Organizational culture – Asian concepts of kaizen, gongfu and xiushen

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the organizational method of kaizen and Chinese concepts related to self-development – gongfu i xiushen, which are typical of Asian countries. Design/methodology/approach: The method of desk research was used in the study. Kazen, gongfu, and xiushen derive from the major premises and values of the organizational cultures in Japanese and Chinese companies. They are becoming more and more popular in Europe and the USA. They are essential in managing change as they can develop key values necessary for organizational improvement and support the implementation of organizational change strategies. Therefore, they increase companies’ innovation on the market. The article presents a brief description of the organizational culture and the essence of the concepts of kaizen, gongfu and xiushen. It also presents a comparison of these approaches in terms of the cultural conditions of the Japanese and Chinese economies. Findings: In the context of management science, in the literature, there is a lot of information on the Japanese concept of kaizen and very little of gongfu and xiushen. Although all of the concepts developed in Asia and are related to improvement, they differ from each other. Practical implications: The possibility of a future increase in the attention of non-Asian managers on Chinese methods of improvement is recognized. Originality/value: The new value is presenting the concepts of gongfu and xiushen within management science. As well as the comparison of concepts of kaizen, gongfu, and xiushen.