Average Japanese citizens are doubting the one-time prudent approach
Some of the basic tenets of Japanese productivity are being questioned, such as lifetime employment. Nissan, as well as Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, have announced phased workforce reductions. With large corporations making losses, more attention is now being paid to profitability rather than market share. The average Japanese citizens, who had been making considerable sacrifices and had invested for industrial growth, are finding their capital decreasing and are doubting the one-time prudent approach. With government guidance and the leadership of such organizations as the Japan Productivity Center, the Japanese have always proved to be most resilient, as they were after the 1973 oil crisis. They seem to perform at their best with a sense of crisis. An example is Nissan’s intention to fight back and compete by a 10 per cent annual improvement in factory labour productivity, coupled with more efficient use of corporate human resources. Andersen Consulting[26] claim that the recession in Japan does not seem to have damaged productivity. They reveal that the Japanese manufacturing plants, which took part in both their 1992 and 1994 studies, showed a 38 per cent jump in productivity, which was due partly to major restructing and partly to process improvements. This was despite a 15 per cent decline in volumes Some of the basic tenets of Japanese productivity are being questioned, such as lifetime employment. Nissan, as well as Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, have announced phased workforce reductions. With large corporations making losses, more attention is now being paid to profitability rather than market share. The average Japanese citizens, who had been making considerable sacrifices and had invested for industrial growth, are finding their capital decreasing and are doubting the one-time prudent approach. With government guidance and the leadership of such organizations as the Japan Productivity Center, the Japanese have always proved to be most resilient, as they were after the 1973 oil crisis. They seem to perform at their best with a sense of crisis. An example is Nissan’s intention to fight back and compete by a 10 per cent annual improvement in factory labour productivity, coupled with more efficient use of corporate human resources. Andersen Consulting[26] claim that the recession in Japan does not seem to have damaged productivity. They reveal that the Japanese manufacturing plants, which took part in both their 1992 and 1994 studies, showed a 38 per cent jump in productivity, which was due partly to major restructing and partly to process improvements. This was despite a 15 per cent decline in volumes