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Japan Inc: Lessons for North America?

1980 27 min
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This short documentary is an absorbing study of Japanese business and industry. Discipline and productivity in Japan are much more regimented than in many other parts of the world. For the 110 million Japanese, survival means doing things together, rather than asserting a North American-style individualism. Japan's industry has automated and computerized at an unparalleled rate. Open-concept offices and collaborative work styles offer a model of the changing style of modern work that could inspire the West to modify their processes as well.

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Japan Inc: Lessons for North America?

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This short documentary is an absorbing study of Japanese business and industry. Discipline and productivity in Japan are much more regimented than in many other parts of the world. For the 110 million Japanese, survival means doing things together, rather than asserting a North American-style individualism. Japan's industry has automated and computerized at an unparalleled rate. Open-concept offices and collaborative work styles offer a model of the changing style of modern work that could inspire the West to modify their processes as well.
Industry and Commerce Social Issues Work and Labour Relations Foreign Countries All subjects
  • director
    Kalle Lasn
  • producer
    Kalle Lasn
  • editing
    Kalle Lasn
  • executive producer
    John Taylor
    Peter Jones
    John Coney
  • script
    Joe Wiesenfeld
  • camera
    Bill Schmalz
    Yukio Yamashita
    Fumio Sakuma
  • sound mixer
    Paul Sharpe
  • narrator
    Stan Peters
    Hideo Iso

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Education

Ages 10 to 18
Study Guide
Guide 1
School subjects
Diversity - Identity Geography - Territory: Regional Health/Personal Development - Careers & Education History and Citizenship Education - Economy and Development (1500-present)

Based on the film title, what do you think the message will be? After viewing, return to your response and determine if you were correct. Use a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast Canadian and Japanese approaches to work. Has the work ethic in Canada or Japan changed as a result of technological changes such as the Internet?

Japan Inc: Lessons for North America?
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