Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Japanese managers'

This thesis focuses on how well host country national (HCN) managers are integrated into the management process of Japanese subsidiaries in Southeast Asia and Australia as well as in that of the parent companies themselves. It appears that in the majority of Japanese subsidiaries in Southeast Asia and Australia management control is firmly in the hands of Japanese parent company national (PCN) managers. The most important decisions are made by Japanese employees who are either working temporarily at the overseas subsidiary or at the parent company in Japan. HCN managers play a minor role in the decision making process, their function is limited mainly the gathering of relevant information or making minor day-to-day operational decisions. The conclusions are based on a review of the relevant literature and quantitative as well as qualitative data gathered specifically for this research. The data was gathered in two phases, one in 1994 and the other in 1996. Information was obtained from HCN and PCN managers at Japanese subsidiaries in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The research instruments included questionnaires and in-depth interviews.

The need to be and stay competitive has corporations reassessing their organisation and management processes. Productivity, performance management and motivation include goals as one of their basic building blocks. These concepts, when operationalised, highlight the role and effectiveness of fîrst-line managers, who directly control the majority of human resources. Changes in organisational design such as leaner and flatter management structure, combined with employee empowerment, further underscore the pivotal role of first-line managers. They represent a key link in the management chain. Yet, it is evident that the focus or nature of goals, specifically at the first-line management level, is left largely untouched in the literature. Many disciplines explore the topic of goals. The number of variables that affect the outcome explodes as each field conveys its own perspective. Existing research either investigates goals in a controlled environment, anecdotal by relating corporate practices or case studies of a general nature, or posits a paradigm from the perspective of the author's discipline. Some research addresses the features of goals whilst others concentrate on the factors affecting outcome. This situation has raised the question as to the nature and focus of goals: the 'end' or the 'means'? It is acknowledged that there is a lack of research dealing with the 'actual' focus of goals. The objective of this thesis is to fill this gap in the literature with respect to the first-line manager's perception of goals. This study aims to ascertain the nature of goals as perceived by first-line managers. A survey conducted in Canada and Japan contrasts first-line managers' responses as well as provides a valuable insight on the effect that different management practices have on the nature of goals. It is evident that much has been written about Japanese practices at the corporate level as a whole, but little information is available on individual performance orientation, particularly at the first-line management level. The data collected in this research furnishes a deeper insight on goals and some factors that affect performance, as perceived by first-line managers. Goals can take a variety of forms and focus. As such, it was deemed imperative not to bias responses by producing pre-selected categories but to employ open-ended questions. The use of phenomenological mapping is not intended to test a particular hypothesis but aims to understand the situation by allowing the data to speak for itself. The results supply a first-hand understanding as to the actual focus of first-line managers, unadulterated by theories and speculations. A number of fmdings have evolved. The choice between 'end' or 'means' goals is related to basic management philosophies which are characteristic of the two populations. The general conclusion is that the values of the organisation are reflected in the type of goals being pursued. The same values are also reflected in the training received - or absence of it - and, eventually, are evident in the nature of goals being set. This duality of perspective is also found in the literature. On one hand, goal or outcome oriented employees willing to make tough decisions are key managerial characteristics to be displayed by individuals who want to progress within the organisation. On the other hand, many preach the basic philosophy that employees are a key resource which should be developed to achieve better results. These two concepts are expounded independently of each other in the literature. The general fïeld of research does not provide any criteria to measure the superiority of one System over the other; their mutual exclusivity is usually implied. It suffices to say that output goals are necessary under both Systems but not suffïcient to assure adequate attention to the human side of the equation. The research does widen the existing literature in a number of areas. Firstly, it illustrates how corporate managerial practices and values influence the outlook of first-line managers; while such a phenomenon has been postulated in the past. The results of the survey demonstrate it categorically. Secondly, it demonstrates how two viable perspectives of goals, the 'end' or the 'means', are as present in the academic thinking as, they are in the work environment. Thirdly, the goal perspective of first-line managers, indicates that a different focus may be necessary to be commensurate with their respective roles and responsibilities as compared to the rest of the organisation. The apparent dichotomy in the literature, between 'end' goals and 'means' goals, is also found between the responses of the two populations. The results clearly show that there is a need to rethink corporate practices in the area of human development, especially at the first-line management level. In addition to providing insights on goals, adequacy and recognition, this research implicitly raises the issue of the role which corporations should play in moulding human behaviour, and more specifically that of first-line managers. Conversely, there is the question of the degree to which individuality and personal responsibility for skill development should be left to the individual to decide. Better understanding of the nature of goals in the mind of first-line managers should enable organisations to effectively address the practice of goal setting and the management process entailed. There are some limitations within the research. The qualitative nature of the research, due to the use of open-ended questions, requires interpretative analysis of responses. The choice of categories, while free-flowing from the data, could also be considered as subjective. However, external audit of the tabulation, through the independent evaluation performed by an interrater, proved the process to be consistent. Through triangulation between existing published practices, plant visits and interviews as well as the internal consistency between the responses to different questions, the results of the tabulation exhibit congruity. The thesis comprises fifteen chapters, organised into four major sections. Part I contains the theoretical content of the research. It provides the backdrop for the importance of goals and the relationship with productivity, the different paradigms being put forth, a detailed discussion on the nature of goals and the key role of first-line managers. Part II describes the design of the survey and the analytical procedures employed. Part III presents the actual tabulation of the data with observations related to the results. Part IV analyses and discusses the major findings in context with the theories expounded and as well, provides conclusions and recommendations for future research.

