The Japanese who have always been proud of "Made in China" have never thought that "Made in Japan" has been so closely linked with the world's "counterfeiting" over the years; The craftsman spirit has never fallen from the altar, and it has been discussed and dissected in the cruel reality.
Every time a fake is made, the Japanese will bow and apologize in the spirit of artisans. In recent years, some Japanese executives may have used up their lifetime bows in advance.
Text | Liu Runsheng
This article is reproduced from the official account of WeChat WeChat, See World Magazine (ID: ksj-worldview). The original article was first published on April 6, 20021year, with the title "Japan is still there, but the craftsman has gone", which does not represent the view of a think tank.
20021February 16, when Japan was still struggling for diplomacy and the Olympic Games, Japanese auto parts giant Dawning Brake Industry Co., Ltd. publicly admitted that more than 1 10000 quality inspection data of four kinds of parts produced by the company in Japan were artificially fabricated.
As early as 20 15, the international media were flooded with endless fraud scandals of Japanese companies:
By investigating and comparing these fraud incidents, it is not difficult to see the essence of Japanese enterprises' fraud: it lasts for a long time and involves a wide range, and the top management of the company turns a blind eye to it, even the default * * * lawbreaker.
It is not difficult to understand that the Japanese anti-counterfeiting incidents in recent years can not be separated from the most direct international background: China and other major emerging countries are developing rapidly, and the related factors that consumers attach importance to, such as technology, product quality, price and service, have reached a relative balance through numerous games and optimizations.
The rigid management and conservative thinking of Japanese enterprises make Japanese enterprises insensitive to external changes. With the depreciation of the yen, the selling price of products decreases, the cost increases, and the previous profits decrease or even disappear. In order not to go bankrupt, enterprises need to reduce costs. Obviously, the anti-counterfeiting efforts of some Japanese enterprises have indeed been "successful" for many years.
So in recent years, it seems that Japan suddenly broke out in a concentrated manner. Where did the reasons come from? Based on the reflection of Japanese media and external analysis, the reasons are mainly these aspects.
1 conservative and rigid "smile curve"
Japanese manufacturing industry lacks long-term planning and innovation drive. The United States has "Industrial Internet", Germany has "Industry 4.0", and Japan is always in a passive situation in the face of the digital information age.
Most Japanese companies have a negative wait-and-see attitude towards digital development. Even if there are slogans, IT is difficult to implement them in the end, especially in the cultivation of software technology and IT talents. These are the keys to the development of manufacturing and the Internet of Things.
Taking automobiles as an example, Japanese automobiles are relatively stable, because Japanese automobile enterprises generally adopt traditional and mature technologies, and the pace of innovation and change is also slow. German car companies sometimes apply some new technologies and even take the initiative, which inevitably leads to minor problems.
In the short run, the reputation of Japanese products is more secure, but in the long run, the competitiveness of Japanese enterprises is bound to be inferior to those competitors who dare to constantly try and make mistakes and feedback, and constantly revise and innovate.
In the manufacturing industry chain, there is a concept of "smile curve": the added value of intellectual property rights, technology patents, brands and services at both ends of the chain is relatively high, while the added value of manufacturing and production links in the middle is relatively low. Therefore, Japanese companies are not keen on innovative production and logistics technology in the intermediate links. However, the root of enterprise competitiveness comes from the transformation and leap-forward development of intermediate links.
The top management of Japanese enterprises is old-fashioned and rigid. In Japan, the most popular management scientist in Japanese business circles is William. Edward Deming, whose main theory is "Total Quality Management".
This theory emphasizes preventing mistakes by monitoring and improving the production process, so that the products can fully meet the standards. "Fear of mistakes is the destruction of progress", which is the best portrayal of the increasingly weak competitiveness of Japanese enterprises.
Under the background that the global market environment in the 1980s and 1990s was far less active than today, the Japanese enterprise model followed Deming's "Total Quality Management", which was not only completely problem-free, but also invincible. What's more, the bottom-level employees in Japan are extremely strong in execution. Even if it is a streamlined task, all employees will meticulously complete it without high-level supervision.
However, the current global market environment is changing with each passing day, especially after China's entry into WTO, the rapid development of China's economy and the continuous upgrading of manufacturing industry have brought shocks, and the international market has become more unpredictable. Enterprises that monopolize the market this year may fall into crisis next year. Therefore, when the competitiveness of Japanese enterprises declines and profits are insufficient, they can only control costs.
Looking back on the Japanese enterprises' fraud incidents in recent years, we can see that its nature is not only a long time, but also a product quality management problem under cost control.
Because of operating losses, it is impossible to reduce fixed costs such as wages, rent and equipment in a short time. Japanese enterprises can only start with raw materials and product technology, and the manual operation space is relatively large.
