In contrast to Western philosophy a purely rational management and use of resources, the nature of the personnel management system, used successfully in the current Japanese corporations can be determined using the concept of "community." It is characterized by a halo of nepotism and hierarchy, psychologically it is based on people's need for security and stability. It promises the proverbial "confidence in the future," of which our pensioners nostalgic sigh, yesterday's shock troops of communist labor.
Lifetime employment
When the Japanese part of the organization, he devotes her entire professional life and remains there until retirement (55 or 60 years). He did not rush from one organization to another. The organization, in turn, takes care of him throughout his life and break the union at will not be. If the employee leaves the company or subject to dismissal, it seriously affected his career.
Because of lifetime employment system a new set of officers is usually made in April, among the graduates of secondary schools and colleges and universities. Companies rarely announce vacancies at other times of the year.
There is a lot of misconceptions about lifetime employment. This is not a contract. It is a way of thinking of both sides - employers and employees. Women did not remain with the company for a lifetime. Once married, they leave the company and devote himself to his family - the organization of another type. Among the smaller companies in the field of mobility services operating above than to large corporations. Until recently retained a certain number of temporary workers, who played the role of a buffer system of lifetime employment, but after a period of massive layoffs in the late 60's they have almost disappeared, and now they are almost gone.
When the company's profits are falling, it may take a variety of measures to reduce costs, up to dividend reductions, but until the last possible not to lay off workers. The American company do otherwise - will keep the level of dividends and declare a lockout.
The system of lifetime employment does not mean, however, that the number of employees can not be reduced. There are many ways to respond to the fall in demand for labor. First, the reduction of the working day. Second, the transfer of workers from departments that do not have enough work in departments where there are more opportunities to take workers' hands, for example, sales offices or subsidiaries. Termination of a new set earlier retirement with increased severance pay (flexible retirement dismissal pa), a temporary "return to the rustic lodge" pay - all of these methods are used quite often. Voluntary withdrawal of older workers. Forced dismissal - is a last resort. In this case, the first request to leave the elderly, young leaving workers. Cuts are made systematically, not by sudden lock-outs.
The system of lifetime employment is rooted in the traditional Japanese way of thinking, in which dedication to the organization is a unit of value. This system is strengthened after the Second World War, because it was beneficial to both parties. Before the war, the company cared little about the work force. Young workers and unskilled workers - come from peasant families were seen as just one of the many interchangeable components, and the movement of labor was intense. But in the heavy industry sectors such as shipbuilding, railways, chemical and mechanical engineering, corporations need skilled workers, and it was important to keep them in the workplace. These industries are the system of lifetime employment was needed.
After the war, the industrial structure has changed: the share of heavy industries that use intensive technology, has increased. Moreover, the trade unions were organized, and they demanded stable employment. Democratic trends prevailed, and this has stimulated organizations to respect workers. All of these factors contributed to the formation of a system of lifetime employment after the war.
The emphasis on training
In a system of lifetime employment training in a company is not only necessary, but also paid. Promotion work going on within the company, and the content of the changes, as well as the transition to new products n the use of new technology, so retraining is needed. In the "Matsushita" it sounds like this: "Matsushita" first produces skilled people, and then products. "
One "Person" is not only the highest levels of employees, but all employees.
In recent years, as the product and the manufacturing process are becoming more knowledge intensive, and the activities of the company is becoming more international, the training within the industry becomes even more important. The need for training arises from the needs of the company, but also the idea of respect for the employees. U.S. and European companies often hold different views: that the necessary human resources to buy outside of the company for the money.
Newly hired usually listen to lectures and learn on the job. The major problem here - as instilling the philosophy of the corporation, as well as technical skills. In various companies of durations ranging from three to eight months. In the "Matsushita" training newly hired university graduates are centralized at the headquarters and carried out in the following forms: a three-week lecture courses at the headquarters, training in retail trade enterprises for three months on the job training - one month, a lecture course on Accounting - one month, lectures on marketing - two months. After eight months of training young professionals are distributed by subsidiaries and divisions of the company.
General categories of workers are trained functional disciplines as well as the basics of human relations. Training is carried out in three areas: in the workplace, through self-study and outside the workplace. The first area - the most important preparations are masters of a plan. At a time when the promotion is dependent on length of service, people do not compete with each other, so the master willingly pass on their knowledge to novices.
Another means of learning typical of Japanese corporations - rotation of employees. In the U.S. and Western Europe, workers move from one company to another within the same profession in Japan as people move from one unit to another within approximately the same positions. On the "Honda" a program of rotation for the first ten years with the company, "Toyota" has a policy of movement of workers every three years, "Canon" heads of units are selected from among those who have worked no less than three different departments. Because, unlike the professional associations in Japan unions confined to companies with no problem distinguishing duties and there are no obstacles in the work rotation.
The second important aspect of learning - self-development. The possibility of frequent advancement and higher wages stimulate the desire to develop themselves. Companies contribute to this written material, lists of recommended reading, as well as subsidizing the purchase of literature. Widespread group activities, such as quality circles, which involved up to 80% of the staff of large companies, the company pays for the time spent on such activities.
Education outside the workplace is carried out in the training centers of educational institutions and outside the company. It takes the form of, for example, technical courses, other courses in functional disciplines, language courses. Such training is subsidized by both headquarters and offices.
Managers are trained mainly out of the workplace, in educational centers of the company, learning objective - improving the theoretical knowledge and expertise in the field of human relations.
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