Word: consensus
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...motives which the participants had for applying to the seminar vary, but there is an overall consensus that the academic side of the program was secondary to the change to become familiar with the United States...
...Place for Everyone. Protectionism is deeply rooted in the Japanese way of doing business. In Japanese industry, every person and every business has a place, which is guarded by elaborate rituals. Businesses reach decisions by an exquisitely deliberate process of consensus seeking. In most companies, reports TIME Correspondent Frank Iwama, this process is symbolized by the long row of printed boxes running down the side of policy papers. Every executive involved must put his "chop" (mark) in a box, signifying his agreement, before any decision can be moved along. The next step is to present the decision...
...Effluent Society. The consensus system also operates to perpetuate some startling inefficiencies that tend to keep consumers from sharing fully in Japan's industrial growth. Businessmen abroad complain about the low prices of Japanese exports, but prices inside Japan have been rising at close to the fastest rate in the industrialized world -5.3% last year. The 102 million Japanese now own more appliances per capita than any people except Americans but have practically no room for them. Housing space in metropolitan areas averages 40 ft. per person, no more than before World War II. To millions of people jammed...
Jobs for Life. Consumers are left out of the consensus, and they are becoming restless. Workers strike for giant wage increases-an average 15% this year-that aggravate inflation. Labor unrest is an ominous sign of discontent, for workers have also had their guaranteed place in the semifeudal industrial system. When a youngster fresh out of high school signs on with a company, both parties understand that he will stay on until retirement...
...necessary. Toshihiko Yoshino, research director of the Bank of Japan, concedes that opening Japan to foreign businessmen would help considerably to ease inflation. But he and other leaders plead for more time to strengthen companies against aggressive foreign rivals-and time to squeeze the necessary decisions out of the consensus system. Japan's exasperated trading partners are no longer in any mood to grant that time. For instance, Japanese companies do not invest much in research, but instead rely largely on buying foreign technology. U.S. companies, in particular, no longer want only to sell technology. They want...