Studies of international joint ventures (IJVs) in China continue to accumulate. Many were originally informed from various historical, economic, political, sociological, and geographical perspectives. More recently, international management theory and research has made some progress. Attention may likewise switch from the initial founding of I.lVs towards their subsequent operation and management and eventual maturation. In addition, it will become more possible to compare different international approaches and perspectives upon such. For that reason, this study seeks to explore and explain why conflicting interests arise in Japanese Affiliated Enterprises (JAEs) in China and how Chinese and Japanese perspectives differ. It therefore applies a theoretical model of IJV founding and development derived from the works of Harrigan, Parkhe and others to a sample of eighty-one JAEs and four short case studies. It concentrates upon the variables of founding motives, partner selection, control and conflict, performance, and investment environment and places their development into an overall context. A range of historical, economic, political, cultural, and personality factors are identified in the process and future developmental/research possibilities specified.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how Swedish firm operating on the Japanese market can achieve legitimacy in consideration to the cultural context. The thesis has an exploratory purpose where the methodology was based on a qualitative method with and inductive approach. The thesis conducted a multiple case study through semi-structured interviews. The theoretical framework provides the reader with relevant concepts regarding external and internal factors influencing legitimacy. A conceptual framework was developed in order to connect the theoretical concepts with each other. Through interviews with Swedish firms established on the Japanese market empirical data was collected. The analysis chapter thereafter discusses the similarities and differences between the theoretical concepts and the empirical data. The findings of the study reveal that there are many differences in conducting business in Japan compared to Sweden, and that Swedish firms have to adapt accordingly. The thesis concludes that there are several indications of activities that can be connected towards achieving legitimacy on the Japanese market. By understand the cultural differences and accustom the Swedish firms’ business practices to align with Japanese firms, relationships and networks can be strengthened and further result in achieving legitimacy on the Japanese market.

As multinational corporations (MNCs) are extending their international operations they need to examine issues such as the localisation of human resource policies and management, and the effective use of local and expatriate managers. Examination of expatriate studies indicates a lack of attention given to the relationships between expatriate managers and local managers or the perspectives of local managers working in MNCs. This thesis attempts to fill these gaps by focusing on the cross-cultural interactions between expatriate and local managers. This thesis addresses the importance of positive cross-cultural understanding between Japanese expatriate managers and local managers in Japanese subsidiaries in Australia, and its effect on work-related outcomes such as job satisfaction and commitment to the organisation. It identifies macro and micro factors which are associated with levels of job satisfaction and commitment of Japanese expatriate managers and Australian managers with special focus on economic functions of industry, communication, and mutual perceptions. Conceptual models for predicting organisational commitment for Japanese expatriate and Australian managers are developed, and the validity of the models is empirically tested. ¶ ...

碩士
國立臺灣大學
企業管理碩士專班
99
The purpose of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences between Japanese and Thai cultures in order to solve management problems arising from conflicts in values, beliefs, and working attitudes of Japanese manager and Thai employees in Akiyoshi restaurant. Another aim was to also find out how to apply management theories and cultural dimensions to create effective working process in the organization. In order to learn about Japanese and Thai cultures, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied. Questionnaires examined Japanese and Thai cultures and values were sent out and forty responses were received. In addition, secondary researches, focused on Hofstede’s and Trompenaars’ cultural dimensions, were carried out in order to learn more about the two cultures. After understanding how the two cultures similar or differ, management theories; such as high/low context communication, leadership styles, and motivation theories, were applied and useful implications on Akiyoshi were explained. Finally, it was discovered that Japanese and Thai cultures have many similarities and differences. As a result, it is important for Akiyoshi’s management team to learn and understand these cultural values and beliefs, in order to avoid conflicts and dysfunction in the workplace.

