whereas the Japanese approach to management is communal, the U.S. approach is individualistic. These differences are reflected in the managerial decisions which Japanese and American managers make regarding compensations and pay raises. In making such decisions, the U.S. emphasis is generally on individual merit. By contrast, the Japanese emphasis is on the commitment of the individual to the company's overall success. A study by Beatty, McCune and Beatty (1988) compared the decision-making policies of 41 Japanese and 63 U.S. managers. Specifically, the pay decisions of these managers were analyzed. The researchers were not surprised to find that managers in the U.S. generally place emphasis on individual job performance in making such decisions. By contrast, the Japanese managers placed less emphasis on job performance and more emphasis on such factors as job worth, organizational commitment, and years with the organization (pp. 471-472).
Collective responsibility is a concept which plays an important part in Japanese management and decision-making. This concept is virtually unheard of in the individualistic style of the traditional American manager. Contrasting the American way, "Japanese management shuns individual accountability and credit in favor of collective or group responsibility and rewards" (Sheldon & Kleiner, 1990, May/June, p. 18). In a Japanese company, important decisions are shared by all of the people throughout the organization who are concerned with the issue at hand. A consensus of opinion must be reached, and then a final decision is made based upon that consensus. As pointed out by Mark Zimmerman: "This does not mean that a collective decision is made; all it means is that everyone is required to voice his opinion about a problem so that it can be clearly identified" (1985, p. 120). Nevertheless, having all of the employees involved voice their own opinions is still a far more people-oriented ap...