Case Analysis

Case Analysis

Manufacturing Jobs, Japanese - Style

1. Advantages and disadvantages of U.S firms Japanese firms job structures

The major advantage that the US firms have from the use of specialized job is the reduction of time consumed on doing repetitive jobs. As a matter of fact, by doing a certain task several times, the movements of body mould and the processing of the brain becomes smoother if the task is repeated. Furthermore, in doing a repetitive task the worker becomes more vigilant of the process in which he/she is involved, so it makes him/her better able to understand and critically analyze the whole process. However, the main disadvantage of US firms over the use specialized job is that the workers skills become specified to the extent of the job. It means that the worker would not be able to work on other areas or he/she cannot become a member of cross functional teams (Chon, 2006).

The benefits that Japanese firms gain from sue of broadly defined jobs are that it makes workers able to fit any place and at any time in the processes involved in the working facility. If, for example, there arises any problem in the working area, the other workers can help their fellow workers to solve the issue or to guide them for future. This makes every worker learn about the every kind of work that is being done within the manufacturing facility. Furthermore, this motivates the employee, helps them to reduce the level of fatigue and increases the flexibility and adaptability of the organization. The disadvantage of which Japanese firms gain over the use of broadly defined jobs is that the certain amount of efficiency will be lost as the workers do not develop proficiencies. In addition to that job rotations may increase the use of resources and time because of the support required in a rotation program (Chon, 2006).

2. Tall or Flat organizational structure - Traditional US and Japanese Firms

As a matter of fact, the U.S workers are more concerned about their autonomy and the preference of doing multiple tasks at a single time. The organizational structure further complements their preferences. But due to that fact, the US firms have flat and hierarchical organizational structure in which the communication is not open. Traditional US firms can have flat organizational structure since the US workers preference to have more autonomy and doing multiple tasks, ...