Personal Productivity from Management Theory - Ouchi

This is the fourth of a four part series examining management theories and how they can help understand our own personal productivity.

William Ouchi was born in 1943 and raised in Honolulu.  He earned his Ph.D from the University of Chicago and is currently on faculty at the University of California.

Ouchi studied the different work cultures of America and Japan.  In America he found the "Cowboy" culture, where people are rewarded for their individual efforts and employees are acting out of what is good for themselves in the short term. Americans tend to value people who are mavericks and accomplish stuff even if they work against the "system" to do so.  In America it is common for someone to be admired because they buck corporate culture and do things their own way if it leads to good results.

In Japan where people often work at the same company for their entire life.  Because of this they take a long term approach.  In Japan they tend to reward people for long term allegiance to the company.  Workers are rewarded not as individuals but as part of a team. Japanese value people who conform to culture and are solid predictable members of a group that can be counted on to work just like everyone else.

Ouchi thought that the best approach was to combine these two cultural
approaches to work.  He felt that creating an environment where people
work as part of teams over long periods would produce stability for the
workers and efficiency for the organization.  At the same time he felt
that individual achievement should be rewarded to encourage everyone to
achieve their maximum performance.

We can apply these lessons to our personal work by recognizing the
following:  There is only so much that can be done by one person.  To
make a large impact we will need to develop a team of people around us.
Regardless of who makes up the team, we must be aware of the importance
of having this group of people. 

There are some advantages to having people on "your team" for long
periods of time in keeping with the Japanese work culture.  For
example, if you use the same tax accountant for 15 years instead of
jumping to a different person each year or going to H&R Block, the
accountant will develop a deeper understanding of your situation and be
in a unique position to advise you in ways that wouldn’t be possible
with a short term relationship.  Longevity is valuable especially with
a highly skilled team.

Also recognize that your skill level and methods of working are in a
large part determined by the culture in which you live. (See post: Social Glass Ceiling)
If you feel that you aren’t achieving your potential, make sure your
social context isn’t holding you back.  Don’t be afraid to move on if
the social context and culture is holding you back.  This may mean
finding new friends or looking for a new job.  Don’t spend years of
your life in a situation that is going to prevent you from developing.
Take the "Cowboy" risks to maximize your potential.