JICA HOLDS A SEMINAR ON MANAGEMENT OF EXCELLENT JAPANESE COMPANIES THROUGH THE GDN CENTRES

On Thursday October 13, 2005 the Tanzania Global Development Learning Centre (TGDLC) invited participants to a JICA Videoconference Seminar on the Management of Japanese Excellent Companies, delivered by Prof. Kunio IGUSA the Dean, College of Asia Pacific Management, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. The seminar was one in a series of similar seminars being organized by JICA.

In this seminar, Prof. Igusa introduced Japanese management style to participants in eight countries through the Global Development Network (GDN), of which the Tanzania Global Development Learning Centre (TGDLC) is a member.

Prof. Igusa elaborated policies on competitive advantage on the basis of concrete case studies from the Japanese industries.

The objective of the seminar was to make participants understand the strengths of Japanese management style, with the expectation that participants would identify critical points to apply in their own work environment. The target audience was thus Government officials involved in policy making for economic and industrial development, corporate executives, academicians, researchers, etc.

Prof. Igusa set off by explaining the post-world war II Japanese Development Process, which proceeded in ten year segments from the 1950s. Having started reconstruction from ashes, the first challenge, in the 1950s, the next decade of the 1960s was characterized by high expectations on high economic growth and social change, the second challenge..

The 1970s, on the other hand, witnessed the setting in of the energy crisis and the need to pay attention to environmental problems, the third challenge, thus slowing down the pace of economic growth somehow.

The fourth challenge in the Japanese recovery process occurred in the 19980s and was a result of appreciation of the Japanese Yen and the associated loss in cost competitiveness in the globalizing world environment.

In the 1990s, a fifth challenge emerged, related to the bubble economy and long term recession as a result of further globalisation and growing overseas competitors, the advancement of the IT revolution, deflation pressure and financial problems.

In facing up to these challenges, Prof. Igusa then elaborated on the different paths that Japanese industries followed in order to survive and develop further. The different paths revolved around the dynamic mobilization of the versatile Japanese Management Resources.

Amongst the strong points in Japanese Management style applied by the industries, he mentioned the following:

• Diverse entrepreneurship, including the emergence of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);
• Strong will to adopt advancing technologies and modify them;
• Diligent workforce and dynamic movement of “Kaizen” (Site workers’ initiative);
• Solid and broad industrial base.

The following concrete examples were cited by Prof. Igusa:
• Excellent Technology with Strong Spirit – the case of Sony
• Dynamic Adventure and Corporate Culture – the case of Honda
• Original Technology and its arrangement - the case of Shimano
• Innovative Modification of traditional Industry by Advanced Technology – the case Kawashima
• Ste Workers’ Knowledge and Power – the case of Asahi Beer.

Examples drawn from the above mentioned companies served ti illustrate the points advanced by Prof. Igusa. The different strategies basically addressed the need to observe high quality and design of products in accordance with the consumers’ taste and adjusting to new markets, new organization and international business.

The discussion that followed Prof. Igusa’s presentation centred on the issues related to:
• Opportunities for developing countries learning from the Japanese experience in terms of innovation
• Role of the Fisheries Industry in Japan
• Quality control and Total Quality Management (TQM)
• Support to SMEs
• Legal framework in support of industrial development
• The role of IT
• Application of Kaizen rules
• Government financial support at the beginning of the recovery period.

Prof. Igusa responded to the issues raised before the seminar was closed.

Prof. Igusa was speaking from Tokyo. The following other countries participated in the seminar: Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda.