Knowledge C@fe: Zhu Discusses Pragmatic Strategy as the Winning Formula for Organizational Success

Dr. Blair Odo, Dr. Ikujiro Nonaka, and Dr. Zhichang Zhu

(HONOLULU, HAWAII) – The third session in the Knowledge Cafe lecture series, Pragmatic Strategy: The Winning Formula for Success, featured Dr. Zhichang Zhu with commentary by JAIMS President, Dr. Ikujiro Nonaka.  Held on September 30, 2008 at the Halekulani Hotel in Honolulu, the event brought together friends of JAIMS from local businesses and organizations, and alumni.

Dr. Zhu lectured on the importance of incorporating pragmatic strategy into one’s life and work.  He described this strategy as consisting of four main parts: getting the fundamentals right, envisioning a shared future, realizing a common goodness, and upholding all with timely balance.  He then elaborated on pragmatic strategy, using the trials and tribulations of well-known companies such as Toyota and Dell as examples. Zhu stressed that companies should strive to innovate the way that they do business by innovating their products as well as product markets.  Since there is no end for innovation, he then noted that companies should “choose to do what they do best,” to get a win-win result.

Dr. Nonaka provided commentary following Zhu’s lecture.  Nonaka stressed the importance of finding the right balance while constantly creating new strategies and management systems in an ever-changing business system.  A quote from Panasonic CEO Konosuke Matsushita in regards to mobilizing knowledge in organizations stated, “...the more we utilize everyone’s knowledge, the better the company becomes.”  Nonaka also focused on the idea of “intellectual muscle” of the ideal pragmatist, or constant
contemplation in action--the ideal pragmatist should always ask him or herself “why” at least five times before coming to a decision.

Dr. Zhichang Zhu holds his M.Sc. in Information Management and a Ph.D. in Management Systems and Sciences with a  specialization in marketing.  He currently works at the University of Hull Business School as a Reader in Strategy and Management.  His research interests stem from an institutional and comparative perspective, and include strategy, decision making, information systems, marketing theory, and knowledge management.  Zhu frequently provides business consultancy for Chinese corporations, and he is a founding member for the international China Association for Management of Technology.

Dr. Ikujiro Nonaka’s valuable contributions to the field of management have been awarded with a Purple Ribbon Medal on behalf of the Japanese government; he was also recently named as one of 20 Influential Business Thinkers by the Wall Street Journal.  Nonaka serves as Professor Emeritus at Hitotsubashi University, as Distinguished Faculty Scholar at the University of California Berkeley, and as the first Distinguished Drucker Scholar at the Claremont Graduate School.