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The prevailing image of the Japanese management system in very large companies is very similar, if not the same as the management system used in small Japanese companies, because business management systems are, after all, a product of their particular national culture.

This article will at first provide a brief overview of the history of Japanese business and management systems over the course of the late 20th century in order to provide a context in which to base its argument. It is, of course, also important to understand what the prevailing image of the Japanese management system is, and how it came to be so dominant or influential with very large Japanese companies.

This article will also examine how the prevailing image of Japanese management systems in very large companies are similar to and different from the systems of small companies in Japan. There are some key similarities and differences with each general type of management system, and although there isn’t enough space in this essay to introduce all aspects, a general overview and some examples of the similarities and differences between the management systems of both very large and small companies of Japan will be provided.

It is important to first understand how the modern Japanese economy became what it is today. Since the end of World War 2, until about the 1970′s, Japan had experienced a profound economic transformation. By the 1980′s, Japan had become the second largest economy in the world, to the envy and admiration of other nations. This remarkable period of economic prosperity during the latter half of the 20th century has become known as the Japanese ‘Economic Miracle’.

There are a range of arguments made by scholars who have attempted to explain the reason behind Japan’s economic success in the late 20th century, and these vary considerably. One of these reasons is that Japan’s economic success has been solely as a result of the culture and traditions of Japan. This argument is based on the assumption that culture is the main contributing factor of a nation’s economy. Morishima has emphasized that in the context of Japan’s economic success, the Confucian tradition of Japan has played a key role, arguing that “religious and ethical systems shape human economic behavior and consequently the nature and performance of their economies”. Other ideas have been used to understand Japan’s rise to success in the late 20th century such as market regulation, for example, Japan’s response to market signals, bureaucratic regulation by selecting and fostering strategic industries and political, economic and social conditions in Japan.

Japan’s successful economy started to decline in 1973 during the oil crisis, when the price of oil quadrupled, acting as a catalyst for economic failure in Japan. Effectively, the high price of oil had negative effects on the Japanese manufacturing industry. Japan responded by focusing its attention from energy dependent industry to a more knowledge-based industry, thus averting the crisis from worsening, and enhancing the health of its economy. Japan experienced a ‘bubble economy’ in the years 1987 – 90. This had come about as the result of asset prices rising far beyond their actual value, particularly those of land and shares. Land prices fell sharply in 1990 when the Bank of Japan increased the official interest rate, thus triggering a massive sell-off of shares. Since this time Japan has faced challenges such as an aging population and the currency crisis in Asia, but has recovered considerably and today still has a strong economy, rivaled by only the United States, China and the European Union.

Almost every business policy that the Japanese are well-known for is as a result of the post-World War 2 economic reconstruction in Japan. The first root factor of the modern Japanese management system is a sense of national identity. This is mainly due to the fact that Japan is an isolated, island nation. Actually, this sense of national identity has existed since feudal times in Japan. The second factor of the modern Japanese management system is the notion of Confucianism; while imported from China long ago, the Japanese have their own version of Confucianism, which is central to understanding the modern Japanese management system. Confucianism in Japan has three main aspects; loyalty, filial piety and respect for learning. Loyalty and filial piety in Japan are reflected in Japanese management with honne and tatemae, or one’s own feelings and one’s public stance, which may and often differ between each other according to the individual.

Loyalty is also seen in very large companies in Japan, where on graduating from high school or university and entering into employment with a Japanese company, one will usually gain ‘lifetime employment’ with his or her company, thus reflecting the Confucian aspect of loyalty. In this sense, Confucianism plays a major role with Japanese management practices.

Group orientation, or shudanshugi also plays an important role in modern Japanese business management practices. This is also a prominent attribute in Japanese society, for example to see a group of Japanese tourists in a foreign country, one will notice that the people in the group will always stay close together. This aspect of Japanese culture is of course also very apparent within Japanese companies, and has been deeply ingrained into Japanese society itself since the Tokugawa period. Shudanshugi can be seen with almost any social aspect of Japan, thus it is evident with both large and small Japanese companies.

Although this desire to be part of a group may be also apparent with other countries, Japan in particular sees this group mentality as natural, not an exterior phenomenon as it may be seen with other cultures. Individual responsibility is not important in Japan, as it is in the West. Instead, groups are given the responsibilites. This is another example of the group-orientated ethics of Japan and the Japanese workforce.