2 "shame culture" advocates following the trend of fraud.
Shame culture is a double-edged sword. At the moment of nothing and fate, the "shame culture" makes the Japanese feel ashamed and brave. Modern Japan, which was opened to the outside world by the west, is the best example.
Now, Japanese companies are obsessed with the concept of "Japan first" and "Japanese production is synonymous with quality"; Faced with the unfavorable situation of international competition, Japanese corporate executives and decision makers are very likely to resort to fraud and engage in malpractices under the influence of "shame culture" in order to maintain the so-called "decency" at home and abroad.
On the basis of "shame culture", the concept of "eight points in the village" appeared in Japan from ancient villages, which made the Japanese tend to think that following the crowd is the way to settle down. Therefore, the phenomenon of Japanese corporate executives working overtime is followed by everyone, and no one dares to be an exception.
By the same token, when there is a precedent of fraud in an industrial chain of Japanese enterprises, it will become a hidden rule of the industry. After seeing the "benefits" of fraud, enterprises that originally didn't want to make fraud will inevitably follow suit.
3 "Craftsman Spirit" ignores the latest demands of consumers.
Zhang Jifeng, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote in Why Japanese family businesses are enduring for a hundred years: "Because of the craftsman spirit, Japanese family businesses are often committed to making a unique product for decades, so that no enterprise can surpass it. The craftsmanship and corporate culture complement each other and form a joint force, which ensures the survival of a century-old family business in Japan. "
Craftsman spirit is indeed a profound inheritance of Japan, and it is the core spiritual pillar that made "Made in Japan" emerge in the world manufacturing industry in the early days. However, people should also realize that the craftsman spirit itself is also an act packaged by the times. If it is over-rendered, it will cause cognitive dissonance that cannot be mistaken. Every time I make a mistake, the craftsman spirit loses a little credibility.
In addition, superstitious artisans will ignore the rapid development of the times and the changing needs of consumers. After all, the upgrading of technology is a "dimension reduction blow", and no amount of technology will help. Uichiro Niwa, the former Japanese ambassador to China, has repeatedly advised the top management of Japanese enterprises to lower their arrogant heads, put aside the old-school obsession of 10 years ago and visit the China market once every six months.
He said: "If Japan leaves such a big market as China, there is no way out; And if Japanese companies don't understand the needs of the China market, it is impossible to do it well. " Unfortunately, his words didn't cause much ripple. At present, the reason why Japan's manufacturing industry is in trouble is that the increase of product manufacturing cost leads to the decline of competitive advantage in product price, and enterprises often miss the opportunity by focusing on self-righteous quality standards and ignoring the upgrading of consumer demand.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Japanese household appliances became popular all over the world. However, since 2008, Japanese home appliance companies have started to lose money across the board. In 2009, Japan changed from an exporter of home appliances to an importer. Although many parts and core technologies still dominate, Japanese home appliances and other products have withdrawn from the front line. Too much craftsman spirit is also the realistic explanation of this contradiction.
When Japanese companies lose their keen sense of the latest needs of consumers in the international market and assemble polymer products, the decline in sales is inevitable. After the loss, the enterprise is more unable to support the next investment and production, which is a vicious circle. On the other hand, the "polishing" of some parts and cutting-edge technologies by the craftsman spirit can still make the enterprise invincible for at least a long time.
Japanese companies have collectively faked, and these years are like opening Pandora's Box. What is certain is that in the near future, there will still be Japanese companies bowing and apologizing for fraud.
However, even if the Internet is full of news that Japanese companies have faked for 30 years, we don't need to gloat, let alone deny Japanese products because of counterfeiting. This is one of the costs that every economic power needs to bear, and it is also the result of Japanese media's unremitting pursuit of Japanese companies. Enterprises in other countries also have this phenomenon, but to some extent it is not as thorough as liquidation.
We are not going to deny the role of the unique Japanese craftsman spirit. At different stages of development, the qualifications needed by the country are not static. In the past, Japan needed craftsman spirit more, but now it needs innovation and change more.
Different times endow a national enterprise with different display images.
In 1950s and 1960s, the reputation of "Made in Japan" in the world market was still a symbol of "shoddy". This makes Japan "know shame and then be brave." Through brand marketing, high-tech introduction, and reabsorption by the state and enterprises, the international image of "Made in Japan" was reshaped in the 1970s.
If the Japanese craftsman spirit is over-developed, then China still has its own shortcomings. Understanding Japanese corporate fraud is not complacent about the mistakes of other countries, but encouraging them if they are corrected. 2025 is coming. What image will "Made in China" give to the world? We will wait and see.
Kushufuli