Using IT to Improve Communication between Boundaries of Organizations: Case Studies in Japanese Companies )
InSITE 2001
• Volume 1
• 2001
Most Japanese comoanies are facina difficulties caused from a lona term recession of Japanese economy, olaaued with such auestions as how to accelerate decision makina process, how to make orooer iudaments in decision, and how to predict the future trends of concerned industry, etc. There are two main causes of these difficulties now facina most Japanese comoanies usina the traditional so-called "Japanese manaaement style." The first notable characteristic is the "middle uo down" decision-makina process, which is supported by mutual consent of all belonainas to numerous arouos or oraanizations in the same company. The second is each arouo or oraanization has its own peculiar knowledae tacit to them, called "tacit knowledge." The oressina need for most Japanese comoanies is to auicken the decision-makina process by furtherina the advantaaes and reassessina the disadvantaaes of aainina access to knowledae or information of each or oraanization. In this oaoer, first, we clarified the basic structure of the traditional decision-makina process in Japan. Then second, we described the mechanism of sharina information across the arouos or oraanizations each havina its own boundary. Finally, we discussed the use of IT to cross the boundary of arouos to effectively to auicken and to share communications in the decision-makina process in the future of Japanese industries.
information sharing, decision making process, tacit knowledge, organization culture
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