There are also two types of attitudes towards authority in Japan: kengen and ken’i, or simply, formal authority and personal influence. As such, Japanese companies both small and very large tend to be run on ken’i, personal influence, which is different from a general Western perspective, where emphasis is usually placed on delegated authority.

The fourth important aspect of Japanese business culture is based on regional competition, something that has existed in Japan since feudal times. This is not so much an artificial construction of modern Japan, but something that has been rooted in Japanese culture for a long time. For one example, the competition between firms in Japan in the kantou and kansai regions in modern times reflects the regional competition between these same areas as far back as the beginnings of the Tokugawa period. This cultural aspect of modern Japan is probably reflected more visibly in the business management systems more often with very large companies, than smaller companies in Japan.

There are two basic forms of obligation in Japanese society, which can be seen in the business culture of Japan. On refers to a debt that is not able to be repaid, for example one’s debt to their parents or the debt incurred from saving another’s life. While it cannot be repaid, one will try to repay it. This type of obligation is also apparent with entering into lifetime employment with a very large Japanese company, and is tied in with the Confucian notion of loyalty. The second form of obligation, giri, is incurred from receiving a favour, such as leasing an apartment to a tenant.

Along with the aforementioned aspects of Japanese culture, there are many more aspects present with Japanese culture, and along with it the Japanese management systems of both small and very large companies. In simple terms, Japanese business management styles are a by-product of the Japanese national culture, as such, each type of management system is not much far removed from the other. In fact, we see such cultural aspects in almost any facet of society in Japan.

It is immediately apparent that culture influences business practices and in effect business management systems. Entire theses have been written around this idea. One such example is Kahn’s ‘Confucian Economic System’, used to describe Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Korea’s cultural links to business practices. Kahn describes the features of these ‘neo-Confucian’ economies to be related to a number of factors, including sobriety, a high value for education, a desire to succeed, seriousness about life and a hard-working ethic. Along with a culturally ingrained, Confucian sense of loyalty, there is also a sense of harmony in the Japanese workplace, as there are with the group-oriented mindset of Japanese society. This is evidenced by strike-free workplaces in modern Japan, thus placing an emphasis on co-operation and mutual obligation, rather than equality.

The cultural values, relations and structure of modern Japan clearly affect how Japanese society operates, and this is also the case with modern Japanese business management systems in both very large and smaller Japanese companies, as has been proven in this essay. Japan is a very unique country, in that its culture does not completely resemble that of any other one nation, although Japan has borrowed much from other countries to construct its own national identity.

It is apparent that Confucianism plays an important role in Japanese culture and in effect its society, business practices and so on. What has been covered in this essay is only a brief glimpse of the complicated and detailed Japanese business management world, including such cultural aspects as group orientation, authority, regional competition, obligations, and overall, the Confucian-based business culture of Japan, which in itself has many important aspects which are used in Japanese social practices and business management systems alike.

The reason why the prevailing image of Japanese management systems in very large companies and small companies is very similar, if not the same, is because the Japanese economy, and with it the business structure of virtually any kind of business or large company in Japan is directly influenced by Japanese cultural values, relations and structure, in particular, those of Confucian origin.

Many scholars have argued about the reason why Japan has become so successful in the late 20th century, in an attempt to describe the Japanese ‘Economic Miracle’. The first argument that is usually presented is that Japan’s recent economic success is as a result of her culture and tradition. While it has not been proven beyond doubt that this is the only reason behind the ‘Economic Miracle’, it is certainly a compelling argument and clearly demonstrates the powerful influence that culture has over the structure of a national society such as Japan.

By: Luthor Laine

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Everyone loves free advertising. In some ways it is the Holy Grail of business. But it has to be effective advertising seen by many people. One of my favorites is a newspaper article about your business. This is an elusive goal, and it can be difficult to achieve. Sometimes, it is just being in the right place at the right time. However, there are some basic techniques you can put into play to help position your business for exposure. I have personally used them to get 3 different articles written and published. These techniques have even put me on the evening news. And best of all, it only costs you some time and effort.

