THE EFFECT OF JAPANESE KAIZEN ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN U.S. MANUFACTURINGCheser, Raymond N.
1998 The International Journal of Organizational Analysis
doi: 10.1108/eb028884
The transition of U.S. manufacturing from traditional methods to Japanese kaizen has resulted in dramatic gains in productivity. While kaizen clearly employs scientific management techniques, this conversion also appears to result in enriched jobs and increased motivation. To determine any such effect, the Job Characteristics Model was utilized to study a sample of 236 production employees drawn from three manufacturing facilities. The results suggest that kaizen increases job enrichment and employee motivation, and may move employees to higher levels of growth need strength. Implications for manufacturing management are also discussed.
RESPONSE CATEGORIES AND POTENTIAL CULTURAL BIAS EFFECTS OF AN EXPLICIT MIDDLE POINT IN CROSSCULTURAL SURVEYSSi, Steven X.; Cullen, John B.
1998 The International Journal of Organizational Analysis
doi: 10.1108/eb028885
The present study investigated whether questionnaires using explicit midpoints produce different results for different cultural groups. We hypothesized that managers from China, Japan, and Hong Kong CJH respond differently to Western management scales than do managers from the US., Germany, and United Kingdom UGU. We found differences in central tendency the likelihood of choosing the midpoint in overall variance between these groups. Using scales with even numbered response categories thus removing the explicit midpoint decreases the central tendencies of the CJH group and increases the variance in the responses to Western management questionnaire. Results suggested that when survey questionnaires are used in CJH cultures, careful consideration should be given to the choice between scales with evennumbered response categories and those with oddnumbered response categories.
VALIDATING THE COMPETING VALUES MODEL AS A REPRESENTATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURESHoward, Larry W.
1998 The International Journal of Organizational Analysis
doi: 10.1108/eb028886
The competing values model CVM describes organizational culture in terms of what appear to be mutually exclusive value dimensions structural control vs. flexibility, focus on internal vs. external stakeholders, and means vs. ends. The apparent paradox in simultaneously expressing competing values has implications for a variety of organizational phenomena, including leadership, decision making, and strategic management. The CVM thus offers promise for providing a common metric for multilevel, transorganizational, and crosscultural analyses. To date, however, underlying assumptions regarding the competing values framework as a characterization of culture have not been fully validated. This research provides a test of the competing values model with methodology that is conceptually consonant with the paradoxical nature of the theory. Using a sample drawn from 10 U.S. organizations, a Qsort and multidimensional scaling analysis produce qualified support for a structure of organizational cultural values consistent with the CVM. Further, this study elaborates the CVM by suggesting a mechanism whereby the apparent paradox of competing values might be more effectively managed.