Japanese managers today. But in addition to the external influence on a person through the system, the direct influence on his consciousness - ideological control - seems no less important. It is ideological management that is especially necessary when it comes to product quality. Why?

Firstly, material and moral incentives involve evaluating performance results. The assessment must be carried out by someone external to the employee. But is this always possible when it comes to product quality? Not always, because many product properties cannot be assessed by external inspection; they can only appear after several years of operation. The slogan “Conscience is the best controller” is very deep in its essence. Only, unfortunately, having announced the correct slogan, we did little to implement this idea. If you can convince and educate a person that, regardless of someone else’s assessment and subsequent incentives, he wants and knows how to work well, then you can be confident in the high quality of the product.

Secondly, constant changes in product design and production technology and technical means do not allow detailed standards, technological and organizational instructions to be changed with the same speed. Therefore, today it is impossible to give an employee a set of ready-made decisions so that all he has to do is implement them conscientiously. It is necessary to significantly expand the limits of independence of an employee at any level. Under these conditions, the choice of the most rational solution largely depends on the employee’s internal desire to create impeccably high-quality products. Developing ideas that are understandable to the employees of the enterprise, and the ability to make these ideas the employees’ own convictions, becomes no less important a manager’s task than managing the system. The person himself falls into the category of management targets. In this case, the system should be such that it does not so much force the employee to do what is necessary, but rather creates conditions that do not interfere with his desire to produce high-quality products.

“Japanese corporations tend to rely more on people than on the system. American corporations, on the contrary, rely more on the system,” writes Toyohiro Kono on this issue (12).

One of the creators of the Japanese management system, Koyosuke Matsushita, developed a corporate code of conduct at his company “Matsushita Denki”. Having mastered the company's code of conduct, newly hired employees attend classes where they are taught: “If you make an accidental mistake, the company will forgive you. If you deviated from the moral code of the company, you will not be forgiven.” Let us present this code.

« Our principles. Awareness of our responsibility in the progress and enhancement of the well-being of our society. Dedication of oneself to the further development of world civilization.

Our credo. The progress of civilization is not an abstraction. We all contribute to it together. Each of us must constantly remember this. Full dedication to the company is the key to success.

Our spiritual values:

1. Serving the nation through improved production

2. Honesty

3. Harmony and cooperation

4. Struggle for quality

5. Dignity and submission

6. Identification with the company

7. Gratitude to the company.”

This code is based on national traditions. The Japanese have always been instilled with the idea that they should first of all take care of filling the “national vessel”. The Japanese religion of Shinto and Japaneseized Buddhism are imbued with the national spirit. Serving one's country through the success of a company, which, first of all, depends on the quality of its products, can motivate complete dedication much more than the desire to increase profits. The book “Human Resource Management in Japan” cites the testimony of a foreign engineer who was undergoing an internship at one of the factories of the Matsushita Denki company: “Every morning before the start of the working day, we lined up and all together loudly pronounced the moral code. Matsushita emphasized seven spiritual values. At first we thought this was very funny, but gradually we realized how much this philosophy affects the minds and hearts of workers. We felt it ourselves." Of course, persuasion does not lie in reciting a code. First of all, numerous examples prove the legitimacy of the thoughts concentrated in it. Daily repetition is only a way, with the help of symbolism, to revive the entire complex of thoughts, beliefs, and sensations that appeared in the employee after conversations, lectures, reading books, watching television films, aimed at forming an appropriate worldview. But a person, imbued with this worldview, without commands, without coercion, makes and implements decisions aimed at achieving a goal that corresponds to his conviction. Japanese managers say that the performer himself always knows better than others how to do the job well. It's important that he wants it. Ishikawa writes: “I am a proponent of quality management based on faith in people and their good qualities. If a leader does not trust his subordinates and exercises strict control and frequent checks, he cannot be a good leader.” The task of the company's management, in his opinion, is to determine the goals and objectives in the field of quality and the ability to convince all employees of their correctness. Finding solutions to achieve goals is the prerogative of employees at the appropriate level. Whoever does the work must look for solutions.