The key to this method is letting journalists know your business exists. I do not believe in waiting for someone to notice me. I prefer to tell them I am there. Realistically, journalists are always for a good story. Just tell them why you or your business would be a good story. Try to look at your business from an outsider’s perspective. Why are you special? How does your business improve the lives of your customer? Maybe you are the first one in your area to do what you are doing. Maybe you are about to celebrate an anniversary or milestone in your business. Have you recently received an award? Find something special about your business that is newsworthy. You are excited about your business, otherwise you would not be doing it. Share that excitement. Do not expect someone else to decide what it is about your business that is exciting. Make it something that sparks the journalist’s interest.

Once you have your concept, all you have to do is email them. Go to the websites of all your local papers and find the email addresses of journalists in the appropriate sections of the paper. For instance, if you want your business splashed across the front page of the entertainment section, find a journalist (or two or three) in that section. Email addresses are usually found under the “Contact Us” link on the website. Collect lots of addresses. The more people you let know about your “news,” the better chance you will have of being picked up.

Now comes the tricky part. You have to grab them with your subject line. Try to imagine yourself at their desk, opening your email, and try to decide which emails grab your attention. What would you want to read? What would whet your appetite? This is your opening line. Make it your best.

The body of your email should be short and sweet. If you do grab their interest, you do not want to lose it with a long, drawn out email. And if they are not interested, you do not want to waste your time typing. Give them one or two paragraphs about why your business is newsworthy, and then give them a link to find out more information. If they think the story is newsworthy, they will follow your trail.

Once you have emailed everyone you can find, just sit back and wait. But do not wait too long. It is common knowledge in the marketing world that it takes four to seven exposures for people to recognize your name or business. Do not send out one email to your list and expect something to happen. (Of course, it can! But do not be too disappointed if it does not.) Make a schedule for yourself and send out emails to your list every two months or so. Find a way to tie your business in with a holiday. Or make a big deal about how much your business has grown. It does not matter if when you say you doubled the number of people in your organization within your first year in business, you mean that you went from three to six. Keep your email subject lines exciting but relevant. And be persistent. You never know when a news story will relate to your business. And when it does, you want journalists to know your name and how to contact you rather than your competition. Good luck. I hope to read about you soon!

By: Deanna Mayer

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Getting into trouble with your mortgage isn’t exactly a comfortable place to be. It is no surprise that you’d want to look for a St. Louis law firm to help at the first sign of trouble. Since there are no “mortgage attorneys” where can you turn? The field of law has grown so much that is pretty impossible to be able to do everything, causing many attorneys to focus on one specific area. No, not every lawyer you encounter will know how to handle a mortgage problem but there are some that will.

If the problem has to do with your actual mortgage lender or the nature of the lien, you will probably want to contact a real estate attorney. A real estate attorney will be able to check if anyone claiming a lien on your home is legitimate, make sure all documents are correct and know if your mortgage company has made any procedural mistakes. If your problem, however, has to do with paying your mortgage, you may need a different kind of attorney. Not being able to pay your mortgage isn’t a laughing matter. As soon as you start falling behind on your payments, you’ve headed down a path leads more than 1,700 St. Louis residents each month to foreclosure. For most, putting their families in danger of not getting protection from foreclosure isn’t an option.

But what kind of attorney can you turn to for protection from foreclosure? A St. Louis bankruptcy attorney can actually stop the sale of your home and help you keep your family safe and sound with a Missouri or Illinois Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Plus, a bankruptcy can help you with other kinds of debt like medical bills or credit cards. In addition to stopping your foreclosure, chapter 13 can stop a wage garnishment, prevent creditors from harassing you all night and day, and stop the repo man from taking your car. You could really take the burden of debt off your shoulders and the shoulders of your loved ones.

Don’t forget that just because you’ve found a real estate or bankruptcy attorney in St. Louis doesn’t mean they are the most qualified to handle your mortgage concerns. You should still concentrate on finding the best attorney for your specific case. Find an attorney who wants to answer your tough questions by providing you with free information before he or she even meets you. You will confident in your decision if it is an educated one.

By: James R Brown

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Tough Choices: Having ailing parents is heartbreaking. Sometimes, you have no choice put to place your mother or father into a nursing home. It’s hard enough to deal with this issue without having to make sure your finances are in order. But you need to stay one step ahead of the game if you want to avoid IRS troubles.

