Abstract
This paper presents the findings from an ESRC two-year research project
about Hoshin Kanri (policy management). Hoshin Kanri is a form of
corporate-wide management that combines strategic management and
operational management by linking the achievement of top management
goals with daily management at an operation level. The research explored
practice in real time in three Japanese manufacturing UK-based subsidiaries.
This paper consists of: an introductory review of the Hoshin Kanri
and Japanization literature; a description of the research and a
presentation of the three case studies and the main specific issues;
and a discussion of the model and the parts played by lean working
and TQM, catchball and nemawashi, strategic management, and the uniqueness
of Hoshin Kanri, especially in relation to conventional planning,
MBO (management by objectives), and the balanced scorecard. Hoshin
Kanri is found to be an organizing framework for policy-based objectives.
These are translated into QCDE (quality, cost, delivery, education)
targets which are used in daily management to drive progress. Hoshin
Kanri employs a participative approach to developing and deploying
objectives, and is driven by a process of review. Hoshin Kanri must
be managed as a process. Some of the main issues include changes
in organization and personnel, problems with administering periodic
review, and cross-functional working in departmental forms of organization.
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