Kaizen
/ˈkaɪˌzən/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Japanese business practice of continuous improvement in performance and productivity. countable, uncountable
- 2 Continuous improvement generally. broadly, countable, uncountable
"This is a big mistake, because Japanese railways were largely built using British equipment and technology. But what they have done since is ruthlessly improve and refine it, using Kaizen principles."
Verb
- 1 To apply continuous improvement to (a task, or the worker who performs it). transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"This is a big mistake, because Japanese railways were largely built using British equipment and technology. But what they have done since is ruthlessly improve and refine it, using Kaizen principles."
Etymology
From Japanese 改善 (kaizen かいぜん), from Middle Chinese 改善 (kój-dʒjén) (compare Mandarin gǎishàn 改善), from Old Chinese 改善 (*qˁəʔ-ɡenʔ "to correct errors"), from 改 ("to change") + 善 ("good"). Introduced to English in 1959 by Boyé Lafayette De Mente in his book Japanese Etiquette and Ethics in Business.