An excerpt from a new book by Professor Emeritus Ota Hajime (太田肇) of Doshisha University examines the contradictions and low productivity of organizational management at Japanese companies. It analyzes how “unreasonable evaluation criteria,” including generous treatment and making an impression in meetings, remain in place.
The article presents the view that irrational practices continue to recur in the management of Japanese companies, against a backdrop of Japan’s globally low levels of employee work engagement and prolonged productivity stagnation. It presents an excerpt from a new book by Ota Hajime (太田肇), a leading scholar of organizational studies.
The book is titled “Why Do ‘Smart People’ Gather and Make Pointless Decisions? The ‘Structure of Waste’ in Japanese-Style Organizations, Seen Through Everyday Questions.” It explores the continued emphasis on “moderate overtime” and “making an impression in meetings” as everyday evaluation criteria. Through Ota Hajime’s (太田肇) analysis, it discusses how the wasteful structure of Japanese-style organizations affects productivity.
The article presents an excerpt from the book and includes a link to continue reading Part 2. From a practical perspective on organizational management, readers can examine the realities of decision-making processes at Japanese companies.