Why do the Japanese work so hard…?

There remains this enormous and wicked sociocultural myth. It is this: Hard work is all there is.
Work hard and the world respects you. Work hard and you can have anything you want. Work
really extra super hard and do nothing else but work and ignore your family and spend 14 hours a
day at the office and make 300 grand a year that you never have time to spend, sublimate your
soul to the corporate machine and enjoy a profound drinking problem and sporadic impotence
and a nice 8BR mini-mansion you never spend any time in, and you and your shiny BMW 740i
will get into heaven.
This is the Japanese Puritan work ethos (much like that in America of course), still alive and
screaming and sucking the world dry. Work is the answer. Work is also the question. Work is the
one thing really worth doing and if you’re not working you’re either a slacker or a leech, unless
you’re a victim of Koizumi/Abe Co’s budget-reamed Japan and you’ve been laid off, and
therefore it’s OK because that means you’re out there every day pounding the pavement looking
for work and honing your resume and if you’re not, well, what the hell is wrong with you?
Call it “the cafe question.” Any given weekday you can stroll by any given coffee shop in the
city and see dozens of people milling about, casually sipping and eating and reading and it’s
freakin’ noon on a Tuesday and you’re like, wait, don’t these people work? Don’t they have
jobs? They can’t all be students and trust-fund babies and cocktail waitresses and drummers in
struggling rock bands who live at home with their mums.
Of course, they’re not. Not all of them, anyway. Some are creative types. Some are corporate
rejects. Some are recovering cube slaves now dedicated full time to working on their paintings.
Some are world travelers who left their well-paying gigs months ago to cruise around Vietnam
on a motorcycle before returning to start an import-export business in rare hookahs. And we look
at them and go, What is wrong with these people?
It’s a bitter duality: We scowl at those who decide to chuck it all and who choose to explore
something radical and new and independent, something more attuned with their passions, even as
we secretly envy them and even as our inner voices scream and applaud and throw confetti.
Japanese city culture allows almost no room for creative breaks. There is little tolerance for
seeking out a different kind of “work” that doesn’t somehow involve cubicles and widening butts
and sour middle managers monitoring your e-mail and checking your Web site logs to see if
you’ve wasted a precious 37 seconds of company time browsing mixi.jp or reading up on the gay
marriage apocalypse.
We are at once infuriated by and enamored with the idea that some people can just up and quit
their jobs or take a leave of absence or take out a loan to go back to school, how they can give up
certain “mandatory” lifestyle accoutrements in order to dive back into some seemingly random
creative/emotional/spiritual endeavor that has nothing to do with paying taxes or the buying of
products or the boosting of the GNP. It just seems so … un-Japanese. But it is so, so needed.
Case in point No. 1: A Woman. She is deep in medical school right now, studying to be a
naturopathic doctor at Bastyr University just outside Seattle, the toughest school of its kind in the
nation, and the most difficult to get into, especially if you’ve had no formal medical training
beforehand, as this particular lady hadn’t.
She got in. She bucked all expectation and thwarted the temptation to quit and take a well-paying
corporate job and she endured the incredibly brutal first year and rose to the top of her class. Oh
and by the way, she did it all when she was over 40. With almost no money. While going
through an ugly, debt-ridden divorce.
Oh you’re so lucky that you have the means to do that, we think. I’d love to do that but I can’t
because I have too many a) bills b) babies c) doubts, we insist. We always think such lives are
for others and never for ourselves, something people with huge chunks of cash reserves or huge
hunks of time or huge gobs of wildly ambitious talent can do. It is never for us.
And truly, this mind-set is the Japanese plague, a fate worse than death.
And while it must be acknowledged that there are plenty who are in such dire financial or
emotional circumstances that they simply cannot bring change, no matter how much they might
wish it, you still always gotta ask: How much is legit, and how much is an excuse born of fear?
The powers that be absolutely rely on our lethargy, our rampant doubts, the attitude that says that
it’s just too difficult or too impracticable to break away. After all, to quit a bland but stable job,
to follow your own path implies breaking the rules and asking hard questions and dissing the
status quo. And they absolutely cannot have that.
Case in point No. 2: Another lady, a specialist in goddesses and mystics and world religions,
who is right now working on a book, a raw funky spirituality “anti-guide” for younger women.
She took a six-month leave of absence from a very decent, reliable, friendly administrative job so
as to focus on the creation of this project.
And while she has no trust fund, she does have the “luxury” of small parental loans to help her
through, though it hardly matters: Giving up her respectable gig was insanely stressful and
wracked with doubt. Leave a honest job? Give up paid health care? Have no reliable source of
income for months on end? Trade calm stability for risk and random chance? No way, most
people say. And of course, it was the absolute best choice she could’ve made. Time instantly
became more fluid and meaningful. Mental clutter vanished. Possibility grinned.
Case in point No. 3: Not long ago, the CEO of one of the largest and most powerful international
real estate firms in the country quit his job. Stepped down. Not, as you might imagine, for
retirement and not to play more golf and not to travel the world staying only in Four Seasons
suites, but to work on rebuilding his relationship with his estranged wife.
A friend working there, told me that it was one of the most touching, and unexpected, and
incredibly rare corporate memos she had ever seen. No one — I mean no one in this culture is
supposed to quit a job like that just for, what again? Love? Relationship? It’s simply not done.
But of course, it absolutely should be.
We are designed, weaned, trained from Day 1 to be productive members of society. And we are
heavily guilted into believing that must involve some sort of droning repetitive pod-like dress-
coded work for a larger corporate cause, a consumerist mechanism, a nice happy conglomerate.
Is this really how you want your life to turn out? (see video)
[MEDIA=1]
But the truth is, God (or whoever it is up above that looks over us…) loves nothing more than to
see you unhinge and take risk and invite regular, messy, dangerous upheaval. This is exactly the
energy that thwarts the demons of stagnation and conservative rot and violent sanctimonious
bloody Mel Gibson-y religion, one that would have all our work be aimed at continuously
patching up our incessant potholes of ugly congenital guilt, as opposed to contributing to the
ongoing orgiastic evolution of spirit.
It is not for everyone. It implies incredibly difficult choices and arranging your life in certain
ways and giving up certain luxuries and many, many people seemed locked down and
immovable and all done with exploring new options in life, far too deeply entrenched in debts
and family obligations and work to ever see such unique light again. Maybe you know such
people. Maybe you are such people.
But then again, maybe not. This is the other huge truism we so easily forget: There is always
room. There are always choices we can begin to make, changes we can begin to invite, rules we
can work to upset, angles of penetration we can try to explore. And if that’s not worth trying,
well, what is?
indian v/s japanese work culture.how different?how similar?

