Critical Thinking Questions:

1. What was the movie Gung Ho about? What have you learned about leadership and
management from this movie?

Gung Ho is a movie about a Japanese company acquiring a western Pennsylvanian auto

plant. More than its story line, I observed that Gung Ho is not just about business; it’s a movie
that shows the differences in culture, attitude, and work etiquette among Americans and Japanese.
Japanese management is completely different from the way Americans run their organizations.
Japanese workers and even their executives practice lean production systems, very good quality
control, and proper human resources management. American workers and executives, on the
other hand, seem to work just so they can comply, not minding the quality of the work they do. In
the movie, it was evident how entitled American workers are as compared to Japanese workers.
I have learned that leadership and managerial skills go hand in hand. If your head is just a
leader, he/she wouldn't have the ability to identify whether the work group is being efficient
through positive means because he/she only decides based on what is asked. Managerial skills, on
the other hand, will be worthless without leadership skills because, being the head or at least an
officer of the organization, your members must have someone to look up to and serve as their
model. However different, the movie showed that through great communication and learning
through each other’s expertise, diversity in the workplace will not be a hindrance but rather serve
as an accessory in properly addressing the needs of the organization and its people.

2. What was the atmosphere like in the town where the production
plant was located (Hadleyville) prior to the Japanese takeover?
The atmosphere in the town where the production plant was located was a very lively
neighborhood. Although the American culture of being entitled was very evident, still people are
very accommodating to each other.

3. What was the atmosphere like immediately following Assan Motors

buying the plant (before actually starting production)?

At first, the atmosphere was very lively because of the hope that Assan Motors gave to
the families and workers in that Pennsylvanian community. Following the takeover of Assan
Motors, the Pennsylvanian community expressed their excitement at the prospect of returning to
work and earning a living.

4. What was the atmosphere like once Assan Motors was operating the
plant?
The atmosphere when the operation began was drastic and chaotic due to their
differences in culture and work ethics. Americans and Japanese are arguing about the work's
quality. What the Japanese find lacking is a job well done by the Americans. The Japanese are
known to be workaholics. They are so passionate about their work that they would sacrifice
family time to provide the best service or product to their company. Americans, on the other
hand, are liberated people who do things their own way.
5. Discuss management challenges from both perspectives, identify two
challenges each side faced as managers?
Like I mentioned from my statements, the very evident challenges that they experienced
was their difference in culture. Japanese people highlighted how important it is to have well-
organized and well-trained workers. This demonstrates how efficient Japanese are and how much
they value time management. Americans, on the other hand, deal with things differently. Working
as a team was very important to them because that’s how they enjoy working, engaging with
others and socializing. American lifestyle was also highlighted, particularly their family oriented
behavior. Hunt Stevenson emphasizes individualism and egoism because he believes that no
matter how different the Japanese are, he will have the ability to control and influence them.
Japanese managers on the other hand believe that the company's interest should always be the top
priority and it’s sad because due to this belief they sometimes forget about bonding with their
families.

6. Gung Ho is a great study for management from the perspective of

‘80s car manufacturing. This film helps to understand management issues in
general. In the context of management, gung ho is an organization that is aggressive,
ruthless, results-oriented, with low tolerance for mediocrity and failure.
(a) Do you have a boss who has a gung ho personality?
Fortunately, my executive director has a very positive attitude, which
assists the team in being more efficient and productive. He focuses on motivating
his employees in order to boost our morale, which he always said was the key to
meeting our goals and exceeding them. We regularly deal with clients who are
dealing with stress and other life difficulties in our normal course of business,
and it is unavoidable for us to absorb these negatives. Our executive director then
identified the need for mental health management, which we now provide on a
regular basis to officers and staff.
(b) Do you have a gung ho personality? Elaborate.
My generation, I believe, has forgotten about this "gung ho" personality because
we are more concerned with proving ourselves to society. Personally, I believe
that I exhibit this personality at times, but not all of the time. Because I'm too
preoccupied with complying and dealing with pressure, I sometimes forget to
enjoy what I'm doing. Growing up entirely in a digital era increases the difficulty
of enjoying our time by putting pressure on us to look good all the time, do good
all the time, follow rules all the time, and be the best person we can be all the
time.
However, the smallest gung-ho personality in me always ensures that the job is
done correctly and appropriately, which allows me to excel in my craft.