The following example is instructive in this regard. The American bank invited a Japanese specialist to the position of president, while the Americans remained as vice presidents. When, after some time, they were asked their opinion about the Japanese president, they said the following: “He is certainly democratic, pleasant to talk to, he raised our wages, but he gives the impression of an incompetent specialist. When we turn to him with specific questions, instead of giving a clear answer, he begins to tell us about the goals of the bank.” This assessment revealed two different approaches to managing the firm. Americans are accustomed to the fact that the decision comes from the leader, but the Japanese believe that his task is to convince his subordinates of the correctness of his views on the problem. Therefore, the Japanese consider the formation of a worldview to be the most important task of education. To achieve this, a wide variety of techniques are used, including those based on personal contacts. Thus, the head of one textile company created bars at his enterprises with free drinks for workers, so that after work they would spend some time in the bar communicating with each other. He himself is constantly there, talking with workers in a relaxed atmosphere. At the same time, he forbade anyone to address him as a boss. When he was asked why this was necessary (to waste money and his time), he answered: “I want them to think like me.”

One may doubt the effectiveness of one or another method of ideological influence, but the concept itself, based on the dominant role of ideological influence, seems completely fair. Of course, this does not mean that all management is based only on ideological influence and that moral and material incentives are not used. They are also given great importance, but a person’s inner conviction is considered the deepest and most effective incentive.

“The perseverance, energy, and resourcefulness of a person who thinks he is acting voluntarily is immeasurably higher than that of one who is acting under compulsion,” is the credo of Japanese managers. And here is an assessment of their success by outside observers: “Japanese entrepreneurs, skillfully creating community orders, create conditions in which workers, having lost the ability to feel coercion, are filled with the desire to work for the entrepreneurs.”

And the efficiency of production and sales

IV. Human Resources Management

V. Quality control system

VI. Relations between management and trade unions in Japan

Conclusion


Key words:

· Quality control system (
QC); "quality circles"

· Collective decision making system

· Management concept

· Lifetime employment system

· Management strategy

· Conceptual guidelines of management

I. Introduction.

Japanese management methods are fundamentally different from European and American ones. This does not mean that the Japanese govern more effectively. Rather, we can say that the basic principles of Japanese and European management lie on different planes, with very few points of intersection.

How does the Japanese management method differ from those used in most countries in Europe and America? First of all, its focus: the main subject of management in Japan is labor resources. The goal that the Japanese manager sets for himself is to increase the efficiency of the enterprise mainly by increasing the productivity of workers. Meanwhile, in European and American management, the main goal is profit maximization, that is, obtaining the greatest benefit with the least effort. The difference in emphasis is obvious.

According to Japanese management expert Hideki Yoshihara, there are six characteristic features of Japanese management.

1) Job security and creating an environment of trust. Such guarantees lead to workforce stability and reduce staff turnover. Stability serves as an incentive for workers and employees; it strengthens the sense of corporate community and harmonizes relations between ordinary employees and management. Freed from the oppressive threat of layoffs and with a real opportunity for vertical advancement, workers are motivated to strengthen their sense of community with the company. Stability also helps to improve relationships between management-level employees and ordinary workers, which, according to the Japanese, is absolutely necessary to improve the company's performance. Stability makes it possible to quantitatively increase management resources, on the one hand, and consciously direct the vector of their activity towards goals more significant than maintaining discipline. Job security in Japan is ensured by a system of lifelong employment - a unique phenomenon and in many ways incomprehensible to the European way of thinking.

2) Publicity and corporate values. When all levels of management and workers begin to share a common base of information about the policies and activities of the company, an atmosphere of participation and shared responsibility develops, which improves communication and increases productivity. In this regard, meetings and conferences in which engineers and administration officials take part produce significant results. The Japanese management system also tries to create a common basis for all employees of the company to understand corporate values, such as the priority of quality service, services for the consumer, cooperation between workers and administration, cooperation and interaction of departments. Management strives to continually instill and support corporate values ​​at all levels.

3) Information-based management. Particular importance is attached to the collection of data and their systematic use to improve the economic efficiency of production and the quality characteristics of products. Many companies that assemble televisions use an information collection system that can be used to identify when the television went on sale and who was responsible for the serviceability of a particular unit. In this way, not only those responsible for the malfunction are identified, but mainly the causes of the malfunction are identified, and measures are taken to prevent this from happening in the future. Managers review revenue, production volume, quality, and gross receipts monthly to see if numbers are on track and to see early challenges ahead.

4) Quality-oriented management. Presidents of companies and managers of companies at Japanese enterprises most often talk about the need for quality control. When managing the production process, their main concern is obtaining accurate quality data. The personal pride of the manager lies in consolidating quality control efforts and, ultimately, in operating the production area entrusted to him with the highest quality.