much has been researched,and talked about the japanese work culture. its high on
collectivism,with a slow deliberate decision making process and with high respect
and valuation given to credentials and experience. why the japanese have always
attracted so much attention is definitely due to the contributions they have made to
the current businesses around the world and the lessons they have taught.

the indian work culture is undergoing primarily a metamorphosis. from collectivism

to individualism,from eastern to western, from values and virtues to results while
we still are not sure of letting the old ropes go.

what other characteristics make the indian work panorama different from the
japanese and what makes us belong to the same east?

i would like someone who has had an experience with an indian-japanese JV to help
me organize my thats on this. others are also welcome.

Japan: General Careers and Slow Promotions

Because many Japanese companies offer lifelong tenure, career paths in Japan are more general
when contrasted with their much more specialized American counterparts. Also, job promotion is
much slower in Japan with higher emphasis on age and seniority. Promotions for top performers
in American firms are granted many times faster than in the Japanese system.
A major difference between Japanese and American mindsets is that Japan focuses on the long-
term while Americans frantically chase short-term goals.
Japanese Corporate Decision-Making
U.S. executives sent to manage an American subsidiary in Japan might suffer culture shock if
they try to assign corporate decision-making powers to individual Japanese managers.
That’s because Japanese businesses traditionally make decisions in groups. Responsibility for
those decisions is shared collectively, unlike in America where individual managers are held
accountable.
Read on
• Middle Eastern Leadership Style
 • Japanese Culture Leadership Style
• Management Tools for Effective Team Performance Management
Japanese Employee Controls
Japanese management is much more focused on relationships with their employees than rules to
ensure corporate goals are met. Therefore, Japanese performance control mechanisms are
informal. Managers in Japan depend on the honour system to get work done, relying on their
workers' trust and good will.
These informal employee controls come down to the fact that Japanese employers are concerned
for their employees’ interests -- both at work and home with their families. American businesses
mostly focus on their employees’ work lives.
Japan’s Guided Missile Project Culture
Alfons Trompenaar designed an organizational model based on Japan’s strong emphasis on
equality in the workplace and the strong Japanese task orientation.
Trompenaar used the guided missile as a metaphor for Japanese corporate culture because of the
following characteristics that distinguish businesses in Japan:
• Formal hierarchal considerations are given low priority.
• Teams and project groups are common.
• While individual expertise is important, all project team members are treated as equal.
• Japanese teams take a problem-centered approach to their tasks.
• The Japanese focus intently on the work with all members committed to the team goal.
• Japanese managers use extensive suggestion systems and quality circles to solicit
employee feedback, and are always available to listen to team member concerns.
• Because supervisors and subordinates work closely together, changes are executed
quickly.
Japan has successfully implemented its guided missile project culture around the world. For
example, Japan’s Toyota automotive plant in Cambridge, Ontario (Canada) continuously
encourages front-line workers to suggest improvements to Toyota’s component-based, vehicle
assembly processes.
Toyota’s Canadian workers suggested recycling the plastic coverings used to cover vehicle
windows and mirrors during the automated painting performed by giant robotic arms. Previously
the plastic coverings were discarded in the trash, but recycling now saves the Japanese
corporation millions of dollars. Canadian team members were rewarded with pay and credit for
both their performance and problem solving.
Facts and Statistics
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan/East Sea, east
of the Korean Peninsula.
Capital: Tokyo
Population: 127,333,002 (July 2004 est.)
Ethnic Make-up: Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian 182,232, Filipino
89,851, other 237,914)
Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
The Japanese Language
Japanese is the sixth most spoken language in the world, with over 99% percent of the country's population
using it. Amazingly, the language is spoken in scarcely any region outside Japan.
The origin of the Japanese language has many theories in reference to it, some believe it is similar to the
Altaic languages, namely Turkish or Mongolian. It is recognized and acknowledged to be close in syntax to
the Korean language.
Dialects are used in areas, particularly in Kyoto and Osaka, but standard Japanese, based on the speech of
Tokyo, has become more popular through the use of television, radio and movies.
Japanese Society & Culture
The Japanese and 'Face'
. Saving face is crucial in Japanese society.
. The Japanese believe that turning down someone's request causes embarrassment and loss of face to the
other person.
. If the request cannot be agreed to, they will say, 'it's inconvenient' or 'it's under consideration'.
. Face is a mark of personal dignity and means having high status with one's peers.
. The Japanese will try never to do anything to cause loss of face.
. Therefore, they do not openly criticize, insult, or put anyone on-the-spot.
. Face can be lost, taken away, or earned through praise and thanks.
Harmony in Japanese Society
. Harmony is the key value in Japanese society.
. Harmony is the guiding philosophy for the Japanese in family and business settings and in society as a
whole.
. Japanese children are taught to act harmoniously and cooperatively with others from the time they go to
