| C. Mgmt Style by Function | ||
| Personnel | ||
| lifetime employment | Lifetime employment is a corolary of the long-term commitment which the company expects from its employees and of the continuous on-the-job training that companies give to employees. | |
| Lifetime employment was introduced as recently as 1955 | ||
| still only offered by the larger corporations, and only to specific members of the organization who constitute an inner core of mngmt. | Mainly males recruited directly from university who are destined for promotion up the corporate hierarchy (30-40 % of a company's total workforce). | |
| Companies, and Jpn society in general, are rethingking lifetime imployment today. | In times of eononomic adversity, companies will reduce the numbers of employees who do not hold lifetime positions, while keeping sacrosanct the inner core of mngmt. | |
| Lifetime employment is no more than a general guiding principle; by no means a guaratee. | ||
| Even before the retirement age of 50-55, some managers at the head office, esp. those who have not made senior management grade there, may be transferred (from the head office) to serve out their remaining time with affiliated companies, or suppliers. | ||
| Job Rotation | Potential managers are recruited into a large company as gerenaralists rather than specialists. | |
| Once new recruits have served a period of two years, it is conventional proactice to rotate them between a series of jobs. Reasons: | It allows the genralist manager to gain experience in a number of departments and functions. | |
| It allows managers the opportunity to extend their network -- a factor which will ease later cross-department cooperation and decision making. | ||
| Managers gaina alrger picture of the company's operations. | ||
| It allows candidates for promotion to senior positions to be monitored and assessed by other managers. | ||
| Corporate hierarchy | Flexibility and ambiguity (rather than absolute clarity): Jpn regard flexibiility as a valuable asset. | Job titles exist but managers' duties tend to overlap. |
| Job descriptions are rare. | ||
| Responsilibility is shared and work tasks are done in teams. | ||
| Decision making is less liklely to be constrained by job boundaries. | ||
| on-the-job training (OJT) | OJT eocourages expertise in diverse functions. | multiskilling |
| promotion and salary based on seniority | As an employee gains expereince in a number of company deparmtnets throuh job rotation, so he or she is consireded able to accept greater responsilibity. | Even managers who show promise and potential need to conform to age requirements. |
| Personal expertise or merit are secondary considerations: Promotion on grouds of merit would be unusual, if not downright eccentric. | ||
| Promotion by seniority enusures that no one in the same group of graduates feels left behind and diffuses any feeling of jealousy or bitterness that may build up and have an adverse effect on work. | Eagalitarianism | |
| pension and other benefits | ||
| company housing | ||
| sports and recreational facilities |