5) Constant presence of management in production. To quickly deal with difficulties and to help solve problems as they arise, the Japanese often place management personnel directly in the production premises. As each problem is solved, small innovations are introduced, leading to the accumulation of additional innovations. In Japan, the innovation proposal system and quality circles are widely used to promote incremental innovation.

6) Maintaining cleanliness and order. One of the significant factors for the high quality of Japanese goods is cleanliness and order in production. Managers of Japanese enterprises try to establish an order that can serve as a guarantee of product quality and can increase productivity through cleanliness and order.
In general, Japanese management is characterized by an emphasis on improving human relations: coherence, group orientation, employee morale, job stability, and harmonization of relations between workers and managers.

The trendsetter is the Toyota company, which develops and implements the Kanban system.

Japanese managers teach 9 lessons about a simple approach to production management. Japanese manufacturers have rejected complex management recipes; their approach is to simplify problems rather than seek complex solutions.

The Japanese management system can be divided into two main groups of methods. The first relates to the problem of business efficiency, the second to the problem of product quality.

The first part is aimed at increasing production efficiency and is known as the “kanban” - “just in time” system. It is directly related to material costs and affects all aspects of the company’s activities. The Kanban system also has a partial impact on product quality. Both groups of methods are closely intertwined. Consider a just-in-time system.

Lesson one. Management technology is a transportable product. The secret to success lies in effective inventory management. The benefits may seem insignificant at first. They come down to some savings in inventory production costs, which arise from the fact that the smallest batches of parts are manufactured and stored.

The Japanese found that the main benefits were improved product quality, increased worker motivation, and increased productivity.

Here's how it happens. The worker receives one part at a time. If it is not suitable, he immediately brings this to the attention of the previous worker, who finds out the reason and eliminates the shortcomings. This provides mutual assistance. The mechanism of Japanese management uses as “fuel” the specific national traits of the Japanese people: hard work, frugality, dedication to business, company, receptivity to innovation, high educational level.

Lesson two. Just-in-time manufacturing reveals problems that would otherwise be invisible due to excess inventory and redundant personnel.

The concept of "just in time" is at the core of the production management system. The idea is simple: produce and deliver finished products just in time for their sale, components - in time for assembling products, individual parts - in time for assembling components, materials - in time for manufacturing parts.

"Kanban" is a purely Japanese word and means "card" or visual recording system. "Kanban" is an improved system used at Toyota, in which an order for the manufacture of parts is entered on a special card.

The “kanban” system provides for the production of products in small batches, reduction of changeover time for equipment and devices, reduction of costs during shipment, delivery, receipt (one-day deliveries are carried out by phone orders, several times a day in small batches), complete rejection of any inventories.

The presence of large batches of components and parts hides the causes of defects and defects. When batch sizes are reduced, the reasons for defects are exposed.

Once proper visibility is provided, everyone will strive to choose the right course. The technique of “pulling” parts and assemblies is used here, as opposed to the practice of “pushing”.

The effectiveness of a JIT system is determined by a number of factors. Firstly, production efficiency is increased by reducing inventories, waste and indirect costs, and direct labor costs for rework are reduced. In addition, the need for warehouse space, equipment, machinery, labor, the cost of transporting goods, the need for control and accounting, and information processing are reduced. Management costs are reduced.

Secondly, additional benefits are derived from studying market conditions and predicting its changes related to the size of purchases and deliveries, delivery times, etc.

Third, the constant repetition of the cycle (reducing inventory, improving quality, increasing productivity, etc.) ultimately means that goods become cheaper and better quality.

Fourthly, the pricing tactics of Japanese firms are to focus on low profit margins. Low costs and low profit margins lead to reasonable prices, which makes it possible to conclude more and more new contracts, and this entails the development of production and stimulates the growth of output volumes. Gross profit margins are high due to increased sales volumes.

The second lesson can be formulated as follows: avoid excess, waste, unevenness.

Lesson three. Quality begins with the organization of production. It is necessary that all company personnel develop the habit of improving quality. The challenge is to do everything right at once. Responsibility rests with the manufacturers themselves. This is the basic principle of the Japanese approach.

It is based on the following provisions:

mass personnel training;

organization of quality circles;

setting goals, habit of improvement and striving for excellence.

Workers are given the right to stop the conveyor line (using yellow and red signals).

Principles to further improve quality:

production in small batches;

order in the workplace;

planned underload;

daily check of equipment condition.