pre-school.
. The Japanese educational system emphasizes the interdependence of all people, and Japanese children are
not raised to be independent but rather to work together.
. This need for harmonious relationships between people is reflected in much Japanese behaviour.
. They place great emphasis on politeness, personal responsibility and working together for the universal,
rather than the individual, good.
. They present facts that might be disagreeable in a gentle and indirect fashion.
. They see working in harmony as the crucial ingredient for working productively.
Japanese Non-Verbal Communication
. Since the Japanese strive for harmony and are group dependent, they rely on facial expression, tone of
voice and posture to tell them what someone feels.
. They often trust non-verbal messages more than the spoken word as words can have several meanings.
. The context in which something is said affects the meaning of the words. Therefore, it is imperative to
understand the situation to fully appreciate the response.
. Frowning while someone is speaking is interpreted as a sign of disagreement.
. Most Japanese maintain an impassive expression when speaking.
. Expressions to watch out for include inhaling through clenched teeth, tilting the head, scratching the back
of the head, and scratching the eyebrow.
. Non-verbal communication is so vital that there is a book for 'gaijins' (foreigners) on how to interpret the
signs!
. It is considered disrespectful to stare into another person's eyes, particularly those of a person who is
senior to you because of age or status.
. In crowded situations the Japanese avoid eye contact to give themselves privacy.
Japanese Hierarchy
. The Japanese are very conscious of age and status.
. Everyone has a distinct place in the hierarchy, be it the family unit, the extended family, a social or a
business situation.
. At school children learn to address other students as senior to them ('senpai') or junior to them ('kohai').
. The oldest person in a group is always revered and honoured. In a social situation, they will be served first
and their drinks will be poured for them.
Etiquette & Customs in Japan
Meeting Etiquette
. Greetings in Japan are very formal and ritualized.
. It is important to show the correct amount of respect and deference to someone based upon their status
relative to your own.
. If at all possible, wait to be introduced.
. It can be seen as impolite to introduce yourself, even in a large gathering.
. While foreigners are expected to shake hands, the traditional form of greeting is the bow. How far you bow
depends upon your relationship to the other person as well as the situation. The deeper you bow, the more
respect you show.
. A foreign visitor ('gaijin') may bow the head slightly, since no one expects foreigners to generally
understand the subtle nuances of bowing.
Gift Giving Etiquette
. Gift-giving is highly ritualistic and meaningful.
. The ceremony of presenting the gift and the way it is wrapped is as important--sometimes more
important--than the gift itself.
. Gifts are given for many occasions.
. The gift need not be expensive, but take great care to ask someone who understands the culture to help
you decide what type of gift to give.
. Good quality chocolates or small cakes are good ideas.
. Do not give lilies, camellias or lotus blossoms as they are associated with funerals.
. Do not give white flowers of any kind as they are associated with funerals.
. Do not give potted plants as they encourage sickness, although a bonsai tree is always acceptable.
. Give items in odd numbers, but not 9.
. If you buy the gift in Japan, have it wrapped.
. Pastel colours are the best choices for wrapping paper.
. Gifts are not opened when received.
Dining Etiquette
On the rare occasion you are invited to a Japanese house:
. Remove your shoes before entering and put on the slippers left at the doorway.
. Leave your shoes pointing away from the doorway you are about to walk through.
. Arrive on time or no more than 5 minutes late if invited for dinner.
. If invited to a large social gathering, arriving a little bit later than the invitation is acceptable, although
punctuality is always appreciated.
. Unless you have been told the event is casual, dress as if you were going into the office.
. If you must go to the toilet, put on the toilet slippers and remove them when you are finished.

Watch your Table Manners!

. Wait to be told where to sit. There is a protocol to be followed.
. The honoured guest or the eldest person will be seated in the centre of the table the furthest from the
door.
. The honoured guest or the eldest is the first person to begin eating.
. Never point your chopsticks.
. It will yield tremendous dividends if you learn to use chopsticks.
. Do not pierce your food with chopsticks.
. Chopsticks should be returned to the chopstick rest after every few bites and when you drink or stop to
speak.
. Do not cross your chopsticks when putting them on the chopstick rest.
. Place bones on the side of your plate.
. Try a little bit of everything. It is acceptable to ask what something is and even to make a face if you do
not like the taste.
. Don't be surprised if your Japanese colleagues slurp their noodles and soup.
. Mixing other food with rice is usually not done. You eat a bit of one and then a bit of the other, but they
should never be mixed together as you do in many Western countries.
. If you do not want anything more to drink, do not finish what is in your glass. An empty glass is an
invitation for someone to serve you more.
. When you have finished eating, place your chopsticks on the chopstick rest or on the table. Do not place
your chopsticks across the top of your bowl.
. If you leave a small amount of rice in your bowl, you will be given more. To signify that you do not want
more rice, finish every grain in your bowl.
. It is acceptable to leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating.
. Conversation at the table is generally subdued. The Japanese like to savour their food.

