LESSONS FROM KODAWARI AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA TOWARD EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP BEYOND STANDARDS
Keywords:
Kodawari, Educational Leadership, University of TsukubaAbstract
This article aims to draw lessons from the concept of Kodawari through a study visit to the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and to analyze how this concept relates to educational leadership within the context of contemporary organizational management, which tends to emphasize performance indicators and short-term measurable outcomes. Employing conceptual analysis together with reflective analysis of the study visit, and drawing on theories of management, leadership, and organizational culture, the article examines the characteristics of Kodawari and how it relates to leadership development and the improvement of quality in educational institutions.
The analysis indicates that Kodawari is an ethical standard of professional practice grounded in a commitment to quality, responsibility, and respect for others, whereby those who hold to it sustain the refinement of their work consistently, even in details that are subject to no external inspection. The concept comprises three interrelated components across different levels of analysis: intrinsic value and sustainable motivation at the individual level, which drives work through responsibility to oneself rather than external rewards; uncompromising quality standards at the level of the work itself, which pursue care and responsibility for quality at every stage; and an organizational culture built on trust and social capital at the organizational level, arising from mutual respect among members at all levels. Humility, professional dignity, and attentiveness to detail emerge as key factors shaping trustworthy and sustainable leadership.
The article proposes that applying Kodawari to educational leadership is not an imitation of Japanese culture, but rather a means of elevating leaders' internal standards, from working merely to meet assessment criteria toward creating value beyond ordinary standards, alongside developing organizational quality on the basis of respect for human worth, in order to foster educational institutions that create and deliver intellectual value sustainably.
References
กองทุนเพื่อความเสมอภาคทางการศึกษา. (2566). วิเคราะห์ PISA 2022 และอนาคตทิศทางการศึกษาไทย Beyond 2025.
Aivazi, R., & Brett, R. (2024). Exploring hidden dimensions: Catalyst for quality culture. Chartered Quality Institute.
Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Harvard Business Review Press.
Aoki, K., & Staeblein, T. (2018). Monozukuri capability and dynamic product variety: An analysis of the design-manufacturing interface at Japanese and German automakers. Technovation, 70–71, 33–45.
Aristotle. (2000). Nicomachean ethics (R. Crisp, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published ca. 350 B.C.E.)
Collins, J. (2001). Good to great: Why some companies make the leap and others don't. HarperBusiness.
Crosby, P. B. (1979). Quality is free: The art of making quality certain. McGraw-Hill.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press.
Gittell, J. H. (2003). The Southwest Airlines way: Using the power of relationships to achieve high performance. McGraw-Hill.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.
Hara, Y., Ikenobo, S., & Han, S. H. (2022). Understanding the philosophy of Japanese hospitality. In A new approach to resilient hospitality management. Springer.
Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(3), 456–470.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Sage.
Ishikawa, K. (1985). What is total quality control? The Japanese way. Prentice-Hall.
Janis, I. L. (1982). Groupthink: Psychological studies of policy decisions and fiascoes (2nd ed.). Houghton Mifflin.
Kahneman, D., Fredrickson, B. L., Schreiber, C. A., & Redelmeier, D. A. (1993). When more pain is preferred to less: Adding a better end. Psychological Science, 4(6), 401–405.
Kano, N., Seraku, N., Takahashi, F., & Tsuji, S. (1984). Attractive quality and must-be quality. Hinshitsu (Quality, The Journal of the Japanese Society for Quality Control), 14(2), 147–156.
Leary, M. R., Diebels, K. J., Davisson, E. K., Jongman-Sereno, K. P., Isherwood, J. C., Raimi, K. T., Deffler, S. A., & Hoyle, R. H. (2017). Cognitive and interpersonal features of intellectual humility. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(6), 793–813.
Lencioni, P. M. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. Jossey-Bass.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111.
Nonaka, I., & Takeuchi, H. (1995). The knowledge-creating company: How Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation. Oxford University Press.
OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 results (Volume I and II): Country notes – Thailand. OECD Publishing.
Putnam, R. D. (1995). Bowling alone: America's declining social capital. Journal of Democracy, 6(1), 65–78.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.
