Kaizen Equilibrium and Organization Behavior: A Conceptual Analysis

Abstract

The Kaizen concept introduced to the world by Imai is a resource that can be used for improvement anywhere. The benefits of this concept are immense, especially for developing countries, as the investment costs considered zero or minimal. Thus, the concept has now spread to the East and the West with many academic studies. However, it is doubtful whether this concept has been used to the fullest as the concept is based on the Japanese socio-economic background. Furthermore, this concept emerges especially in a context where middle management is seen as the driving force. Similarly, a centralised thought pattern can be seen throughout East Asia. The mediation procedure is the way of thinking of Asians. That may be due to their inspiration from Buddhist philosophy from 5 B.C. onwards. This study aims to consider how the Kaizen concept adapts to different organisational structures. The study further explores what needs to be done at the middle management level to maximise the Kaizen concept. However, this study is limited to conceptualisation. Here especially, the triangular organisational structure model and the smooth curve are used for analysis. For in-depth analysis uses positive and negative skewness. This study revealed that the Kaizen concept is satisfied in different ways within tall, flat and symmetrical organisational structures. Accordingly, it became clear that the Kaizen concept in a symmetrical organisational structure would satisfy middle management. It was further demonstrated that the introduction of Kaizen as negative skew and positive skew in high and flat organisational structures, respectively, can satisfy it in middle management. Thus, it is clear that the concept of Kaizen has the potential to be more effective in introducing the organisational structure in particular than in general. However, since this conceptualisation is done more simply, I suggest that further mathematical analysis is appropriate for this.