“Quality first” is not just a slogan, but a strategy for organizing production and all personnel - from bottom to top.

Lesson four. Cultural differences between nations are not an obstacle.

The application of the method helps to change the attitude of workers towards work and managers towards their activities.

Lesson five. “Strive for simplifications, and the goods will flow like a record.” Meaning:

simplify the production structure of the enterprise, break down the boundaries between technologically specialized workshops.

Lesson six. Flexibility opens the door to success. Flexibility of production, its rapid adaptability to market conditions are the foundation of the situation.

Hence the release of mixed models, the flexible use of highly qualified labor (multi-skilled workers). Flexible use of labor is the key to effective resource management.

Lesson seven. Do not take on too much cargo at once: it is better to make several trips (we are talking about purchasing materials, reducing costs, strictly observing the volume, delivery times and delivery of goods). Japanese buyers strive for one supplier for one product.

Single-Source Purchasing: A firm with 60% of its supplies destined for one buyer will make every effort to please the partner so that it does not have to deal with other firms. Another wording: force your suppliers to deliver daily or even more often.

Lesson eight. Great emphasis on self-improvement. Fewer programs, less intervention from specialists. Quality circles are combined with workers acquiring related professions and rotation of workers and managers.

The Japanese did not discover anything new and did not make any amendments to the old ideas about line and staff personnel. They simply adhere to the desire to help line managers and workers improve their performance.

Therefore, the production staff are trained and trained to become experts in their field and are moved on time so that the workers can improve themselves. They do everything according to science. And again the same idea is emphasized: the company does not need a large number of programs implemented or managed by specialists; production managers and workers can handle it themselves.

Lesson nine. Simplicity is a natural state. The desire to de-bureaucratize, to eliminate unnecessary paperwork where oral orders and telephone conversations can be done, and the abandonment of unnecessary administrative links.

The simplicity of the Japanese system does not tolerate unnecessary authorities and bureaucratic red tape. The Japanese are increasingly resorting to simple and clear solutions. The main motto: simplify and reduce.

The timing of the changes is also important - it is symbolic that at Toyota this system was born during a real crisis, under the threat of bankruptcy.

* This work is not a scientific work, is not a final qualification work and is the result of processing, structuring and formatting the collected information intended for use as a source of material for independent preparation of educational works.

Introduction

1. Japanese management methods

1.1. Japanese management philosophy

1.2. Management control system

1.3. Human Resources Management

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction.

Everyone knows that Japan has been one of the leading economic powers in recent decades, being the second largest national economic force in the world. Japan also has a significant impact on economic and political developments in Asia and other countries, thus indirectly influencing relations between the United States and other countries.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Japan was recognized as the most competitive country in the world.

Events in the 1990s demonstrated the inherent power of best-of-breed competition, which often resulted in firms in an industry migrating to each other by copying each other's achievements, with the gains of some offset by the losses of others, driving down prices and profitability. .

Strategy is the weak link of Japanese management. The strategy is based on choosing a unique position, which implies offering a set of values ​​that is different from competitors. Observing Japan's current difficulties, many American politicians and businessmen have already begun to celebrate victory. Japan is perceived today as a country that does not keep up with new trends in the economy and is hit by a financial crisis. Japanese companies are no longer viewed with fear or respect, perceived as incapable of innovation, and suffer from rigid, inflexible management practices and tenure systems that discourage change.

In the future, Japanese companies will be able to compete successfully in new areas. The bulk of “traditional” Japanese companies also realized the need for a new approach to competition.

1. Japanese management methods.

Japanese management methods are fundamentally different from European and American ones. This does not mean that the Japanese govern more effectively. Rather, we can say that the basic principles of Japanese and European management lie on different planes, with very few points of intersection.

How does the Japanese management method differ from the methods used in most countries of the world in Europe and America?

First of all, its focus: the main subject of management in Japan is labor resources. The goal that the Japanese manager sets for himself is to increase the efficiency of the enterprise mainly by increasing the productivity of workers. Meanwhile, in European and American management, the main goal is profit maximization, that is, obtaining the greatest benefit with the least effort. The difference in emphasis is obvious.

According to Japanese management expert Hideki Yoshikara, there are six characteristic features of management.

