MARKET LEADER Network Website Lessons
23 September 2003
I N T E R M E D I A T E
I N T E R M E D I A T E
UNIT 5 Employment UNIT 11 Organisation UNIT 12 Strategy
Before you read
Which of the following concepts do you normally associate with the Japanese business environment, and
which with the US?
Large conglomerates Investment in new technology
Flexible labour market Focus on profits rather than sales
Highly efficient production lines Heavy investment in assets
Reading
Is Canon a typical Japanese company? To find out, read the article: If Canon can, Japan can .
If Canon can, Japan can
development - [Canon is] divided into small cells , each
FT Correspondent international in terms of management responsible for the assembly of one
style. But in respect of personnel product, or a small range of items.
Since Mr Mitarai took over the policy, I believe my management The shift to the cell system has
presidency of Canon in 1995 he has style is quite local. freed an estimated 20km of
helped transform the company from The US labour market, he says, conveyor-belt space enabling the
an oversized and ill- focused is determined by supply and demand. company to save rent.
conglomerate into one of Japan's Workers are trying to improve and The cell system also allows the
most effective money-making be hired by a better company. If you company to change its product mix
machines. As an executive who spent go to leading US companies, you will more quickly to meet market
23 years in the US, he has a wealth of always find a stack of applications on demands - a big advantage when
business experience on both sides of the personnel manager's desk. product life cycles are becoming
the Pacific. What is lost in flexibility, he shorter and shorter.
Mr Mitarai s strategies, though says, is gained in employee loyalty It can help staff morale. Instead
influenced by his time in the US, are and the ability to pour resources into of the monotony of performing a
clearly made in Japan. He holds workers' training without fear of their single task over and over again, staff
traditional views. He has an entirely defecting. He says the stable are trained to put whole machines
Japanese board, and he also believes environment created, where together.
in lifetime employment. researchers can plan years ahead, is Canon says the adoption of the
The business was reorganised responsible for Canon's high number cell system has increased
around four divisions, a strategy of patents, productivity by up to 30 per cent.
absent in the many conglomerates on Mr Mitarai also took the step of
the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Mr reinventing the way the company
Mitarai has come up with a different manufactures its products. The
management model. It has become a conveyor belt was replaced by the From the Financial Times
hybrid, it's true. On the technical side more flexible cell system. Unlike in
of things - finance, investment conventional, conveyor-belt
strategy, marketing and research and manufacturing, employees are
www.market leader.net © Pearson Education Limited 2002 Photocopiable
MARKET LEADER Network Website Lessons
23 September 2003
I N T E R M E D I A T E
I N T E R M E D I A T E
UNIT 5 Employment UNIT 11 Organisation UNIT 12 Strategy
Reading Comprehension A
Decide if these statements are True or False, according to the article:
1 As president of Canon, Mr Mitarai has adopted an entirely US management style.
2 The company structure is typical of large Japanese companies.
3 Mr Mitarai has made Canon leaner and more efficient.
4 American personnel managers spend more time dealing with job applications than their Japanese
counterparts.
5 Mr Mitarai believes that employee loyalty is important.
6 Mr Mitarai believes that a flexible labour market makes it easier to plan for the long term.
Reading Comprehension B
Tick all the items below which are features of the cell system of manufacturing?
Productivity is reduced
Workers are responsible for one product or small range of products
It is easier to switch production to new products
Costs are much higher
Workers are less motivated.
Less work space is needed.
Workers need more training
Vocabulary A
Find a word or phrase in the article which matches these definitions:
1 workers stay with the same company all their lives l______ e_______
2 a situation where things remain constant s______ e_______
3 something which is a mixture of two or more things h_____
4 always the same, very boring m_____
Vocabulary B
Find a word in the article which means the opposite of these terms:
1 too small o_____
2 well-focused i_____
3 present a______
4 local i______
5 lost g_____
www.market leader.net © Pearson Education Limited 2002 Photocopiable
MARKET LEADER Network Website Lessons
23 September 2003
I N T E R M E D I A T E
I N T E R M E D I A T E
UNIT 5 Employment UNIT 11 Organisation UNIT 12 Strategy
Language: instead of
Notice this sentence in the article: Instead of the monotony of performing a single task over and over
again, staff are trained to put whole machines together.
We could also write: Staff are trained to put whole machines together instead of performing a single task
over and over again.
Look at the table below. Match the sentences on the left with the appropriate contrasting idea on the right.
Then build sentences using instead of . Don t forget that the verb following instead of should become a
gerund: ____ing
1 The company spends money a (work) on one small part of the
training the existing workforce assembly line
2 Workers stay with the same b (hire) new people with the
company all their lives necessary skills
3 The company uses the cell c (have) to maintain large factories
system of manufacturing
4 Workers are responsible for the d (repeat) the same task
complete assembly of a product continuously
5 Workers enjoy varied tasks e (use) conveyor belts
6 Canon can carry out its f (try) to move to a better company
production in smaller spaces
Classroom Discussion
1 Is the labour market in your country more similar to the Japanese model or the US model?
Which do you think is best: (a) for the workers? (b) for the company?
2 How can companies encourage their staff to stay loyal?
3 Take a manufacturing company that you know (e.g. your own company if you work for one).
Does this company use the conveyor belt system or the cell system? Do you think this is the
best system for the type of production carried out? Why?
www.market leader.net © Pearson Education Limited 2002 Photocopiable
MARKET LEADER Network Website Lessons
23 September 2003
I N T E R M E D I A T E
I N T E R M E D I A T E
UNIT 5 Employment UNIT 11 Organisation UNIT 12 Strategy
KEY
Reading Comprehension A
1 F
2 F
3 T
4 T
5 T
6 F
Reading Comprehension B
Productivity is reduced
Workers are responsible for one product or small range of products
It is easier to switch production to new products
Costs are much higher
Workers are less motivated.
Less work space is needed.
Workers need more training
Vocabulary A
1 lifetime employment;
2 stable environment;
3 hybrid;
4 monotonous
Vocabulary B
1 oversized;
2 ill-focused;
3 absent;
4 international;
5 gained
Language
1 The company spends money training the existing workforce instead of hiring new people with the
necessary skills.
2 Workers stay with the same company all their lives instead of trying to move to a better company.
3 The company uses the cell system of manufacturing instead of (using) conveyor belts.
4 Workers are responsible for the complete assembly of a product instead of working on one small part
of the assembly line.
5 Workers enjoy varied tasks instead of repeating the same task continuously.
6 Canon can carry out its production in smaller spaces instead of having to maintain large factories.
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