eastern conundrum might be instructive for us. Quality Circles, Common Uniforms are some of the apparent techniques we have picked up from Japanese Management techniques, but largely as verbiage. They imported all science and technology from the West while developing their own techniques of management. A city state like Singapore gives importance to the family rather than an individual. It believes in Harmony rather than Adversary culture and litigation. In India we have virtually debarred Mutual agreement from our human resource management area. Instead of settlement between the parties we are resorting to legal redress through Courts. Even in the field of Health and Consumer Protection we are creating vested interests in litigation and huge compensation awards by courts which is already a problem in the USA.
In Japanese industrial thinking: I, my company and all those who work in it are like my brothers or sisters and therefore if there is a conflict, Managers are known to commit suicide out of shame for the death of amity at the workplace. Something that we are unlikely to see here, in India. It is easy to imitate superficial behaviour patterns. Likewise, we have not acquired insistence on punctuality, precision, treating physical labour with dignity. British work culture in general was not absorbed by Indians despite two hundred years of British political domination. The main challenge now before us is how to acquire the nationalist spirit of Japanese.
Matsushita (National Panasonic) Company has a Mission Statement and Company Song which begins with the words national service through Industry and it is so recorded and repeated every day before the beginning of work. This goal is defined by a profitable company which is known for its aggressive capture of world market. It gives first priority to national service as a goal for their enterprise. It does not count maximisation of profit, maximisation of market share or highest share price as its first priority goals and that is a noteworthy feature of its song. With this lofty goal in mind its employees as well as managers strive and work. They do achieve leadership in profits, market share and share prices, but that as a by-product to their primary goal of National service. All of them have this Framework of national service very clear in their minds.
People work hard, with enthusiasm, only if there is some emotional urge in their minds. With carrot and stick policy they do not get energised or inspired. When people are motivated by some super-ordinate goal they can achieve continuously rising productivity. Excellence can be a motivating goal. A Japanese fights for the nation and for a salary but the first part is fighting for a nation and second part is the pay. We see all around us that people fight for the nation. It is very true that ‘Soldier fights for Nation and penny a day’ but nobody will stake his life for his Bonus. For
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