Tenacious Management
Toyo Keizai.Inc.
Nebachikkoi is a version of the term nebarizuyoi ("tenacious") as pronounced in the Ibaraki region of Japan. For companies, the concepts of nebaru ("persevering") or keizoku suru koto ("carrying on") are perfectly natural. The true lifeline for corporate entities, however, is whether they can put such "natural" concepts into effective action.
At Toyota, Canon, Honda, Denso and other "strong companies," there are numerous activities and approaches that have been tenaciously carried on for decades. In other words, all "strong companies" are "tenacious." In contrast, "ordinary companies" are known for being "inconsistent." Basically speaking, there are no major differences between what "strong companies" and "ordinary companies" do. The factor that generates gaps in competitive strength, rather, is the "duration of time" that companies actually persevere in their chosen pursuits.
How can such "perseverance" in corporate activity be achieved? One method is to analyze workplaces (genba) where cohesive teamwork is lacking, and effectively elucidate the schemes and know-how required for lasting perseverance to be spawned therein.
