2) pp. 31-32 How does Tokoyo contrast wtih Kyoto? What does this tell you about the cultural diversity of Japan?
3) pp. 34-36 What contrasts do you find between Honda's description of the "Modern Work Environment" in Japan and that of America?
4) pp. 38-39 What were the challenges to Japan during the years immediately following WWII (1945-50)? How did they meet these challenges in later years? What were the strong points of Japanese sales forces?
5) pp. 41-42 How does the Japanese principle of wa contrast with western interpresonal style? Compare the conditions of employment described here with the description of the Edo period from question #1. pp. 42-43 Compare the job activities described here with their American counterparts.
Questions on Hayashi
6) pp.50-51 Why begin with a discussion of metal v.s. wood looms? What is meant by "a high degree of social integration" and why what is its role in the adoption of western technology?
7) pp. 51-52 what events of the Meiji regime (1868 -1912) inspired a national interest in western technology? How does this compare to contemporary developing nations?
8) pp. 52-53 How might Hayashi's "five M's of Technology" help in cross-cultural comparisons?
9) p. 54 How are Japanese engineers trained in terms of disciplinary specialization and shop-floor relations? Compare to Nobel in his discussion of automated machine tools in the US.
10) p. 55 We often hear of the "brain-drain" problem in which third world professionals migrate to the US. How does this compare to Japan? what might be the reasons for the difference?
11) p. 56 Why do you think the term "techno-scientists" is used instead of "scientists?" How should relations between scientists and engineers be characterized? Between engineers and workers? Between workers and unions?
12) pp. 56-58 What is the advantage of being a late starter in technological development? Why can't a country just leap to technological self-reliance? Why won't the presence of a transnational corporation solve this problem? What national differences might we see in the relation between the maintence of foreign machines and the repair and modification of the machines?
13) pp. 59-61Discuss the role of management, scale, and private v.s. state control in the successful adaptation of foreign technology.