Tao Management: Japanese Management Philosophy Based on the Tao Te Ching

by Yoshifumi Taguchi

Tao Management finds its inspiration in the great classic of Chinese philosophy the Tao-de ching (Daode jing) written by Lau-tzu (Laozi) in the sixth century B.C.E. During the Meiji Restoration just after the opening of Japan and in the early post-World War II era, top Japanese executives applied the principles of another of the Chinese classics, the Analects of Confucius , to their efforts to build a modern Japanese state. More recently, many economists have come to understand Japan's industrial revitalization as the result of the strenuous restructuring efforts by Japan's top executives, themselves inspired by Western-style management approaches. In contrast, today, many Japanese business leaders regard their intellectual touchstone to be the principles found in the Tao-de ching , and Tao Management interprets Lao-tzu's powerful philosophy from that perspective. Tao Management is a convenient handbook which helps Japanese managers understand and practice their principal management philosophy. And as these leaders work with their counterparts in China and elsewhere, they will be better enabled to communicate the story of how Japan survived and overcame the "lost decade" of the post-bubble years and of what the future holds.

273 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006