Japanese Style in Decision-making

Japanese Style in Decision-making

Yoshio Terasawa

To

talk

about

problem-solving

or

decision-making

within

a

national

environment

means

examining many complex cultural forces. It means trying to measure the impact of these forces on

contemporary

life, and also

coming to grips with

changes now taking place.

It also means using dangerous comparisons

－

and the need to translate certain fundamental

concepts which resist translation and comparisons.

For example, the concept of vocational or professional identity differs markedly between the

United States and Japan.

In the west, the emphasis is on what a man, or woman does for a living. Here in the U.S., if

you ask children what their father do, they will say

“

My daddy drives a truck

”

or

“

My daddy is a

stock broker

”

or

“

My daddy is an engineer

.”

But in Japan, the child will tell you

“

My daddy works for Mitsubishi

”

or

“

My daddy works

for Nomura Securities

”

or for

“

Hitachi.

”

But you will have no idea whether the father is president

of Hitachi or a chauffeur at Hitachi.

In

Japan,

the

most

important

thing

is

what

organization

you

work

for.

This

becomes

very

significant when you try to analyze the direction-taking or decision-making process. At the least, it

explains the greater job stability in Japan, in contrast to the great job

mobility

in America.

While we differ in many ways, such differences are neither superior nor inferior to each other.

A

particular

pattern

of

management

behavior

develops

from

a

complexity

of

unique

cultural

factors

－

and will only work within a given culture.

Let me try to describe three or four characteristics of Japanese environment that in some way

affect

decision-making

or

direction-taking

and

problem-solving.

These

characteristics

are

interrelated

.

First, in any approach to a problem and in any negotiations in Japan, there is the

“

you to you

”

approach, as distinguished from the Western

“

I to you

”

approach.

The difference is this: in

“

I to you

,”

both sides present their arguments

forthrightly

from their

own point of view

－

they state what they want and what they expect to get. Thus, a

confrontation

situation is set up, and Westerners are very

adroit

in dealing with this.

The

“

you

to

you

”

approach

practiced

in

Japan

is

based

on

each

side

－

automatically

and

often unconsciously

－

trying to understand the other person

’

s point of view, and for the purpose

of all the discussion actually declaring this understanding. Thus, the direction of the meeting is a

mutual

attempt at

minimizing

confrontation and achieving

harmony

.

A second characteristic is based on

“

consensus

opinion

”

and

“

bottom-up direction

.”

In Japan

great consideration is given to and reliance placed on the thoughts and opinions of everyone at all

levels. This is true of

corporate

enterprises and government agencies.

To

understand

this,

it

is

important

to

realize

that

Japan

is

a

very

densely

populated

homogeneous country. Moreover, the people are aware and are

articulate

. Literacy is almost 100

per

cent.

Problems

are

shared.

In

Japan

there

is

a

drive

for

the

group

－

whether

it

is

family,

company, or Government

－

to act as a unit.

Tremendous

weight

is

given

to

the

achievement

of

solidarity

and

unanimity

.

Unilateral

decision-making or direction-taking is generally avoided, or where it does occur for very practical

urgent reasons, it usually happens along with a sounding out of all concerned.

This brings us to the second part of this characteristic. When I use the term

“

bottom- up

,”

I

am referring to a style of management

－

perhaps what you would call

keeping your finger on

the pulse

of the public, or the labor force, or other audiences.

The difference is that in Japan we record the pulse and it has real meaning, and it influences

the direction finally taken at the top regarding a specific important issue. In other words, Western

style decision- making proceeds

predominantly

from top management and often does not consult

middle management or the worker while in Japan, direction can be

formulated

at the lowest levels,

travel

upward

through

an

organization

and

have

an

impact

on

the

eventual

decision.

This

is

“

bottom up.

”

There

is

also

a

characteristic

style

of

communications

in

Japan

that

is

different

from

the

Western way.

The Japanese business person works to achieve harmony, even if the deal

falls through

, and

will

spend

whatever

time

is

necessary

to

determine

a

“

you

to

you

“

approach, communicating

personal views only indirectly and with great sensitivity.

This

places

time

in

a

different

perspective.

In

Japan

the

Western

deadline

approach

is

secondary to a thorough job. Japanese are thorough in their meetings as well as in their production.

Thus Americans are often

exasperated

by the seemingly endless sequences of meetings in many

Japanese businesses.

But

where

the

Americans

is

pressing

for

a

specific

decision,

the

Japanese

is

trying

to

formulate a rather broad direction.

On the other hand, once agreement is established, it is the Japanese who sometimes

wonder

at

the

leisurely

pace

of

execution

of

Westerners.

The

Japanese

are

eager

for

execution

and

Westerners, perhaps, like to take the time for in-depth planning.

Now, while Japan

’

s industry and technology are highly developed, they have not replaced the

fundamental force of human energy and motivation. By that I mean that the Japanese take great

pride in doing a job well and getting it done no matter how much time is required.

There

is

a

dedication

and

sense

of

responsibility

which

have

not

been

replaced

by

the

machine age. Perhaps we are not so sophisticated yet.

In

my

field

－

finance

and

securities

－

I

am

often

asked

by

Westerners

how

Nomura

Securities has managed to escape the paper

logjam

that American brokerage firm have faced. We,

too, have had that problem.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange often has a turnover of between 200 and 300 million shares a day.

This volume is many times

more than of the New York Stock Exchange.

How can we possibly

handle this load?

First,

we

have

very

advanced

computerization.

Second,

and

most

important,

the

personnel

responsible for processing all these transactions stay and stay till all hours until the job is done.

And

their

families

understand

that

this

is

something

that

they

must

do,

for

the

survival

and

progress of the company and for their own mutual security as well.

Perhaps in 20 years

－

or sooner

－

they will be more Westernized and insist on going home at

five

o

’

clock.

But

today,

still,

most

insist

on

staying

until

the

job

is

done.

There

is

concern

for

quality.

This willingness to pitch in is an important aspect of Japanese problem-solving, and you find

it at every level.

Some

years

ago,

the

Matsushita

company

was

having

a

very

bed

time.

Among

the

many

measures taken, Mr. Matsushita, the founder and then chairman, became the manager of the sales

department.

Also,

when

we

at

Nomura

converted

to

computers

about

five

years

ago,

the

new

system

eliminated the jobs of 700

bookkeepers

and

accountants

who were using abacuses. We got rid of

the abacuses but we did not get rid of the people. We

converted

our bookkeepers and accountants

to securities sales people and some of these today are our leading sales people.

Where there is willingness and intelligence, there is a place within the company to try and to

succeed. In Japan, a person

’

s capabilities are not forced into an

inflexible

specialty

. And we feel

the company owes a worker something for

loyalty

and

commitment

.

II. Vocabulary

A. Choose the word that best keeps the meaning of the sentence if it is substituted for the

underlined word.

1. One of the effective measures to minimize the dangers of driving is to teach people to obey all

the rules of the road.

A. stabilize

B. reduce

C. publicize

D. finalize

2. At American airports, the threat of terrorist activities has led to elaborate security procedures

and increasingly sophisticated baggage-inspection equipment to protect passenger safety.

A. essential

B. secure

C. voluntary

D. complicated

3. A cross-cultural perspective allows anthropologists to step back and view human cultural and

biological development with relative detachment.

A. situation

B. attitude

C. position

D. outlook

4.

Animals

reproduce

at

markedly

different

rates,

but

all

have

the

potential

to

increase

their

numbers if resources allow it.

A. noticeably

B. moderately

C. reasonably

D. regularly

5.

Americans

are

often

exasperated

by

the

seemingly

endless

sequences

of

meetings

in

many

Japanese businesses.

A. puzzled

B, warned

C. irritated

D. cautioned

6. Because of the wide diversity

in human beings, instructional settings, and fields of study, no

general theory has been formulated that is applicable to all educational psychology.

A. motivated

B. developed

C. suggested

D. forwarded

7.

A

subsidy

plan

has

been

worked

out

to

pay

farmers

for

converting

part

of

their

cropland

to

soil-conserving uses.

A. changing

B. replacing

C. locating

D. forming

8. He is handsome, confident and articulate, like many of the students at this college.

A. expressive

B. diligent

C. energetic

D. ambitious

9. Emperors strove for religious unanimity, in part to cultivate favor from church officials, but also

because they believed that the survival and welfare of the empire depended on divine favor.

A. satisfaction

B. stability

C. devotion

D. agreement

10. During the 1990s Greenpeace was troubled by internal disagreement. Some members want to

persist with a militant approach, emphasizing civil disobedience and physical confrontation.

A. conflict

B. offense

C. debate

D. terror

B. Fill in each blank with a suitable word from

each group given below. Change the form