Chiba International, Inc. An Eastern Culture in the West
Chiba International, Inc.
An Eastern Culture in the West
The KeyFor the Japanese: Company =
Family
Wouldn’t it be absurd if somebody told you: „Why do you love your family, why don’t you just love yourself”?
The Story
Ken Morikawa – Japanese general manager
John Sinclair – his personal manager
Location: Georgia, starting up a plant
Issue: the company’s philosophyFor Ken: organic, livingFor John: a few paragraphs
The story 2Chiba International, Inc – the model
All the specifics explain the Japanese point of view. We really get to understand Ken.
John just listens but doesn’t hear: he is impatient and wants to get back to the idea of the translator.
Chiba International, IncJapanese company in San Jose,
CaliforniaIntegrated circuits, memory chips
for computersExtremely well performingMore Americans than Japanese
employees: not just among the employees but in the management too.
Philosophy
Management PhilosophyIt is easy with labor intensive
employeesExempts and engineers are more
difficult
MeetingsGENERAL MEETINGS:Courtyard: all workers stand in
linesSpeeches for five minutesExercises for one minute:
voluntary but with time more and more employees do it
„They are just part of the ritual”
MeetingsDEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS:Everybody gets to be a speakerManagement meets almost every day
OTHER:Bowling, tennis, softball, fishing,
skiingChristmas party: 40.000 USDPicnic: 29.000 USD
ExemptsSALES FORCE:Professional prideTake it or leave it
◦S incerity◦A bility◦L ove◦E nergy◦S ervice
No marketing department
US ManagementWHEN HIRING:„They scan people: whose apple should I
polish”It is the company hiring themThe thinking, not the ability
The LOVE of the COMPANYThe joy in the company can be identical
to that in the familyPut the company before personal
happiness
The American personnel manager:
„I like it. I don't have to be double-faced”
No unionThe company really caresEven for low level employee
CommunicationHomogeneous workforce – not as
much as in JapanMeetingsSuggestion box: all suggestions
in printNo unionThe company pays of
refreshments from time to time
Appraisal and Reward SystemExplicit no-layoff commitmentPeople rarely go away from the company
therefore they rarely have to hirePersonal rewards: Employees get scored by
the ‘lead’ and they point translates into cents.General Bonus: All employees share the same
bonus (usually equals one month salary)
INSPECTIONS:Zero defect theoryAbility x philosophy x zeal = performance
Where shall we begin?