1. Job security and creating an environment of trust.

Such guarantees lead to workforce stability and reduce staff turnover. Stability serves as an incentive for workers and employees; it strengthens the sense of corporate community and harmonizes relations between ordinary employees and management. Freed from the nagging threat of layoffs and with a real opportunity for vertical advancement, workers are motivated to strengthen their sense of community with the company. Stability also helps to improve relationships between management-level employees and ordinary workers, which, according to the Japanese, is absolutely necessary for management resources, on the one hand, and the conscious direction of the vector of their activity towards goals more significant than maintaining discipline. Job security in Japan is ensured by a system of lifetime employment - a unique phenomenon and in many ways incomprehensible to the European way of thinking.

2. Publicity and values ​​of the corporation.

When all levels of management and workers begin to share a common base of information about the policies and activities of the firm, an atmosphere of participation and shared responsibility develops, which improves communication and increases productivity. In this regard, meetings and conferences in which engineers and administration officials take part produce significant results.

The Japanese management system also tries to create a common basis for all employees of the company to understand corporate values, such as the priority of quality service, services to the consumer, cooperation between workers and administration, cooperation and interaction of departments. Management strives to continually instill and support corporate values ​​at all levels.

3. Information-based management.

Particular importance is attached to the collection of data and their systematic use to improve the economic efficiency of production and the quality characteristics of products. Many companies that assemble televisions use an information collection system in which it is possible to identify when the television went on sale and who was responsible for the serviceability of a particular unit. In this way, not only those responsible for the malfunction are identified, but mainly the causes of the malfunction are identified, and measures are taken to prevent this from happening in the future. Managers review monthly revenue, production volume, quality, and gross receipts to see if numbers are on track and to see early challenges ahead.

4. Quality-oriented management.

Company presidents and company managers at Japanese enterprises most often talk about the need for quality control. When managing the production process, their main concern is obtaining accurate quality data. The personal pride of the manager lies in consolidating quality control efforts and, ultimately, in operating the production area entrusted to him with the highest quality.

5. Constant presence of management in production.

To quickly deal with difficulties and to help solve problems as they arise, the Japanese often station management personnel directly on the production premises. As each problem is solved, small innovations are introduced, leading to the accumulation of additional innovations. In Japan, the innovation proposal system and quality circles are widely used to promote incremental innovation.

6. Maintaining cleanliness and order.

One of the significant factors for the high quality of Japanese goods is cleanliness and order in production. Managers of Japanese enterprises try to establish an order that can serve as a guarantee of product quality and can increase productivity through cleanliness and order.

In general, Japanese management notes an emphasis on improving human relations:

Consistency

Group orientation

Moral qualities of employees

Employment stability

Harmonization of relations between workers and managers.

1.1 Japanese management philosophy.

Modern management methods developed in Japan in the context of post-war devastation, which confronted leaders with the task of restoring social, political and economic life. Under the influence of the American occupation administration, future Japanese managers became acquainted with American ideology and business management methods. It was during this period that Japanese business leaders began to comprehend social responsibility for the consequences of their activities.

The managers of Japanese enterprises carried out their tasks, first by applying traditional management methods to new conditions, and then with the help of the theories and methods of American management that they had learned. They tried not only to creatively apply pre-war experience to new conditions, but also to learn useful lessons, absorb new ideas and thus find a new, Japanese path of development.

As a result, the main features of the Japanese management system are determined by a number of concepts that are absent in the American model. The most important of these are the lifetime employment system and the collective decision-making process.

Japanese society is homogeneous and imbued with a spirit of collectivism. The Japanese always think on behalf of groups. A person realizes himself, first of all, as a member of a group, and his individuality as an individuality of a part of the whole.

Another important feature of Japanese management is the concept of continuous learning. The Japanese are confident that continuous learning leads to constant improvement of skills. Every person can improve his or her job performance through continuous learning. This leads to self-development, and the results achieved bring moral satisfaction. On the other hand, the purpose of training is to prepare for more responsible work and career advancement. But, unlike the Western approach to management, the Japanese emphasize duty in improving skill without the expectation of any material gain. The Japanese are convinced that improving one's skill in itself can bring great satisfaction to a person.

Thus, modern Japanese management has acquired a spirit of openness, which has made it possible to subordinate technological development to the solution of problems posed by life itself. The Japanese management system can be seen as a synthesis of imported ideas and cultural traditions. Therefore, in order to understand the nature of modern management thought in Japan, it is necessary to touch upon some features of the traditional culture of this country.