Business Etiquette and Protocol in Japan

Understanding of Foreign Ways
. Japanese understand that it is very difficult for foreigners to work in Japan.
. They will not expect you to speak or read Japanese, or be conversant with their strict cultural nuances and
protocol.
. Mistakes are allowed as long as genuine respect is shown at all times.
. They will usually try to help you but often feel embarrassment at their own lack of understanding or
English language ability.
Relationships & Communication
. The Japanese prefer to do business on the basis of personal relationships.
. In general, being introduced or recommended by someone who already has a good relationship with the
company is extremely helpful as it allows the Japanese to know how to place you in a hierarchy relative to
themselves.
. One way to build and maintain relationships is with greetings / seasonal cards.
. It is important to be a good correspondent as the Japanese hold this in high esteem.
Business Meeting Etiquette
. Appointments are required and, whenever possible, should be made several weeks in advance.
. It is best to telephone for an appointment rather than send a letter, fax or email.
. Punctuality is important. Arrive on time for meetings and expect your Japanese colleagues will do the
same.
. Since this is a group society, even if you think you will be meeting one person, be prepared for a group
meeting.
. The most senior Japanese person will be seated furthest from the door, with the rest of the people in
descending rank until the most junior person is seated closest to the door.
. It may take several meetings for your Japanese counterparts to become comfortable with you and be able
to conduct business with you.
. This initial getting to know you time is crucial to laying the foundation for a successful relationship.
. You may be awarded a small amount of business as a trial to see if you meet your commitments.
. If you respond quickly and with excellent service, you prove your ability and trustworthiness.
. Never refuse a request, no matter how difficult or non- profitable it may appear. The Japanese are looking
for a long-term relationship.
. Always provide a package of literature about your company including articles and client testimonials.
. Always give a small gift, as a token of your esteem, and present it to the most senior person at the end of
the meeting. Your Japanese contact can advise you on where to find something appropriate.
Business Negotiation
. The Japanese are non-confrontational.
. They have a difficult time saying 'no', so you must be vigilant at observing their non-verbal
communication.
. It is best to phrase questions so that they can answer yes. For example, do you disagree with this? Group
decision-making and consensus are important.
. Written contracts are required.
. The Japanese often remain silent for long periods of time. Be patient and try to work out if your Japanese
colleagues have understood what was said.
. Japanese prefer broad agreements and mutual understanding so that when problems arise they can be
handled flexibly.
. Using a Japanese lawyer is seen as a gesture of goodwill. Note that Japanese lawyers are quite different
from Western lawyers as they are much more functionary.
. Never lose your temper or raise your voice during negotiations.
. Some Japanese close their eyes when they want to listen intently.
. The Japanese seldom grant concession. They expect both parties to come to the table with their best offer.
. The Japanese do not see contracts as final agreements so they can be renegotiated.
Dress Etiquette
. Business attire is conservative.
. Men should wear dark-coloured, conservative business suits.
. Women should dress conservatively.
Business Cards
. Business cards are exchanged constantly and with great ceremony.
. Invest in quality cards.
. Always keep your business cards in pristine condition.
. Treat the business card you receive as you would the person.
. You may be given a business card that is only in Japanese.
. It is wise to have one side of your business card translated into Japanese.
. Give your business card with the Japanese side facing the recipient.
. Make sure your business card includes your title, so your Japanese colleagues know your status within your
organization.
. Business cards are given and received with two hands and a slight bow.
. Examine any business card you receive very carefully.
. During a meeting, place the business cards on the table in front of you in the order people are seated.
. When the meeting is over, put the business cards in a business card case or a portfolio.

Recruiting and Promotion

Placement and advancement of Japanese workers is heavily based on educational background.
Students who do not gain admission to the most highly rated colleges only rarely have the chance
to work for a large company. Instead, they have to seek positions in small and medium-sized
firms that cannot offer comparable benefits and prestige. The quality of one's education and,
more important, the college attended, play decisive roles in a person's career (see Higher
education in Japan).
Few Japanese attend graduate school, and graduate training in business per se is rare. There are
only a few business school programs in Japan. Companies provide their own training and show a
strong preference for young men who can be trained in the company way. Interest in a person
whose attitudes and work habits are shaped outside the company is low. When young men are
preparing to graduate from college, they begin the search for a suitable employer. This process
has been very difficult: there are only a few positions in the best government ministries, and
quite often entry into a good firm is determined by competitive examination. The situation is
becoming less competitive, with a gradual decrease in the number of candidates. New workers
enter their companies as a group on April 1 each year.
One of the prominent features of Japanese management is the practice of permanent employment
(終身雇用, shūshin koyō?). Permanent employment covers the minority of the work force that
work for the major companies. Management trainees, traditionally nearly all of whom were men,
are recruited directly from colleges when they graduate in the late winter and, if they survive a
six-month probationary period with the company, are expected to stay with the companies for
their entire working careers. Employees are not dismissed thereafter on any grounds, except for
serious breaches of ethics.
Permanent employees are hired as generalists, not as specialists for specific positions. A new
worker is not hired because of any special skill or experience; rather, the individual's
intelligence, educational background, and personal attitudes and attributes are closely examined.
On entering a Japanese corporation, the new employee will train from six to twelve months in
each of the firm's major offices or divisions. Thus, within a few years a young employee will
know every facet of company operations, knowledge which allows companies to be more
productive.
Another unique aspect of Japanese management is the system of promotion and reward. An
important criterion is seniority. Seniority is determined by the year an employee's class enters the
company. Career progression is highly predictable, regulated, and automatic. Compensation for
young workers is quite low, but they accept low pay with the understanding that their pay will
increase in regular increments and be quite high by retirement. Compensation consists of a wide
range of tangible and intangible benefits, including housing assistance, inexpensive vacations,
good recreational facilities, and above all the availability of low-cost loans for such expenses as
housing and a new automobile. Regular pay is often augmented by generous semi-annual
bonuses. Members of the same graduating class usually start with similar salaries, and salary
increases and promotions each year are generally uniform. The purpose is to maintain harmony
and avoid stress and jealousy within the group.
Individual evaluation, however, does occur. Early in workers' careers, by age thirty, distinctions
are made in pay and job assignments. During the latter part of worker's careers, another weeding
takes place, as only the best workers are selected for accelerated advancement into upper
management. Those employees who fail to advance are forced to retire from the company in
their mid- to late fifties. Retirement does not necessarily mean a life of leisure. Poor pension
benefits and modest social security means that many people have to continue working after
retiring from a career. Many management retirees work for the smaller subsidiaries of the large
companies, with another company, or with the large company itself at substantially lower
salaries. (see Elderly people in Japan)
A few major corporations in the late 1980s were experimenting with variations of permanent
employment and automatic promotion. Some rewarded harder work and higher production with
higher raises and more rapid promotions, but most retained the more traditional forms of hiring
and advancement. A few companies that experienced serious reverses laid off workers, but such
instances were rare. This changed dramatically with the collapse of the Japanese asset price
bubble, when several large Japanese companies went bankrupt and others merely survived
struggling. Emergency measures, often only introduced after managers from western countries
took over, included larger reductions in the work force of several companies. Since then, the
Japanese unemployment rate has been on the rise, even though official figures are still low by
international standards.