Nursing Home FAQS: People have often asked me questions about Nursing Homes. I thought I’d use my knowledge as a former IRS Hit-man to share these with you.

Who is a Qualifying Relative for my Tax Deductions?
The IRS considers the following to be qualifying relatives (from IRS Publication 502):

Son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, or grandchild Brother, sister, or neice/nephew Father, mother, or an ancestor or aunt/uncle Stepbrother, stepsister, stepfather, stepmother, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law Any other person (other than your spouse) who lived with you for the whole year as a member of your household
My relative is in a nursing home. I pay for the entire cost. Can I deduct the expenses on my tax return?

Maybe. This will depend on a few factors. In most cases, nursing home expenses are allowable as mecial expenses. If the main reason they are in the nursing home is for medical care then the entire cost is tax deductible. This includes meals, lodging, and medical expense. If the person is in the home for personal reasons, then the cost of medical care, meals, and lodging are not deductible. So make sure to prove they are in the nursing home for medical reasons. Save the hospital records and doctor notes!

Now You Have The Smoking Gun…Use it!

By: Richard Close

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CNBC investing could be interpreted in many ways; it could be that you are involved in trading using CNBC stocks. Well, it is a media entity and you are probably investing your time watching their updates from time to time relative to your business because it is naturally a business oriented news media. Having CNBC investing is a having a guide at which you will be making a decision in your business. CNBC investing almost covers all business entities around the world.

Source for Business Information

The network is a good source on a daily basis on business, they are very informative and you could have smart decisions using their guidance and publications. They are not biased that is why they are entrusted to inform business enthusiast ahead of time the things or scenarios on a particular country where status of that countries stocks are known and the trending of their markets. CNBC investing is purely of business concerns, with less of the other side of the news being of second priority as their slogan would say “first in world business”. Practically CNBC investing is a good source of business news.

People who gets bored with watching business news are people who do not have much concern about business, they may even say it’s none of their business where in fact, business news is suppose to be everybody’s business. Just take a look at what happened to the economy the recent years, the business community went down and it dragged a lot of people affected much of the living conditions. A lot of people didn’t saw that coming, not even some of the speculators in the stock market. A lot of businesses needed to close down, mass lay-offs of various companies took effect it was one of the worst conditions experienced not just in the business world but the whole country and eventually the whole world particularly economies that are tied with the economy of the United States.

Our Involvement

Now, what can we do to contribute to the development of the economy, this would rather be something that many people would say “leave it to the economists” but we are actually a part of it. This does not suggest that you watch CNBC investing news regularly or any other news media pertaining to business. What I am trying to tell you is that we can contribute by spending on what we need and save more for tomorrow; if you can think of something that you can earn from aside from employment, the better. There are times when your country would need you more than you need it, the successes of the individual in a country is also its success, it will not have many money if you don’t patronize what it offers. And how can you buy if you have nothing? Do you have to rely on your country to give you something all the time, think out of the box and improvise on how you would earn more than what employment can offer, CNBC investing may help.

By: Jeff C Daniels

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A strategic direction is vital for any business but it needs to be understood by the staff. A good leader in business management will have the ability to instill the direction of the company’s strategy effectively. All of the employees need to be able to not only understand the corporate strategy but be on board with achieving the goals of the strategy. A good leader will have the ability to motivate their staff into wanting to achieve the corporate strategy.

Strategic direction tells employees not only where the company is headed, but where the employees are headed as well. A good leader in business management has the ability to show employees how they play a role in achieving the overall goals of the business. Employees will have a good understanding of their individual importance and how they make a difference with the work they do. This creates self importance and motivates staff to want to be productive in order to help the business succeed.

Quality business management also requires a leader to have the ability to instill guiding values with the employees. The values instilled within the employees should provide guidance. A good leader will guide staff into making wise decisions that are for the benefit of each individual and the organization focused on integrity. Employees want to follow a leader that is honest.

There are many things that a successful leader of business management must be capable of providing to the staff. These things include instilling the strategic direction, providing the company vision, and installing guiding values that motivate the staff. Supervisors are responsible for transmitting the philosophies, goals, vision, and values throughout the organization. A good leader that is capable of doing these things, sets the foundation for deploying systems that are well defined, techniques, and performance measures of achieving them.

By: Tony Jacowski

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