Gung Ho

Gung Ho, a movie by Ron Howard, depicts the differences in culture and work ethic between Americans and Japanese. It shows how each group handles conflict in the work place, as well as at home. The main characters and leaders are faced with dilemmas and have to figure out how to work as a team to keep the automobile manufacturing plant up and running smoothly.
According to Western Washington University (2011), there are many different sociological differences between the Japanese and Americans. Most importantly, the views of conflict and conflict resolution differ greatly. In the United States, conflict is seen as something that is inevitable, or bound to happen, whereas in Japan, conflict is considered dangerous to all relationships and should be diffused before it begins or avoided at all costs (Western Washington University, 2011). This fact along plays a major roll in the struggles between the Americans and the Japanese at the automobile manufacturing plant in Gung Ho. The American workers almost seemed as though they were looking for conflict to solve, but the Japanese executives were quick to avoid it at any cost possible.
Culture also plays a major roll in determining how the characters approached and completed tasks presented to them. In the movie, a few of the American and Japanese main characters argue about their differences in spending time with family. The Japanese say that their job is their life; it is most important so they can provide for their families. For the Americans, they preferred to spend as much time at home as possible with their families, even if it meant time away from work which provided money to support those families. Matsuzaki (1995) presents in her article that it should be understood that although both countries stress the importance of families, the Japanese express their love by working long, hard hours at work to support and provide for their families, which can often be misjudged as deceitful; whereas the Americans show their love by spending time with their children and loved ones and teach them to be individuals and standing up for their rights (Matsuzaki, 1995).
There is a scene in Gung Ho where the American workers and the Japanese executives play a softball game against one another. The Americans treat the game as an event to get away from work and spend time doing physical activity with their colleagues. The Japanese come in full uniforms, they stretch and warm up as a team, and they play their hardest to win. The movie depicts the Japanese as being very hard working individuals who take not only their jobs but nearly everything very seriously. You can see this difference between cultures in the way each group approaches their work at the automobile manufacturing plant, as well.
Hunt, the American executive who pitched a sale to the Japanese for the automobile manufacturing plant, has his ups and downs as a leader. Overall, he presents himself as a great leader, especially towards the end of the movie when he realizes his wrongs. According to Thompson (2014), “teams are empowered groups of people who collaborate in a mutually beneficial fashion to enact positive change”. Hunt is the perfect example of a leader of such a group. Their town needs the Japanese to purchase the plant in order to make jobs for the citizens, so by sending Hunt to Japan to pitch the sale, they knew it was their best hope at a shot. Hunt is outspoken and casual towards not only his friends but also the future Japanese prospects. Hunt also seems more accustomed to change as well as culture. He has an easier time adjusting to the cultural differences than most of the other American men.
Takei, the Japanese manager who was sent to run the automobile manufacturing plant, portrays characteristics that make him a wonderful leader, as well. Although his outlooks on family time differ from Hunt’s, he realizes the importance of the plant, as well as the importance that the plant plays on the city. He brings with him his Japanese culture and his intensive training he underwent to become the leader he is in the movie. He was sent to take on the plant instead of the favorite nephew because he not only understood how to run and operate a Japanese plant, but he also understood the cultural differences present in the American plant and realized that the Japanese may have put too much emphasis in their jobs when they should focus more on family.
As previously stated, the Americans and Japanese view conflict in completely different manors. In the movie Gung Ho, we see many different sources and types of conflict. One conflict the audience first sees is that between the American and Japanese managers/workers. In the first few scenes of the movie when the Japanese are present at the plant, they do a warm up stretching exercise before the workday begins. The Americans find this humorous and embarrassing and refuse to partake in the warm up. The Americans also show no interest in learning how to properly manufacture the vehicles and do not take the Japanese critiques well. This conflict is resolved at the end of the movie when the Americans, as well as the Japanese, finally come to terms with their cultural differences and decide it is easiest to work as a team, even if it means things do not come out perfect.
Another conflict seen is that between Hunt and Takei. Both characters are trying to be the spokesman for their people, and instead of focusing on the importance (creating top of the line vehicles in superb time), they focus on the negatives. Hunt and Takei resolve this conflict by taking time away from work and spending an evening together learning about one another and realizing how to make the plant more successful and a functioning unit.
A win/lose mentality permeates American sports, politics, and business. We’ve heard the oft-repeated quotes, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” (Vince Lombardi). “Win at all costs.” “Failure is not an option.” We are steeped in a win/lose culture, often unaware of other options…. The win/lose mentality requires someone to lose in order for another person to win. It presumes resources are limited, forcing competition for what is available. (General Board of Discipleship, 2014)
This statement rings true to the beginning of the movie, depicted by the American workers. If they could not have it all, they wanted nothing. They did not work hard for their goals, they just wanted to merely make them with little to no effort. An example of the win/lose mentality present in the American workers was when the Japanese executives were critiquing their work on the vehicles. The Americans wanted things their way or no way. If they did not get it right the first time, then they considered it failure and moved on, instead of learning from their mistakes. Another example of the win/lose mentality was when Hunt assumed he lost the sale to the Japanese after making his pitch. He came home from Japan feeling lousy and defeated and tried looking in other towns for work instead of feeling confident in his job as a leader and a salesman. The movie does turn around and the Americans do finally change their mentality to a win/win situation. One example of the win/win mentality was when Hunt and Takei decide to work alone together on the cars to try to meet the quota. They knew that it was nearly impossible, but just the satisfaction of trying and working together was a win in their eyes. Another example of the win/win mentality was when the American workers decided to join Hunt and Takei in meeting the quota. They all worked hard as a team and even when the Japanese boss told them their work was less than acceptable, they felt accomplished and good about working as a functioning unit.
Overall, there was much hardship and conflict between both parties in Gung Ho. Between the different cultures and the different work ethics, it made for a great story line, as well as a perfect example of how to become a successful team. It depicted two different leadership styles that eventually came together to be one.

References
General Board of Discipleship. (2014). Church vs. world… Win, lose, or draw? Retrieved from http://www.gbod.org/lead-your-church/continue-to-change-the-world/resource/church-vs.-world-.-.-.-win-lose-or-draw.
Matsuzaki, Alisa. (1995). Doing business with Japanese. Retrieved from http://www.fsb.miamioh.edu/mis399/student/Reading%20files/AlisaDoing%20Business%20With%20Japanese.htm.
Thompson, Leigh L. (2014). Making the team: A guide for managers-5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Western Washington University. (2011). Japanese culture comparison. Retrieved from http://www.wwu.edu/auap/english/gettinginvolved/CultureComparison.shtml.