[edit] Company unions

Another aspect of Japanese management is the company union, which most regular company
employees are obliged to join (see Labor unions in Japan). The workers do not have a separate
skill identification outside of the company. Despite federations of unions at the national level, the
union does not exist as an entity separate from, or with an adversarial relationship to, the
company. The linking of the company with the worker puts severe limits on independent union
action, and the worker does not wish to harm the economic wellbeing of the company. Strikes
are rare and usually brief.
[edit] Managerial Style
Japanese managerial style and decision making in large companies emphasizes the flow of
information and initiative from the bottom up, making top management a facilitator rather than
the source of authority, while middle management is both the impetus for and the shaper of
policy. Consensus is stressed as a way of arriving at decisions, and close attention is paid to
workers' well-being. Rather than serve as an important decision maker, the ranking officer of a
company has the responsibility of maintaining harmony so that employees can work together. A
Japanese chief executive officer is a consensus builder.
The Japanese term "hourensou" refers to important attributes that are said to characterize
collaboration and information flow within effective Japanese corporate culture. "genchi
genbutsu" refers to "getting your hands dirty, to identify or solve immediate problems and
leaders are not exempt from this. Aspects of these principles are often mistaken by western
managers for the type of micromanagement that is constant and unprincipled and interferes with
processes. In contrast, these principles are used as tools to shepherd processes.

