Nemawashi

Ringi seido (Japanese禀 议 制度) or ringisei (禀 议 制) refers to a decision-making process in Japanese companies and government agencies, including the meaningful participation of all relevant staff and with this bottom- up approach in contrast to the usual in Western companies decision from above (top-down ) position.

When ringi seido comes from upper management only impetus for decision making in the central problems at the lower levels of management are passed to find a solution, which then starts a circulation process, which includes all relevant levels and departments and their departmental and enterprise-wide consensus examined.

The entire process takes place in the following steps: First, the applicant fills in consultation with all concerned bodies from an orbital file (禀 议 书, ringisho ). This is then responsible for formal verification and archiving department (usually in the financial sector ) is passed, the calling in other departments. All this incipient comments will be added to the document and then submitted the document for approval by the supervisor. For enterprise-wide decisions in Japanese investment trusts ( kabushiki - gaisha ) the document goes here first for the adoption of the business committee (経 営 会议, keiei - kaigi ), then the management committee (常务 会, jōmukai ) of directors and head of department over there, the company-wide all project managers report, and finally the symbolic statements by the CEO. All participants will be informed about the archived document and the applicant shall be refunded his or her supervisor or the management committee report on the process.

By this method it creates a horizontal participation in as many affected areas be involved with their expertise, also this happens vertically in which not only the head of department to be informed, but all members of the department are called upon to make decisions.

Here, in advance and background always runs the nemawashi (根回し). The term originally comes from the horticulture and meant there walking about ( mawashi ) to one of the roots (ne) for later transplanting, plant and digging. When ringi seido it says informal discussions during and after work, serve, removing inconsistencies or identify new problems and solutions.

Although employee participation in decision-making process requires significantly longer in this system, but this is also the view to reason that ( consensus) is compensated for by the staff of this loss of time in the later realization by the thus achieved collective thoughtfulness of the decision.