People are the vital link to any organization's success. Success, however, is an improbable outcome unless proper management techniques are employed to motivate individuals to achieve organizational objectives. As the Air Force transitions into the 21st century, the nation's war-fighting and readiness capability rests with a force that faces budgetary, infrastructure, and personnel cutbacks. Given these constraints, a commander's ability to successfully accomplish a task or mission is directly related to the managerial techniques he or she employs to influence the human behavior of their people. One such technique, Theory Z management, is a concept proposed by William G. Ouchi, a professor at the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. Theory Z management is an adaptation of traditional Japanese management principles to reflect American cultural values with the overall purpose of improving organizational performance, worker motivation, and the relationships between the worker and the manager. This paper will discuss the cultural basis for traditional Japanese management theory, the principles of Theory Z management, some opposing views of Theory Z management principles, and how Theory Z management practices can be adapted to the United States Air Force. Theory Z methodologies offer commanders alternatives to more traditional managerial approaches designed to motivate subordinates and complement the current Air Force focus on quality.
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