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published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

by Loi Chi-ho. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-58). / ABSTRACT --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.vi / CHAPTER / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Lifetime Employment --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2 --- Seniority-Based Promotion System --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Enterprise Unionism --- p.5 / Chapter 2. --- THE STRUCTURE OF THE LABOUR SYSTEM --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1 --- "The Definition of ""Employee""" --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Origin of Shushin Koyo --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- Nenko Joretsu: A Base of Integration --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4 --- Enterprise Union: The Linkage with Kaisha --- p.19 / Chapter 3. --- THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT --- p.23 / Chapter 3.1 --- Changes in Economic Environment --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2 --- Demographic Changes --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3 --- The Changing Work Ethic --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4 --- Mid-lifetime Employment Crisis --- p.31 / Chapter 4. --- THE FUTURE PATTERN --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1 --- Can Shushin Koyo Be Continued? --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2 --- Nenko Joretsu: The Product of Old Generation? --- p.40 / Chapter 4.3 --- Enterprise Unions: Will the Linkage continue? --- p.43 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Japanese Labour System in the 21st Century --- p.44 / Chapter 5. --- CONCLUSIONS --- p.48 / APPENDIX --- p.51 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.54

Japanese-style management has attracted a lot of attention from managers, business executives and scholars worldwide. The sudden intensity of interest in the so-called Japanese Management Model has been partly due to the rapid ascendancy of Japan as, a leading economic superpower in a relatively short period after her humiliating defeat in the Second World War. In 1982, Malaysia officially launched the "Look East" policy to emulate the Japanese by adopting Japanese-style management practices. It was believed that by adopting Japanese-style management techniques, the Malaysians can replicate the Japanese success. This study aims to discuss what constitutes Japanese-style management and also to determine if it can be transferred to the Malaysian public enterprise sector. From this study, it was revealed that only some elements of Japanese-style management are transferable to Malaysian public enterprises. There is a number of problems encountered in trying to transfer the Japanese practices to Malaysian public enterprise sector, especially if they are not compatible with the Malaysian values. The problems of transferring Japanese management techniques across national boundaries are further compounded when the transfer is from private sector to public sector. Even in the case of Japan, her public enterprise sector does not even have a reputation of efficient management. It was also found that despite the official policy and persistent effort towards "Japanisation" by the government, the majority of Malaysian workforce still prefer the present existing management system. To some extent, the study has provided some answers to questions regarding the feasibility of adopting the Japanese-style management. But most important of all, the study has revealed that Japanese-style management is not a panacea to the problems confronting the public enterprise sector in Malaysia.

Europa-Universiẗat, Diss., 2006--Frankfurt (Oder).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Harvard University, 1991. / Order number 9123040. Includes bibliographical references (p. 589-616).

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Comparative Asian Studies / Master / Master of Arts

This thesis examines the evolution of postwar industrial relations in postwar Japan from 1945 to 1973. It analyzes the impact of postwar industrial relations institutions on the origins and development of “lean production” or, as it is otherwise known, the Toyota production system. It uses three case studies, Mitsui Coal’s Miike mine in Kyushu, Suzuki Motors in Hamamatsu, and Moriguchi City Hall as an empirical basis for analysis and constructs a schema of industrial relations institutions that challenges the conventional “three pillars” interpretation (lifetime employment, seniority-based wages, and enterprise unions). From a historical perspective there were three distinct stages in the evolution of industrial relations. The first, from 1945-1947 was a labour-dominated period during which unions began to develop a distinct factory regime in which they were equal partners with management and could veto layoffs. Employers rejected this regime, however, and led an offensive against the independent union movement. This offensive was relatively successful in weakening labour and overturning the new institutions, but it engendered further antagonism. Thus the 1950s were characterized by instability in labour relations and new institutions had to evolve out of the workplace. A stable Fordist regime consolidated in the 1960-1973 period. From a comparative perspective and in the context of the development of lean production, the author stresses four institutions: tacit and limited job tenure; a performance-based wage system controlled by management; unions with an enterprise (i.e. market) orientation; and joint consultation. These institutions gave Japanese industrial relations their distinctiveness and also help to explain why lean production developed in Japan. Under the traditional Fordist model, work was broken down into short, repetitive cycles and organized along an assembly line. Employers exerted control by keeping conceptual activities as their mandate and workers were to simply follow instructions. This study found that work itself did not change substantively under lean production but workers participated more in conceptual activities. One of the key reasons for this was that employers in Japan were able to exercise control not only through the division of labour but through the wage system and enterprise unions as well. These mechanisms put discrete limits on the scope of worker innovations. They also limited the benefits workers could expect from the system. Lean production represented a new stage in production, identified as lean, intensified Fordism.

This thesis examines the evolution of postwar industrial relations in postwar Japan from 1945 to 1973. It analyzes the impact of postwar industrial relations institutions on the origins and development of “lean production” or, as it is otherwise known, the Toyota production system. It uses three case studies, Mitsui Coal’s Miike mine in Kyushu, Suzuki Motors in Hamamatsu, and Moriguchi City Hall as an empirical basis for analysis and constructs a schema of industrial relations institutions that challenges the conventional “three pillars” interpretation (lifetime employment, seniority-based wages, and enterprise unions). From a historical perspective there were three distinct stages in the evolution of industrial relations. The first, from 1945-1947 was a labour-dominated period during which unions began to develop a distinct factory regime in which they were equal partners with management and could veto layoffs. Employers rejected this regime, however, and led an offensive against the independent union movement. This offensive was relatively successful in weakening labour and overturning the new institutions, but it engendered further antagonism. Thus the 1950s were characterized by instability in labour relations and new institutions had to evolve out of the workplace. A stable Fordist regime consolidated in the 1960-1973 period. From a comparative perspective and in the context of the development of lean production, the author stresses four institutions: tacit and limited job tenure; a performance-based wage system controlled by management; unions with an enterprise (i.e. market) orientation; and joint consultation. These institutions gave Japanese industrial relations their distinctiveness and also help to explain why lean production developed in Japan. Under the traditional Fordist model, work was broken down into short, repetitive cycles and organized along an assembly line. Employers exerted control by keeping conceptual activities as their mandate and workers were to simply follow instructions. This study found that work itself did not change substantively under lean production but workers participated more in conceptual activities. One of the key reasons for this was that employers in Japan were able to exercise control not only through the division of labour but through the wage system and enterprise unions as well. These mechanisms put discrete limits on the scope of worker innovations. They also limited the benefits workers could expect from the system. Lean production represented a new stage in production, identified as lean, intensified Fordism. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate

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