The significance of a positive change is intrinsically characteristic of any culture (Pyzdek & Keller, 2014a). However, when viewed through the lens of a specific set of traditions, philosophies, a and the world picture, the phenomenon shapes, gaining new shades of meaning and incorporating more wisdom. Although kaizen, which is the Japanese interpretation of the continuous improvement concept (Henry, 2014), originates from a culture strikingly different from the Western one, in general, and the American one, in particular, it rubs shoulders with the Six Sigma concept as the foundation for an unceasing change toward the changing concept of perfection.
The concept of improvement, which both Six Sigma and kaizen are meant to be geared toward, evidently is the characteristic that brings the two notions together. Diving deep into the Japanese philosophy of kaizen, one must mention that “It implies little changes done reliably over a drawn out stretch of time” (Shettar, Hiremath, Pal, & Chauhan, 2015, p. 103). In other words, the focus on the schedule and the organization of change is very tight in the kaizen framework, which is very similar to the Six Sigma approach with its DMAIC framework (Pyzdek & Keller, 2014b).
Similarly, the concept of kaizen implies that the change must be consistent and continuous (Shettar et al., 2015). As a result, entrepreneurship members are enabled to engage in the lifelong learning process by acquiring new skills and improving them whenever there is an opportunity. The Six Sigma philosophy, in its turn, also promotes regular update of professional skills so that the output could meet the current quality standards (Pyzdek & Keller, 2014b).
It should be noted, though, that there is a range of differences between the two philosophies. For instance, the existing description of kaizen shows that it is geared toward improving one’s organization skills and helping one arrange the work process (Shettar et al., 2015). Although getting the priorities straight and creating an elaborate plan along with a profound time-management philosophy is essential, it is also necessary to focus on other issues such as the communication issues, the assessment routine, etc.
Furthermore, the kaizen philosophy does not have a rigid framework that it can rely on. The Six Sigma theory is based on the set of principles known as DMAIC. Therefore, the Six Sigma approach provides its user with clear and concise instructions on the further course of actions (Pyzdek & Keller, 2014a). Kaizen, in its turn, provides its followers with flexibility, leaving them to build their own way to success. Being suitable for the people who know exactly what they want to achieve and how they are going to attain the results, the kaizen philosophy may pose a range of difficulties to those who need consistent guidance, and vice versa. For instance, the people who prefer blazing their own trail to success may feel restricted by the rigid instructions that the DMAIC approach foists on them.
Despite the gap between the Japanese and the American cultures, the phenomenon of continuous positive changes, which is referred to as “kaizen” in Japan, can be related easily to the Six Sigma framework. Although there are obvious differences that can be attributed to both the unique characteristics of the cultures and that the concept of kaizen is much older than that one of Six Sigma, the similarities are striking. Seeing that the underlying philosophy of continuous improvement and striving toward a positive outcome make the bulk of both concepts, Six Sigma and kaizen can be considered
Reference List
Henry, A. (2014). Get better at getting better: The kaizen productivity philosophy. Life Hacker. Web.
Pyzdek, T., & Keller, P. (2014a). Control/verify phase. In The Six Sigma handbook (4th ed.) (pp. 585-600). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Pyzdek, T., & Keller, P. (2014b). The improve/design phase. In The Six Sigma handbook (4th ed.) (pp. 521-584). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Shettar, N., Hiremath, P., Pal, N. R., & Chauhan, V. R. (2015). Kaizen – a case study. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, 3(5), 101-103. Web.