Final words
Although Japanese literature rarely defines kaizen per se, it tends to use the term loosely
in a number of contexts in the presence of the pervasive underpinning philosophy. By
contrast, Western literature, through the need to find determinism, presents a vast array of
simplistic mechanical outputs with little or no regard for the underpinning philosophy. The
authors’ research, conducted within the bounds of kaizen-active Japanese industrial
organisations in Japan, finds kaizen to be much more than continuous improvement, but a
way of life that is embedded in the Japanese workplace culture, passive at times and active
at others, but always pervasive.
The road to the successful (sustained) implementation of kaizen in western organisations can
only be achieved through the implementation of informal and formal education and training.
Formal education comprises seminars and workshops conducted in-house (rather than being
out-sourced) and informal on-the-job mentoring and leadership (both top-down and
bottom-up). Education must be regular and consistent at all levels of the organization. Whether
or not such a pervasive environment can be recreated in the West remains unknown.