Japanese management techniques: hidden lessons for educational administrators

Abstract

Japan, a leading industrial country in the world, has adopted management techniques that are quite different from those of other countries in the world. These management practices include secure and lifetime employment for workers, consensus and participatory decision-making, group harmony, and group action. Others are relatively slow evaluation and promotion, more informal controls and less formalized measures, broader and non specialized career paths, and greater concern for workers. This paper discusses key aspects of Japanese managerial practices. To achieve "productivity through people, " educational administrators should adopt plausible aspects of Japanese management techniques in their work settings.