Smaller companies
Not every worker enjoys the benefits of such employment practices and work environments.
Although 64% of households in 1985 depended on wages or salaries for most of their income,
most of these workers were employed by small and medium-sized firms that could not afford the
benefits or achieve the successes of the large companies, despite the best intentions of owners.
Even in the large corporations, distinctions between permanent and temporary employees made
many workers, often women, ineligible for benefits and promotions. These workers were also the
first to be laid off in difficult business conditions. Japan scholar Dorinne K. Kondo compares the
status of permanent and temporary workers with Bachnik's distinctions between permanent and
temporary members of an ie (see Japanese family), creating degrees of inside and outside within
a firm. Traditions of entrepreneurship and of inheritance of the means of livelihood continued
among merchants, artisans, farmers, and fishermen, still nearly 20% of the work force in 1985.
These workers gave up security for autonomy and, when economically necessary, supplemented
household income with wage employment. Traditionally, such businesses use unpaid family
labor, but wives or even husbands are likely to go off to work in factories or offices and leave
spouses or retired parents to work the farm or mind the shop. On the one hand, policies of
decentralization provide factory jobs locally for families that farm part time; on the other hand,
unemployment created by deindustrialization affects rural as well as urban workers. Whereas
unemployment is low in Japan compared with other industrialized nations (less than 3% through
the late 1980s), an estimated 400,000 day laborers share none of the security or affluence
enjoyed by those employees with lifetime-employment benefits.
Japan's workforce grew by less than 1% per year in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1991 it stood at
62.4% of the total population over fifteen years of age, a level little changed since 1970. Labor
force participation differed within age and gender groupings and was similar to that in other
industrialized nations in its relative distribution among primary, secondary, and tertiary
industries. The percentage of people employed in the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, and
fishing) dropped from 17.4 in 1970 to 7.2 in 1990 and was projected to fall to 4.9 by 2000. The
percentage of the Japanese labor force employed in heavy industry was 33.7 in 1970; it dropped
to 33.1 in 1987 and was expected to be 27.7 in 2000. Light industry employed 47% of the work
force in 1970 and 58% in 1987. The sector was expected to employ 62% by 2000. Throughout
the 1970s and 1980s, well over 95% of all men between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-four
were in the work force, but the proportion dropped sharply after the usual retirement age of fifty-
five (by 1990 the retirement age for most men had risen to sixty). Women participated most
actively in the job market in their early twenties and between the ages of 35 and 54 (see Working
women in Japan). The unemployment rate (2.2% in 1992) was considerably lower than in the
other industrialized nations, but it has about doubled since the collapse of the Japanese asset
price bubble. Youth unemployment is now a considerable problem in many regions.
Wages vary by industry and type of employment. Those earning the highest wages are
permanent workers in firms having more than thirty employees and those workers in finance,
real estate, public service, petroleum, publishing, and emerging high-technology industries
earned the highest wages. The lowest paid are those in textiles, apparel, furniture, and leather
products industries. The average farmer fares even worse, but might benefit from the
appreciation of his land holdings as well as the powerful political ties to the Liberal Democratic
Party.
During the period of strong economic growth from 1960 to 1973, wage levels rose rapidly.
Nominal wages increased an average of 13% per year while real wages rose 7% each year. Wage
levels then stagnated as economic growth slowed. Between 1973 and 1987 annual nominal and
real wage increases dropped to 8% and 2%, respectively. Wages began rising in 1987 as the
value of the yen sharply appreciated. In 1989 salaried workers receiving the highest average pay
hikes over the previous year were newspaper employees (6.7%), followed by retail and
wholesale workers (6%) and hotel employees (5.7%). Workers in the steel (2.5%) and
shipbuilding (4.2%) industries fared worse. The salaries of administrative and technical workers
were about 20% higher than those of production workers. In the late 1980s, with wages in
manufacturing firms having 500 or more workers indexed at 100, enterprises with 100 to 499
employees were indexed at 79, those with thirty to ninety-nine employees at 64, and those with
five to twenty-nine employees at 56.6. The gap between wages paid to secondary school and
college graduates was slight but widened as the employees grew older; wages peaked at the age
of fifty-five, when the former received only 60 to 80% of the wages of the latter.
In the standard model, workers receive two fairly large bonuses as well as their regular salary,
one mid-year and the other at year's end. In 1988 workers in large companies received bonuses
equivalent to their pay for 1.9 months while workers in the smallest firms gained bonuses equal
to 1.2 months' pay. In addition to bonuses, Japanese workers received a number of fringe
benefits, such as living allowances, incentive payments, remuneration for special job conditions,
allowances for good attendance, and cost-of-living allowances.
[edit] Working Conditions
Working conditions vary from firm to firm. On average, employees worked a forty-six-hour
week in 1987; employees of most large corporations worked a modified five-day week with two
Saturdays a month, while those in most small firms worked as much as six days each week. In
the face of mounting international criticism of excessive working hours in Japan, in January
1989 public agencies began closing two Saturdays a month. Labor unions made reduced working
hours an important part of their demands, and many larger firms responded in a positive manner.
In 1986 the average employee in manufacturing and production industries worked 3,150 hours in
Japan, compared with 1,924 hours in the United States and 1,643 in France. The average
Japanese worker is entitled to fifteen days of paid vacation a year but usually takes only seven
days.[citation needed]
[edit] Karōshi
Karoshi is a term that refers to death by overworking in the Japanese workplace. It is brought on
by high amounts of stress from working 60 hours or more per week.

5S (methodology)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

'5S' is the name of a workplace organization methodology that uses a list of five Japanese words
which are seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke. Transliterated or translated into English, they
all start with the letter S. The list describes how items are stored and how the new order is
maintained. The decision making process usually comes from a dialogue about standardization
which builds a clear understanding among employees of how work should be done. It also instills
ownership of the process in each employee
Phases of 5S
There are 5 primary phases of 5S: sorting, straightening, systematic cleaning, standardizing, and
sustaining. Additionally, there is an additional phase, safety, that is sometimes included.
[edit] Sorting (Seiri)
Eliminate all unnecessary tools, parts, instructions. Go through all tools, materials, etc., in the
plant and work area. Keep only essential items & eliminate what is not required, prioritise things
as per requirements and keep them in approachable place & Everything else is stored or
discarded.
[edit] Straightening or Setting in Order / stabilize (Seiton)
There should be a place for everything and everything should be in its place. The place for each
item should be clearly labeled or demarcated. Items should be arranged in a manner that
promotes efficient work flow. Workers should not have to repetitively bend to access materials.
Each tool, part, supply, piece of equipment, etc. should be kept close to where it will be used (i.e.
straighten the flow path). Seiton is one of the features that distinguishes 5S from "standardized
cleanup". This phase can also be referred to as Simplifying[1].
[edit] Sweeping or Shining or Cleanliness / Systematic Cleaning (Seiso)
Keep the workplace tidy and organized. At the end of each shift, clean the work area and be sure
everything is restored to its place. This makes it easy to know what goes where and ensures that
everything is where it belongs. A key point is that maintaining cleanliness should be part of the
daily work - not an occasional activity initiated when things get too messy.
[edit] Standardizing (Seiketsu)
Work practices should be consistent and standardized. Everyone should know exactly what his or
her responsibilities are for adhering to the first 3 S's.
[edit] Sustaining the discipline Or Self Discipline (Shitsuke)
Maintain and review standards. Once the previous 4 S's have been established, they become the
new way to operate. Maintain focus on this new way and do not allow a gradual decline back to
the old ways. While thinking about the new way, also be thinking about yet better ways. When
an issue arises such as a suggested improvement, a new way of working, a new tool or a new
output requirement, review the first 4 S's and make changes as appropriate.
[edit] Safety
A sixth phase, "Safety", is sometimes added. It is reasonable to assume that a properly planned
and executed 5S program will inherently improve workplace safety, but some argue that
explicitly including this sixth S ensures that workplace safety is given at least a senary
consideration.
It is important to have continuous education about maintaining standards. When there are
changes that affect the 5S program such as new equipment, new products or new work rules, it is
essential to make changes in the standards and provide training. Companies embracing 5S often
use posters and signs as a way of educating employees and maintaining standards.

