Chiba International, Inc.

An Eastern Culture in the West

The KeyFor the Japanese: Company =

Family

Wouldn’t it be absurd if somebody told you: „Why do you love your family, why don’t you just love yourself”?

The Story

Ken Morikawa – Japanese general manager

John Sinclair – his personal manager

Location: Georgia, starting up a plant

Issue: the company’s philosophyFor Ken: organic, livingFor John: a few paragraphs

The story 2Chiba International, Inc – the model

All the specifics explain the Japanese point of view. We really get to understand Ken.

John just listens but doesn’t hear: he is impatient and wants to get back to the idea of the translator.

Chiba International, IncJapanese company in San Jose,

CaliforniaIntegrated circuits, memory chips

for computersExtremely well performingMore Americans than Japanese

employees: not just among the employees but in the management too.

Philosophy

Management PhilosophyIt is easy with labor intensive

employeesExempts and engineers are more

difficult

MeetingsGENERAL MEETINGS:Courtyard: all workers stand in

linesSpeeches for five minutesExercises for one minute:

voluntary but with time more and more employees do it

„They are just part of the ritual”

MeetingsDEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS:Everybody gets to be a speakerManagement meets almost every day

OTHER:Bowling, tennis, softball, fishing,

skiingChristmas party: 40.000 USDPicnic: 29.000 USD

ExemptsSALES FORCE:Professional prideTake it or leave it

◦S incerity◦A bility◦L ove◦E nergy◦S ervice

No marketing department

US ManagementWHEN HIRING:„They scan people: whose apple should I

polish”It is the company hiring themThe thinking, not the ability

The LOVE of the COMPANYThe joy in the company can be identical

to that in the familyPut the company before personal

happiness

The American personnel manager:

„I like it. I don't have to be double-faced”

No unionThe company really caresEven for low level employee

CommunicationHomogeneous workforce – not as

much as in JapanMeetingsSuggestion box: all suggestions

in printNo unionThe company pays of

refreshments from time to time

Appraisal and Reward SystemExplicit no-layoff commitmentPeople rarely go away from the company

therefore they rarely have to hirePersonal rewards: Employees get scored by

the ‘lead’ and they point translates into cents.General Bonus: All employees share the same

bonus (usually equals one month salary)

INSPECTIONS:Zero defect theoryAbility x philosophy x zeal = performance

Where shall we begin?