| After a recent study of management in Kenya, I was reminded of the first time I visited Japan in the late 1980s to find out why Japanese businesses were so successful as to threaten the confidence of the mightiest American firms. In the 1980s, it had become fashionable to laud the success of Japanese management with mantras like kaizen (continuous improvement) becoming not only part of the management liturgy but a buzzword on the lips of every manager worth his salt. Japanese culture Scholars wrote bestsellers about the importance of Japanese culture on the notion that Japan was poised to conquer the world economically. Others saw a conspiracy between the captains of industry and the establishment. And I thought to myself; there is only so much you can learn from the written word. And so it was that a young masters student ended up visiting the largest, most successful and most innovative firms from Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo and Yokohama and learning from world-class leaders just how they did it. What I found was a fascinating blend of cultural values that bound people to their organisation, sound financial, marketing and production strategies, and above all, an overriding determination to succeed through innovative and entrepreneurial practices across the board. Those in Europe and North America who tried to implement their conception of Japanese management in a piecemeal and ad hoc way found to their dismay that it did not work. You can adopt an inventory management system, involve employees in quality circles, but it does not get you very far if managers believe they are the only ones who can generate meaningful ideas. If employees are viewed as mere hands to do the masters' bidding, with little capacity to think for themselves, why would they make conscious efforts to contribute to the so-called continuous improvement? My trip to Kenya has been a wonderful homecoming and an enlightening experience. I saw evidence of fascinating entrepreneurial flair, a determination to challenge conventional wisdom and re-invent business practices, and a keen commitment to create innovative new products and services. From higher education, telecommunication to banking and manufacturing, the modern Kenyan entrepreneur has taken competition to a new level. Traditional major players who chose to remain stuck in the bad old bureaucratic ways now tremble in their boots in the face of upstart players who thrive on innovation, customer service and a commitment to train and develop their people. Corporate giants who once acted as though they were doing you a favour by providing a shoddy and reluctant service have seen their market shares shrink to levels that would have been unimaginable just a decade ago. You take the Kenyan customer and employee for granted at your peril. But even as I celebrate the new entrepreneurial initiative, I cannot help but feel regret at the damage this beloved country of ours has suffered through bad leadership. The wasted years, the squandered opportunities, the rape and plunder of the economy that nearly destroyed the very soul of the nation. The shameless destruction of our institutions and infrastructure, rendering millions despondent and unable to fend for themselves, all in the name of politics. From the arts, education to business and agriculture, a people's capacity to think and act for themselves was reduced to a debilitating culture of fear and dependence. All that is now history. Or is it? Where do we go from here? The post-election mayhem earlier this year showed just how fragile economic recovery can be. It is so easy to throw everything to the dogs. And for what reason? What does the ordinary mwananchi struggling to feed his or her family gain by paying heed to the politics of hate? Though a shadow hangs over the world economy, I believe Kenya is on the verge of an economic revolution. We can rouse ourselves from the hangover of a wasted quarter century and come into our own as a beacon of hope for the region and a place where academic, economic, industrial and artistic dreams come true. It will not be an easy task. Those industrialists, entrepreneurs and professionals who have yet to do so must abandon their parochial preoccupation with the relatively small domestic market and pursue partnerships with continental as well as global players. With access to technology, there is no excuse not to. And this is where the Japanese management training approach comes in. Business leaders will not emerge through narrow functional specialisations but through solid general management skills, a capacity for continuous innovation, coupled with attitudes that allow them to value and tap into the knowledge that exists even in the heads of the most junior staff. It is good to see peace has returned to the country. Public expense The one thing that remains a scar on the national consciousness is the rampant greed and wanton wastefulness among the parliamentarians. In a country where people in public hospitals share beds, and where the escalating cost of living is driving many into poverty every day, it is inconceivable that the powers that be selfishly insist on devoting mind-boggling budgets to their salaries, innumerable vehicles, houses, travel, amusement and foreign travel at public expense. This level of greed is shameful, criminal and tragically, a back-door legitimisation of that familiar monster: corruption. It is unacceptable. | 
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment