Super Management: A Combination of Management Techniques Used Around the World

Super Management: A Combination of Management Techniques Used Around the World

The success of a business is often linked to effective management techniques. Many books have been written about the best way to manage a company and what skills are needed to succeed. In looking at successful economies across the globe we can see that there are many styles of effective management. The United States, Japan, and Germany have the top three economies in the world, respectively, and while they have all been successful, they each utilize different characteristics of management. In this paper, we will illustrate the differences in the management of these three nations based on culture, workforce, management style, employee relations, and decision making. We will then combine the best characteristics of each to illustrate a style of super management and provide our own idea of the best way to manage a company.

The United States, Germany and Japan have very different cultures. First, let us look at the population and the people that make up these different countries. The United States is a democracy with a population that is made up of 69% White, 13.5% Hispanics/Latinos, 13% African-Americans, 4% Asians and Pacific Islanders, 1% Native Americans and 2.4% of the population claiming to be more than one race. There are just as many different religious beliefs as there are different races and ethnicities in the U. S. The population of America is approximately 293 million people. Americans are known for being outspoken and candid as well as placing value on patriotism and individualism as opposed to conformity (Page 2). When compared, Germany's population is less than a third of the United States at only 82.4 million. Germany's population consists of 91% German natives while minorities include those from Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, Italy, Greece and Poland. The majority of the Germany population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church while the rest of the remaining population is Protestant, Protestant Lutheran, Christian, and Muslim. Although Germany emerged from World War II as a land of freedom and opportunity, there is still much tension between those that live in the eastern and western regions. Germans are known for their skepticism and their rich heritage in music and the arts. Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, which means that the country's president is elected as head of state by members of the federal and state legislatures and can hold up to two five-year terms (Page 3). Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, symbolized by its flag, has a population of 127.3 million people making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Japan's population is made up of 99% ethnic Japanese while the rest of the population is made up of Koreans and Chinese. Most Japanese practice Buddhism and Shinto with a small 1% of the population who are Christians. Japan is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the emperor is head of state but has no governing power. Unlike the U. S. the Japanese society is group oriented in all aspects of life and more important than the individual at all times. Language in Japan is also of the utmost importance; body language is just as important as the spoken language. A tradition of Japan, honor and age still drive society and business. Although these three countries were once at war, Japan and Germany, allies against the United States in December of 1941 with the attack of Pearl Harbor, these three countries have become the leaders of all global economies. The United States sits at the top as the largest economy by country and most technologically powerful economy in the world with a per capita GDP of $39, 689 (http://www.economicexpert.com/2a/Economy:of:the:United:States.html, Pg. 2, Para. 1). Japan comes in second with its industrialized, free-market economy in terms of international purchasing power (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Economy:of:Japan.html, Pg. 1, Para. 1). Finally, Germany comes in as the third largest economy and the largest in Europe (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Economy:of:Germany.html, Pg. 1, Para. 1).

The United States workforce has changed dramatically in the last century. 'Womb to tomb' jobs are a rarity. Experience, including educational background and compensation are a high priority to Americans. The Baby Boomer era is slowly being replaced by a more diverse Generation X and although the U. S. has seen its share of ups and downs in unemployment it is currently holding steady at an unemployment rate of 5.4% (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Economy:of:the:United:States.html, September 2004, Pg. 1). Americans work in very openly competitive environments. The workforce is strong and the right to strike has forced major corporations to supply adequate benefits, compensation, and safe work environments for their employees. The constitution upholds equality among race, religion, and gender; allowing everyone an equal opportunity to the job market. Germany's workforce is very different from the U.S.'s. Even with extensive government regulation and rigid work rules the Germans are still an export powerhouse. Reports show that in 1999 Germany had a 40.5 million labor force with a 10.5% unemployment rate (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Economy:of:Germany.html, Pg. 1). Germany still struggles to boost growth and job creation for the unemployed. The workforce of Japan is similar to what the U. S. looked like a century ago. It has also remained very traditional supplying lifetime jobs and seniority-based pay, but this is slowly changing with economic difficulty. Japan's labor force consists of approximately 64 million workers, pre-dominantly male. The unemployment rate is at 4.9%, which is a record high since the war http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Economy:of:Japan.html, Pg. 1). Job security is also a rising issue in Japan; some employers have even changed the retirement age of employees from 60 to 40 years old (Gross & Lepage).

With a high number of privately owned businesses, it is difficult to determine which management style best describes the companies of the U. S. The United States has a top-down management style that occurs through the use of a chain of command. Management in Germany is strongly based on avoiding the unknown and risks. German managers are very detailed in planning and organizing. They are descriptive and specific about job descriptions. German managers also like to know what they are talking about, tremendous amounts of time are dedicated to research and analysis. German managers are not socially oriented like that of the United States, where as they are actually very factual and issue-related. They are also target-oriented and meetings are held to a very tight schedule. German managers are authoritarian; employees work and do as they are directed. The management style of Japan