The Asian Model ( March 5th Lesson)

1. What did I learn?

In this lesson, I could get information about doing business in Tokio, I do have such interest in the asian culture. I do think that it has a lot to offer and a lot to know about them. For instance, data such as:

• Tokio is one of them ost formal business place in the world.
• They practice a non-contact relationship
• The hierarchy is very important in business
• The presence of alcohol is markeable in the meeting (of course, without getting drunk)
• The language apart from the native which is more spoken is english.
• Tokio is also a shopping mecca where all people can find several high designers and brands.
• Geography, Tokio is an aglomeration of small villages
• What is pretty stranges, comparing ot other countries is the fact that in Tokio is quite difficult to find out ATM machines.

All this data, is very helpful in order to understand the managerial system in asian countries and to be successful in negotiotions held by westerns and easterns.

In addition, the japanese system is compared with the colombian one:

It was found out that, That japanese are more formal than colombians, in speaking, in dressing and behaving. The business card are very important for japanese, and the way to manage the reading and keeping is even more. Colombians are warmer, on the contrary japanese do not have physical contact. The team work is very important, japanese are long term people and love working in teams, but colombians tend to be individuallistics and short term people.

In this lesson, the Kaizen model was taugh, which states the constant motivation to an organization´s members. It has been analized that, people motivated are more productive than those are not, and the human reosurce is a determinant in a organization´s success.

About the class dynamics, it is well known that each single person should have a strong commitment for going and attending a particular lesson, i do think that this aspect is very subjetif, so active participation trough activities that involve the student, he or she would be motivated to participate in. Team work is essential to run business as well as lessons, it demandas such a high involvement of the person.

2. Question: What is the strategic point of implementing a Kaizen model?

3. Answer: The big objective of using the Kaizen Model is to optimize quality, costs and delivery. Quality, it has not just to do with products or services´quality, but also to the porcesses´quality in which it is related those products or services. Cost is related to the total cost, which includes design, production, sale and supply of products or services. Delivery means del delivering on time the volume demanded. Thus, when the three conditions (quality, cost and delivery)are accomplished, the customers are fully-satisfated.

"En una era del conocimiento como lo es ésta Tercer Ola pasarán a ocupar los primeros lugares aquellos individuos, organizaciones, y sociedades que hagan del conocimiento y perfeccionamiento sistemático su objetivo prioritario. " Mauricio Lefcovich. Consultor en Administración de Operaciones y Estrategia de Negocios. Especialista en Kaizen y Seis Sigma

SOURCES:

• http://www.kaizen.com/
• Maria Alejandra González´s presentation.