1.2. Management control system.

To maintain discipline and improve the quality of work, Japanese management relies more on rewards than punishment. Rewards are given for useful suggestions, for saving lives in accidents, for outstanding performance in training courses, for excellent performance of duties and for dedication to work.

These rewards come in different types: certificates, gifts, money or additional leave.

Punishments are divided into: reprimands, fines and dismissal. Dismissal is permitted in cases of theft, acceptance of bribes, sabotage, and deliberate disobedience to instructions from superiors.

Japanese managers resort to punitive measures extremely reluctantly. In contrast to the tactics of intimidation with punishment, Japanese management pays special attention to the self-awareness of workers and therefore uses the tactics of slogans encouraging greater discipline.

1.3. Human resources management.

One of the significant features of Japanese management is labor management. Japanese corporations manage their employees in such a way that they work as efficiently as possible. To achieve this goal, Japanese corporations use American personnel management techniques, including effective wage systems, labor and workplace analysis, employee certification, and others. Japanese corporations take greater advantage of their employees' dedication to their companies. The identification of employees with the corporation creates strong morale and leads to high efficiency. The Japanese management system strives to strengthen this identification, bringing it to the point of sacrificing the interests of the company.

Employment in Japan is of particular importance. This is not just a matter of contract between employer and employee. It has emotional and moral implications.

Japanese workers work methodically and devotedly. They are punctual. Japanese workers have a natural love for cleanliness and elegance. They have a very developed sense of duty. They take pride in their craftsmanship. They get great satisfaction from a job well done and feel unhappy when they fail. They do not feel that they are being exploited by the company. Japanese workers are as free to express pride in their work as they are to express their loyalty to the company.

Since the company must function as one cohesive team, the qualities that are most valued are mutual trust, cooperation, harmony and full support in solving the problems facing the group. Individual responsibility and individual performance of work are deliberately obscured. The goal is to improve group performance and increase group solidarity.

Conclusion.

The Japanese management system is one of the reasons that made possible the rapid development of the Japanese economy in the second half of the 20th century. This system received its final design in the period from the 40s to the 60s of the 20th century, a period when the Japanese economy was in search of ways for its development.

The analysis of Japanese management techniques can be characterized as a synthesis of traditional Japanese cultural traits and imported management techniques.

“Lifetime employment”, “group decision making”, “quality control”, etc. - these are the main characteristic components of the Japanese system, which were formed under the influence of traditional features, the main one of which is “groupism”.

In turn, the religious principles of Confucianism and Zen Buddhism had and continue to have a huge influence on the formation of these traditions.

The synthesis of traditional ethnocultural traits and imported ideas led to the emergence of a unique Japanese management system. After the Land of the Rising Sun rapidly ascended to the world stage as a highly developed country in the economic sense in the mid-60s, economists around the world began to look for the reasons for the success of the Japanese economy. One of the reasons turned out to be the Japanese type of management. Most researchers note that the reason for Japan's leading role in productivity is no mystical secret. There is only one reason - good management.

In Japan, man, with his weaknesses and capabilities, is placed at the very center of the management concept. Thanks to this, a strictly hierarchical triad of priorities has developed in the Japanese management system - people, finance, technology.

The top management apparatus in Japan has its own special features. The institution of higher management in Japan dates back to the 16th century, and is associated primarily with the emergence of commercial and industrial houses. The first representatives of top management can be considered hired managers who were involved in managing all business affairs. The institution of senior management has developed throughout the history of the development of the Japanese economy, from the period of feudalism to the present day. This development took place against the background of the transformation of commercial and industrial houses of feudal Japan into capitalist monopolies at the end of the 19th century.

In conclusion, I would like to note that in the modern period of development of international cooperation, the internationalization of management culture is taking place, which in turn provides an opportunity to study and apply the management experience of leaders of the world economy. Understanding Japanese management methods will undoubtedly help Russian businessmen and economists gain a deeper understanding of the problems of their country's economy and will make it possible to introduce some principles of the Japanese management model at Russian enterprises, which in turn will make it possible to improve all production.

List of used literature.

1. Kono T. Strategy and structure of Japanese enterprises. Translation from English by Spitsina M.A. 2001

2. Gerchikova I.N. Management. 2006

3. Pshennikov V.V. Japanese management. 2003

4. Sokolov A.I. Japan. Economics and education. 2006

5. Management of companies in Japan. Study guide. 2000

6. Eddowes M. Methods of decision making. 2005