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In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

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Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#161

Post by earthboundkid »

maxxxxx wrote: post #75
lliamander wrote: post #3

I once heard it said that employee overtime was like morphine for employers, because it masks the pain of organizational dysfunction. It's important to let your employer feel that pain so that they can become aware of what is wrong and fix it.

"I once heard it said that employee overtime was like morphine for employers, because it masks the pain of organizational dysfunction. It's important to let your employer feel that pain so that they can become aware of what is wrong and fix it. " One of my jobs in Germany had a strict 35 hour week. No overtime allowed unless paid 2x and even that was very difficult to do. Management was definitely much more decisive…

Yes, many studies have shown that productivity is highest in Europe for this reason. America is in the middle, and Japanese productivity is low.

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#162

Post by earthboundkid »

40acres wrote: post #13

Anyone with expertise care to chime in regarding possible causes? I recently finished a WWII documentary and the first few installments of Hardcore History's look into Imperial Japan. The Japanese seem like an "intense" (for lack of a better word) culture, which seems like it can be a pro or a con depending on what that "intensity" is targeted towards.

It’s like anywhere else. There are plenty of slackers and dumbasses. They just aren’t remarkable, so they’re not in our zeitgeist. But believe me, if you teach in Japan, you meet lots of people who are lazy.

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#163

Post by Sag0Sag0 »

oarabbus_ wrote: post #104
komali2 wrote: post #7

>In addition to cultural attitudes about the value of hard work, she said, some employers reduce costs by relying on overtime, and employees work the longer hours for the extra pay and to please the boss — promotions often depend more on time spent at a desk than actual productivity. Agggh hits to home. Arrogant American me rolled into a Taiwanese job expecting to skyrocket up the ladder on results alone. Nope, becau…

>Never mind my 10x increase in sales. Well, also I was an arrogant prick. I never understood why "just results aren't enough" for working in some cultures.

Because often it's not that hard for the employee to take credit for someone else's results or just fake them. It also creates a poor set of incentives. It causes problems like when programmers are given a bonus for fixing bugs, resulting in them adding bugs to their code and then fixing them.

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#164

Post by jbay808 »

oarabbus_ wrote: post #156
jbay808 wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. It's hard to measure results, because you usually want to know the counterfactuals, like: "what would the result have been if someone else had been given the assignment". If sales grow 10x under your watch, was that because of your hard work and talent, or because the economy went through an upswing and a few lucrative customers stumbled in the door on their own accord? If your colleagues responsible for the nei…

What about average or slightly-below-average performers who are putting in the coveted 12-hour workdays?

A raise and a big bonus!

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#165

Post by andkenneth »

lubujackson wrote: post #155
m463 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how do leaders convince people that change can be good? Showing the idea to a broad audience on tv is actually one way to do this. (although there are ways this can backfire)

I am convinced Obama was elected partially because the TV show "24" made having a black president seem viable and normal.

Check out the podcast "Primetime" by Vox. It looks at the relationship between tv and government. There's an episode on 24.

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#166

Post by tw04 »

jedmeyers wrote: post #19
komali2 wrote: post #7

>In addition to cultural attitudes about the value of hard work, she said, some employers reduce costs by relying on overtime, and employees work the longer hours for the extra pay and to please the boss — promotions often depend more on time spent at a desk than actual productivity. Agggh hits to home. Arrogant American me rolled into a Taiwanese job expecting to skyrocket up the ladder on results alone. Nope, becau…

> How do you implement change? Someone big and local has to step in, let the the workers leave on time yet kick everyone’s butt on the market. Then everyone will start copying the practices.

No, we just need to stop letting the ultra rich demonize unions. Unions fixed this problem the first the and are the obvious solution again. There's a reason our quasi sweat shops in America fight them so hard.

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#167

Post by nitwit005 »

40acres wrote: post #13

Anyone with expertise care to chime in regarding possible causes? I recently finished a WWII documentary and the first few installments of Hardcore History's look into Imperial Japan. The Japanese seem like an "intense" (for lack of a better word) culture, which seems like it can be a pro or a con depending on what that "intensity" is targeted towards.

I'm not certain historical events are the right model. This trait of long working hours has appeared in countries with fairly diverse circumstances.

I suspect sometimes it's just a matter of a few large employers setting people's idea of what "normal" is.

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#168

Post by imnotlost »

>In addition to cultural attitudes about the value of hard work, she said, some employers reduce costs by relying on overtime, and employees work the longer hours for the extra pay and to please the boss — promotions often depend more on time spent at a desk than actual productivity.

The US game industry - except you don't get overtime pay (maybe pizza).

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#169

Post by slothtrop »

fzeroracer wrote: post #107
maxxxxx wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Masculinity isn't an unchangeable trait though." I am masculine. Can't change it unless I take hormones. I can wear a dress but that doesn't change anything.

Please look up the definition of masculinity. It has everything to do with culture, it is not something you are 100% born with. Do you have a beard? If no, then in some cultures you wouldn't be very masculine. Ergo, in those cultures you are not in fact masculine.

It's both a function of culture, and sex. Masculine behavior is pretty well the same across cultures. It's informed by biology. There isn't a culture on Earth where it's considered masculine to be passive and meek. Beards are just fashion.

Re: In Japan, It’s a Riveting TV Plot: Can a Worker Go Home on Time?

#170

Post by dymk »

jackvalentine wrote: post #148
walshemj wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does relaying on Overtime reduce costs? That's just an invitation for workers to indulge in Spanish practices.

They don't get paid for their extra labour.

Alright - the term "overtime" here was confusing me. In America, overtime means getting paid 1.5x your normal hourly rate. I have a lineman friend who eventually gets paid 2x his normal rate over some number of hours.

I don't know of a better term to use, but "overtime" is certainly a tricky one to use here.

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