ABSTRACT
This couldn’t be truer. Perhaps it’s a cultural trait. In my extensive travels, I’ve never encountered a people more disciplined and respectful than the Japanese. In personal contexts, the people I’ve met are courteous and kind. But in the gemba*, they change their behavior radically. For them, gemba is not a place to socialize, laugh, or chat about subjects other than work. And this is true for both factory workers and bosses. You never see two workers from the same module talking as they watch their automated process work. If a boss addresses them, they stand up straight and listen attentively to instructions, bowing their heads to show they’ve understood.
