Acculturation as an Organizational Control Strategy: Transferability of Japanese Management Practices to Sri Lankan Workers

Dismantling ‘Psychological Structures’

 

There is a significant disparity in status levels between managers and non-

managers. Often, in most organisations, there is a job position designated as ‘peon’ 

whose task is to assist with minor work in the office such as moving files from one 

table to another, posting and delivery of documents and letters, and cleaning the office. 

When I was observing the factory premises, the CEO asked the head of the office, an 

economics graduate, to prepare some tea and bring it to the boardroom. In the 

meantime, two machine operators entered into the CEO’s room and they were so 

friendly and freely talked to the CEO who then called them to the boardroom and had 

some soft drinks with them. Normally, in Sri Lankan work practices, employees show 

fear, respect and shyness in the presence of senior managers. In this organisation, it 

was observed that no cleaners (Janitors) are hired and the employees themselves do 

the cleaning. Given the Sri Lankan work values and practices, cleaning work is 

considered to be a low status work (due to feudal beliefs) and in most of the 

organisations there are separate workers for cleaning. It was observed that the 

cleanliness and the orderliness of the factory premises were remarkable.