Page 308 - (DK) The Business Book

306 KAIZEN

A fish-bone diagram has
the problem to be solved on the
right-hand side. An arrow, like
MAN POWER MACHINES MATERIALS a spine, leads to it. The causes of
the problem are split up
between the six
categories.
Motivation Maintenance Specifications
Training
Programs
Suppliers
Staffing Software Raw materials
PROBLEM

Policies Quality control Site

Planning Standards Accounting Time zone Culture
Laws

MOTHER
METHODS MEASUREMENT
NATURE

(environmental factors). Solutions to in kaizen improvements and, loyalty, and mutual respect exists
each of the possible causes of the consequently, financial bonuses between the management and the
problem are evaluated by the circle should not be necessary. work force. This avoids a potential
using the “five Ws,” which are the downside to the philosophy: the
five questions: Why, When, Where, Empowerment fact that in a market where sales
Who, and What. One way managers empower their are flat, employee ideas that lead to
Japanese companies do not workers is giving them the authority an increase in productivity could
tend to give cash bonuses to to make decisions that affect their represent a threat to jobs. Workers
workers in return for their ideas. In working lives. Empowerment is are hardly likely to discuss labor-
order for kaizen to be truly effective, more far-reaching than delegation, saving or cost-cutting measures if
workers must feel a sense of pride which merely involves giving they are talking themselves out of
and fulfillment when contributing permission for an employee to a job. In many Japanese companies
their suggestions. New employees perform a specific task. An the kaizen culture used to
are told when they start working employee who is empowered has incorporate a promise from the
with the company that kaizen is an been given the freedom to decide
expectation: an everyday part of what to do and how it should be
company life. In businesses that done. Empowerment is essential to
use kaizen successfully, employees’ any kaizen program because it
commitment to contributing ideas enables good ideas from the
is usually secured via programs of factory floor to be implemented A company will
job enrichment, which tend to immediately. Once the kaizen get nowhere
produce high levels of employee philosophy is in place, good ideas if all the thinking is
motivation. According to and their subsequent left to management.
motivational theorists such as improvements should keep on Akio Morita
Frederick Herzberg, workers enjoy flowing through—the number of
Japanese founder of Sony (1921–99)
problem solving, decision making, ideas made every week increases
and the opportunity to advance because workers are able to observe
and grow psychologically while the effects of their own solutions.
at work. Therefore, it follows that To work effectively, kaizen requires
workers should enjoy taking part a business culture where trust,