Productivity improvement is not considered in isolation. Japanese corporations ensure that they make productivity a way of life, an objective consisting of basic elements. Each organization translates these into an action plan which relates to its own corporate culture. There appear to be eight success ingredients in the longranger planning of productivity:(1) commitment of top management and unions;
(2) understanding of the productivity needs of the organization;
(3) creation of a productivity culture towards continuous improvements (kaizen);
(4) creating a communication mechanism;
(5) modernizing technology;
(6) counselling and development of human resources;
(7) gain-sharing;
(8) productivity integrated into corporate planning.
The long-term goals of major, and of many smaller, corporations are: a challenge to employees; a concern for their welfare on the part of management; and the maximization of customer satisfaction. With regard to the latter, some companies have developed a customer culture within the organization by encouraging their workers to treat their peers as customers. This approach is claimed to heighten general awareness of the standard of quality and type of service expected. It can also lead to an appreciation of the role of each department within the organization.