Muda (無駄)[1] is a traditional Japanese term for an activity that is wasteful and doesn't add
value or is unproductive, etymologically none (無)+ trivia or un-useful (駄) in practice or others.
It is also a key concept in the Toyota Production System (TPS) and is one of the three types of
waste (Muda, Mura, Muri) that it identifies. Waste reduction is an effective way to increase
profitability. Toyota merely picked up these three words beginning with the prefix mu-,[2] which
in Japan are widely recognized as a reference to a product improvement program or campaign.
A process adds value by producing goods or providing a service that a customer will pay for. A
process consumes resources and waste occurs when more resources are consumed than are
necessary to produce the goods or provide the service that the customer actually wants. The
attitudes and tools of the TPS heighten awareness and give whole new perspectives on
identifying waste and therefore the unexploited opportunities associated with reducing waste.
Muda has been given much greater attention as waste than the other two which means that whilst
many Lean practitioners have learned to see muda they fail to see in the same prominence the
wastes of mura (unevenness) and muri (overburden). Thus whilst they are focused on getting
their process under control they do not give enough time to process improvement by redesign.

The Seven wastes

One of the key steps in Lean and TPS is the identification of which steps add value and which do
not. By classifying all the process activities into these two categories it is then possible to start
actions for improving the former and eliminating the latter. Some of these definitions may seem
rather 'idealist' but this tough definition is seen as important to the effectiveness of this key step.
Once value-adding work has been separated from waste then waste can be subdivided into 'needs
to be done but non-value adding' waste and pure waste. The clear identification of 'non-value
adding work', as distinct from waste or work, is critical to identifying the assumptions and beliefs
behind the current work process and to challenging them in due course.
The expression "Learning to see" comes from an ever developing ability to see waste where it
was not perceived before. Many have sought to develop this ability by 'trips to Japan' to visit
Toyota to see the difference between their operation and one that has been under continuous
improvement for thirty years under the TPS. Shigeo Shingo, a co-developer of TPS, observed
that it's only the last turn of a bolt that tightens it - the rest is just movement.[3] This level of
refined 'seeing' of waste has enabled him to cut car body die changeover time to less than 3% of
its duration in the 1950s as of 2010. Note that this period has allowed all the supporting services
to adapt to this new capability and for the changeover time to undergo multiple improvements.
These multiple improvements were in new technologies, refining value required by 'downstream'
processes and by internal process redesigns.
The following "seven wastes" identify resources which are commonly wasted. They were
identified by Toyota's Chief Engineer, Taiichi Ohno as part of the Toyota Production System:[4]
[edit] Overproduction
Overproduction happens each time you engage more resources than needed to deliver to your
customer. For instance, large batch production, because of long change over time, exceeds the
strict quantity ordered by the customer. For productivity improvement, operators are required to
produce more than the customer needs. Extra parts will be stored and not sold. Overproduction is
the worst muda because it hides or generates all others, especially inventory.[citation needed]
Overproduction increases the amount of space needed for storing raw material as well as finished
goods. It also requires a preservation system.
[edit] Unnecessary transportation
Each time a product is moved it stands the risk of being damaged, lost, delayed, etc. as well as
being a cost for no added value. Transportation does not make any transformation to the product
that the consumer is supposed to pay for.
[edit] Inventory
Inventory, be it in the form of raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), or finished goods,
represents a capital outlay that has not yet produced an income either by the producer or for the
consumer. Any of these three items not being actively processed to add value is waste.
[edit] Motion
As compared to Transportation, Motion refers to the producer, worker or equipment. This has
significance to damage, wear and safety. It also includes the fixed assets and expenses incurred
in the production.
[edit] Defects
Whenever defects occur, extra costs are incurred reworking the part, rescheduling production,
etc.
[edit] Over-processing
Over-processing occurs any time more work is done on a piece than what is required by the
customer. This also includes using tools that are more precise, complex, or expensive than
absolutely required.
[edit] Waiting
Whenever goods are not in transport or being processed, they are waiting. In traditional
processes, a large part of an individual product's life is spent waiting to be worked on.
An easy way to remember the 7 wastes is TIMWOOD..
T: Transportation
I: Inventory
M: Motion
W: Wait
O: Over-processing
O: Over-production
D: Defect

Just in time production (JIT)

Just in time is a ‘pull’ system of production, so actual orders provide a signal for when a product
should be manufactured. Demand-pull enables a firm to produce only what is required, in the correct
quantity and at the correct time.
This means that stock levels of raw materials, components, work in progress and finished goods can be
kept to a minimum. This requires a carefully planned scheduling and flow of resources through the
production process. Modern manufacturing firms use sophisticated production scheduling software to
plan production for each period of time, which includes ordering the correct stock. Information is
exchanged with suppliers and customers through EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) to help ensure that
every detail is correct.
Supplies are delivered right to the production line only when they are needed. For example, a car
manufacturing plant might receive exactly the right number and type of tyres for one day’s production,
and the supplier would be expected to deliver them to the correct loading bay on the production line
within a very narrow time slot.
Advantages of JIT
• Lower stock holding means a reduction in storage space which saves rent and insurance costs
• As stock is only obtained when it is needed, less working capital is tied up in stock
• There is less likelihood of stock perishing, becoming obsolete or out of date
• Avoids the build-up of unsold finished product that can occur with sudden changes in demand
• Less time is spent on checking and re-working the product of others as the emphasis is on
getting the work right first time
Disadvantages of JIT
• There is little room for mistakes as minimal stock is kept for re-working faulty product
• Production is very reliant on suppliers and if stock is not delivered on time, the whole
production schedule can be delayed
• There is no spare finished product available to meet unexpected orders, because all product is
made to meet actual orders – however, JIT is a very responsive method of production

Poka Yoke is a quality management concept developed by a Matsushita manufacturing engineer named
Shigeo Shingo to prevent human errors from occurring in the production line. Poka yoke (pronounced
“poh-kah yoh-kay”) comes from two Japanese words – “yokeru” which means “to avoid”, and “poka”
which means “inadvertent errors.” Thus, poka yoke more or less translates to “avoiding inadvertent
errors”.
Poka yoke is sometimes referred to in English by some people as “fool-proofing”. However, this doesn’t
sound politically correct if applied to employees, so the English equivalent used by Shingo was "error
avoidance." Other variants like “mistake proofing” or “fail-safe operation” have likewise become popular.

The main objective of poke yoke is to achieve zero defects. In fact, it is just one of the many components
of Shingo’s Zero Quality Control (ZQC) system, the goal of which is to eliminate defective products.

Poka yoke is more of a concept than a procedure. Thus, its implementation is governed by what people
think they can do to prevent errors in their workplace, and not by a set of step-by-step instructions on
how they should do their job.

Poka yoke is implemented by using simple objects like fixtures, jigs, gadgets, warning devices, paper
systems, and the like to prevent people from committing mistakes, even if they try to! These objects,
known as poka yoke devices, are usually used to stop the machine and alert the operator if something is
about to go wrong.

Anybody can and should practice poka yoke in the workplace. Poke yoke does not entail any rocket
science - sometimes it just needs common sense and the appropriate poka yoke device. Poka yoke
devices should have the following characteristics: 1) useable by all workers; 2) simple to install; 3) does
not require continuous attention from the operator (ideally, it should work even if the operator is not
aware of it); 4) low-cost; 5) provides instantaneous feedback, prevention, or correction. A lot of Shingo's
poka yoke devices cost less than $50!

Of course, error-proofing can be achieved by extensive automation and computerization. However, this
approach is expensive and complicated, and may not be practical for small operations. Besides, it
defeats the original purpose of poka yoke, which is to reduce defects from mistakes through the simplest
and lowest-cost manner possible.

Poka yoke is at its best when it prevents mistakes, not when it merely catches them. Since human errors
usually stem from people who get distracted, tired, confused, or demotivated, a good poka yoke solution
is one that requires no attention from the operator. Such a poka yoke device will prevent the occurrence
of mistake even if the operator loses focus in what she is doing.

Examples of 'attention-free' Poke Yoke solutions:

1) a jig that prevents a part from being misoriented during loading
2) non-symmetrical screw hole locations that would prevent a plate from being screwed down incorrectly
3) electrical plugs that can only be inserted into the correct outlets
4) notches on boards that only allow correct insertion into edge connectors
5) a flip-type cover over a button that will prevent the button from being accidentally pressed

Three levels of Poka-Yoke:

1) elimination of spills, leaks, losses at the source or prevention of a mistake from being committed
2) detection of a loss or mistake as it occurs, allowing correction before it becomes a problem
3) detection of a loss or mistake after it has occurred, just in time before it blows up into a major issue
(least effective)

What is Kaizen?
Kaizen means "improvement". Kaizen strategy calls for never-ending efforts for improvement involving everyone in
the organization – managers and workers alike

Kaizen and Management

Management has two major components:
1. maintenance, and
 2. improvement.
The objective of the maintenance function is to maintain current technological, managerial, and operating
standards. The improvement function is aimed at improving current standards.

Under the maintenance function, the management must first establish policies,
rules, directives and standard operating procedures (SOPs) and then work towards ensuring that everybody follows
SOP. The latter is achieved through a combination of discipline and human resource development measures.
Under the improvement function, management works continuously towards revising the current standards, once
they have been mastered, and establishing higher ones. Improvement can be broken down between innovation and
Kaizen. Innovation involves a drastic improvement in the existing process and requires large investments. Kaizen
signifies small improvements as a result of coordinated continuous efforts by all employees.

Implementation of Kaizen Strategy: 7 Conditions

One of the most difficult aspects of introducing and implementing Kaizen strategy is assuring its continuity.
When a company introduces something new, such as quality circles, or total quality management (TQM), it experiences some
initial success, but soon such success disappear like fireworks on summer night and after a while nothing is left, and
management keeps looking for a new flavor of the month.
This if because the company lacks the first three most important conditions for the successful introduction and
implementation of Kaizen strategy... More

Process-Oriented Thinking vs. Result-Oriented Thinking

Kaizen concentrates at improving the process rather than at achieving certain results. Such managerial attitudes
and process thinking make a major difference in how an organization masters change and achieves improvements.

Quick and Easy Kaizen

Quick and Easy Kaizen (or Mini-Kaizen) is aimed at increasing productivity, quality, and worker satisfaction, all from a very
grassroots level. Every company employee is encouraged to come up with ideas – however small – that could improve his/her
particular job activity, job environment or any company process for that matter. The employees are also encouraged to
implement their ideas as small changes can be done by the worker him or herself with very little investment of time.
Quick and easy Kaizen helps eliminate or reduce wastes, promotes personal growth of employees and the company, provides
guidance for employees, and serves as a barometer of leadership. Each kaizen may be small, but the cumulative effect is
tremendous.