MUJI

Cycles of Actions

In the cycles of actions, personal cognitions affect behavior by themselves after it will affect organization and environment. After reading MUJI’s history, environment and personal cognitions should affect each other. In the MUJI’s case, MUJI grew up quickly because the second oil crisis was emerged in 1978. It change customers’ requirement. They are not only wanting have a lower price but also pursuing higher quality of goods. MUJI sense this changing so their slogan is “the suitable inexpensive”. This environment changing let MUJI became successful in 80s’.

Customers’ cognitions also will change environment. It just likes reducing weight. People think that fat is not good so reducing weight become a culture and trendy.

Therefore, I think that personal cognitions and environment should affect each other.

Kolb learning cycle

Kolb learning cycle is a style of learning. People do the action of learning should be through different ways. MUJI receive information from society, which is a part of Kolb learning cycle that watching. MUJI collecting people experience from MUJI’s customers and analysis their feeling, and according to customers feeling to setting up stages.

Example, MUJI apply simplism concept to design their floors. The people follow their step, customers can find out their needs easily. And then according to the Kolb learning cycle will explain more about MUJI. MUJI observe customers behavior which products is useful for them then setting high frequency product up to first floor. When they collecting all information from customers, and then thinking that why people like it and how to make it as friendly as use. Last step, MUJI use this information to operate. MUJI base on staff’s experience and watching customers’ needs that involving diverging style.

Learning-Unlearn-Relearn

MUJI grow up in 80s’, they selling more than 40 type of product. MUJI create a “design committee” to develop new product, and improve their products. This was applying systematic changes in the shared mental models and cognition of organizational members. However, MUJI have benefit declining in 2000, so MUJI must unlearning their old idea as such company forgetting consciously or unconsciously that say their knowledge not satisfy in 21 century.
For example, MUJI produced all goods which the whole year they needs in the same time. However, it is difficult to control their stock level when the competition is more and more seriously. They must give up old stock management in that time. It also emerge that unlearning is very important because they must change inherent knowledge management and structure to get success.

MUJI’s hired manager who came from other department store to set up new stock management system and change organizational structure.
This manager brings the new management approach to MUJI and let it know the environment was changing.

MUJI must relearn new knowledge to satisfy customers and develop new design for customers.
Therefore, no matter Asia’s companies or Western’s companies also will encounter similar situation. It is because the world becomes globalization, and the environment changing also follows this trendy.

Reference:

渡辺米英, 無印良品的改革, 小知堂文化, 2007.