To achieve desired economic development, Pakistan needs to prioritize alternatives for progress.
- For sustainable development, sustainable work practices are imperative.
- Pakistan, therefore, may adopt the principle of ‘Kaizen’ which means ‘continuous improvement’. ‘Kaizen’ focuses on efficiency, training, and work-life balance.
Raphic Burdo
“When Japan needed them the most, her civil servants and workers died working”, thus goes the anecdote highlighting the role of work force including government functionaries in the technological advancement of the land of rising sun, in the post-World War II era.
A lot many among us are aware of the Japanese concepts of ‘Harakiri’ (dying with honor) and ‘Ikigai’ (living with purpose), only few, however, may have heard of ‘Karoshi’ which translates to ‘death from overwork’. It refers to sudden death caused by excessive work or work-related related stress.
‘Karoshi’ often manifests in the form of stroke, heart attack, or suicide linked to long work hours and high pressure at work. The term ‘Karoshi’ emerged in Japan in the 1970s, but its roots trace back to the intense work culture that fueled Japan’s post-World War II economic reconstruction.
The 1950s to 1980s are recorded as the era of the “Japanese Economic Miracle”. In that era Japan transformed itself from wartime devastation into a global leader in automobile and electronics. This rapid growth was mainly driven by factors like government-led industrial policies, export-oriented strategies, technological adoption, and a highly dedicated workforce, as a critical variable. Japan’s cultural emphasis on loyalty, long hours (often exceeding 80 hours per week), and minimal vacations created a system of overwork. There were reports of high-profile executives dying from occupational stress.
If we analyze karoshi objectively, a combination of Japanese cultural norms, post-war economic pressures for reparations and rebuilding, and organizational structures like lifetime employment and seniority-based promotions, come up as contributing factors.
It is important to note that the “spirit” of intense dedication played a role in Japan’s economic and technological ascent to be a giant to reckon with. These were Japanese work ethics that fostered high productivity, innovation in manufacturing (e.g., just-in-time production), and a collective push that outpaced competitors. Without this work culture, Japan’s dominance in vehicles and electronics might have been slower or less pronounced. Economic data and evidence from the era shows increase in work hours was directly proportional to economic growth.
In the above context, it would be used to discuss if Pakistan also needs a work culture, like that of Japan of the post war era, for its socio-economic development within increasingly competitive global ecosystem.
Pakistan, as we know, is a developing economy with challenges in education, infrastructure, governance, and income distribution. Here, GDP per capita is around $1,500, while literacy rates still remains below 60%. High youth unemployment is another challenge for the nation.
Japanese model seems appealing for Pakistan at its current state. In sectors like Pakistan’s growing IT and startup ecosystem, there may be pressures to emulate “hustle culture” for rapid exports and growth, similar to Japan’s post-war push. Intense dedication could boost short-term output in manufacturing or services, potentially improving indicators like export volumes or Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows. Japan’s model shows how collective effort can rebuild industries, and Pakistan’s young population, with median age of around 23, could channel similar energy into sectors like IT, textiles, agriculture tech, or renewables.
While theoretically, Pakistan can draw lessons from Japan’s trajectory. However, adopting an extreme overwork culture like ‘karoshi’ may have other implications. It is important to note that extreme work cultures lead to burnout, reduced creativity, and health crises, which may potentially undermine sustainable development.
It is important to note that while overwork contributed to Japan’s ‘Economic Miracle’ but prolonged presence of that culture of overwork is likely to lead to stagnation. Japanese economy also flat-lined after the 1990s. For developing nations, evidence favors balanced approaches. South Korea transitioned from long hours to innovation-focused policies, improving Human Development Index (HDI) without extremes of ‘karoshi’.
To achieve desired economic development, Pakistan needs to prioritize alternatives for progress. For sustainable development, sustainable work practices are imperative. Pakistan, therefore, may adopt the principle of ‘Kaizen’ which means ‘continuous improvement’. ‘Kaizen’ focuses on efficiency, training, and work-life balance. This would be helpful in retaining talent in IT and other sectors.
‘Kaizan’ may not be the mantra to work wonders in isolation. It has to be combined with structural reforms, investment in education, skills development, provision of infrastructure, and improved governance. Rather than relying on overwork, Pakistan ought to encourage entrepreneurship, digital economy growth, and climate resilience, for innovation and diversification. Besides, gender inclusion and social safety nets are other two areas that would require continuous attention of people in top echelons of power in Pakistan.
To sum up, for Pakistan, emulating the positive aspects of Japanese dedication and discipline would better support long-term gains in socio-economic indicators, fostering healthier, more innovative growth.
Read: Rise of Asia and Lessons for Pakistan
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Raphic Burdo is public policy expert focused on impact of digital technologies on leadership, governance, education and markets
