The influence of cultural Differences between Germany and Japan in the application of Kaizen - A comparative Study of Toyota and Bosch Production Systems
Abstract
The implementation of Japanese management techniques in Western companies is not a novelty. Cultural differences are said to influence and even hinder the application of such techniques, transforming them in a misunderstood or ill-adapted version of their originals. Being so, the production systems of two companies, on in Japan and the other Western, are analysed and its similarities and differences pointed out.
Based on theoretical background of cultural theories and kaizen, this dissertation consists of an examination of whether cultural differences influence the application of kaizen in two companies located in Japan and Germany, namely Toyota and Bosch. This examination led to the following conclusions: the cultures of Japan and Germany are different from each other; the application of kaizen in the two companies observed are not unlike; and cultural differences not always hinder the implementation of management techniques. Being so, this research signals that cultural differences do not constitute an invincible obstacle to the adaptation of Japanese techniques in the West.
Table of Contents
List of Table and Figures
Figures
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Figure 1 – The meaning of Kaizen
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8
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Figure 2 – Kaizen strategy
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11
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Figure 3 – The TPS House
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20
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Figure 4 – The Concept of Jidoka
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23
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Figure 5 – Bosch Production System (BPS) – Principles
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26
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Figure 6 – The 5D Model of Prof. Geert Hofstede applied for Japan and Germany
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34
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Table
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Table 1 – Prof. Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture Scales
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34
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