Japanese and American Management: Theory Z and Beyond

This article analyzes studies comparing Japanese and American managers, workers, and societies in order to consider questions raised by William Ouchi's book, Theory Z: How American Business Can Meet the Japanese Challenge. The analysis results in 2 general observations: 1) Theory Z management is not likely to become the accepted norm in American companies to the extent that it has in Japan, and 2) the major conceptual or theoretical lesson we can learn from the Japanese is the potential values of developing a management system that is internally consistent, that fits societal norms and expectations and that obtains support from the major institutional actors in the world of work.

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