This research mainly examines the superior-subordinate relationship between Japanese managers and Thai subordinates working in joint ventures in Thailand, especially the management style of the Japanese and the reactions of the Thais, Cultural adaptation of Japanese expatriates and Thai subordinates is also explored. Through this study, we gain better understanding of the Japanese-Thai interpersonal relationships, communication patterns, work ethics, and other cultural values with particular emphasis on recurring themes such as concepts about work, vertical relationship, authority and supervision style, and gender issues. The in-depth interviews were conducted with ten Japanese managers, six Thai managers, and 12 Thai subordinates in Thailand in 2001. Findings show that although there are some similarities in Japanese and Thai cultural values at work, conflicts, frictions, and misunderstandings still exist between Japanese superiors and Thai subordinates because of their cultural differences. Both parties also have some stereotypes and negative myths of the other party. Concerning concepts about work, Japanese superiors prefer immediate actions from their Thai subordinates when problems arise whereas when the Thais encounter some difficulties in solving problems, they hesitate to inform their superiors. Since there is no clear job description in Japan, the Thais often feel uncomfortable when their job responsibilities overlap with their colleagues. Moreover, unlike Japanese people, Thai employees do not have a strong commitment to the company. Vertical relationship explores how the Japanese and the Thais build and maintain their relationships at work and after work hours. The Japanese believe that relationships should follow job accomplishment while the Thais think that good relationships should be established before working. After-hour activities are suggested as means to strengthen relationships between superiors and subordinates. Furthermore, Japanese superiors tend to use different strategies to supervise their Thai subordinates; those strategies include scolding, expecting expression of opinions, information sharing, and delegation of authority in decision making processes. However, the strategies seem not to work properly in Japanese-Thai joint ventures due to cultural differences at work. Although gender can be a barrier in career advancement in Japan, Japanese expatriates do not see this as the case in Thailand. However, most of the Thai female subordinates complained that women were less likely to get promotions while Thai male subordinates thought that career advancement was blocked because managerial positions were occupied by and reserved for Japanese expatriates. At the end, three cases are presented to illustrate how Japanese superiors and Thai subordinates adjust in intercultural work settings. Each case consists of two individuals' work experience and adaptability. We can see the importance of individual differences as some Japanese superiors and Thai subordinates realize cultural differences and try to adjust to the intercultural work settings while others hold back and, finally, resign from the company. To avoid conflicts and misunderstandings, and to work together effectively, Japanese managers and Thai subordinates should realize their cultural differences and learn the other's culture. If problems arise, they should be open-minded and willing to help each other solve the problems.
Graduation date: 2004

碩士
國立高雄第一科技大學
應用日語所
91
The advancement upon Taiwan of Japanese companies was started from 1950s, the total investment accumulated to US$ 9,700 million by 2001,and it occupied about 20% of foreign investments to Taiwan in 2002.　Therefore, Japanese companies advanced on Taiwan are prosperous. In other words, Japanese companies exist important for the economy of Taiwan. The word "Globalization" is already an everyday language. In such flow of globalization, "People" becomes an important issue. This research conducts investigations of leadership with cultural adaptation, cross-cultural management, and working situation of expatriate managers. Moreover, through qualitative interviews held to expatriate Managers of Japanese companies, we organized some topics of how the expatriate managers to accomplish an overseas business trip successfully by exercising leadership and raising more effective results with cultural management, exceeding a cultural and language barrier, aimed at concerning what role it is in cross-cultural management. The results of this research indicate that: 1. The culture shock is seldom felt in the life in Taiwan. Eventually, we may positive that the culture and history background of Taiwan is much similar to Japan than other country. 2. As for a present stage, although the management localization must be advanced, it is more suitable to assign Japanese to take charge of a top administrator, when it involve to the communication of head office in Japanese and branch office in Taiwan. 3. In communication , Japanese Expatriate Manager may become intimate with the subordinates who can speak Japanese., yet, on the occasion of management point it does not become a necessary issue of promotion. 4. The expatriate managers usually gain higher position and promotion in Japanese enterprise culture. They, who only the manager in the middle rank in head company, always win the highest promotion (like CEO) after his overseas assignment. On such Occasion , a top administrator is also asked for strong power of decision and excellent judgment. 5. Acceptance of different cultural environment and background with generosity in cross-cultural management, although the point of view to Taiwanese employees’ working attitudes and passion is negative. 6. On analysis the success factors of expatriation, the influence of a Japanese expatiator’s family adaptation capability is less important than European’ & Americans’. Yet, compared with the language capability of European & American’s expatiators, since Japanese is not the common language in the world, Japanese Expatiate managers’ language capability is much more important influence of success factors. 7. In a Japanese company, sex and expatriation have a remarkable relationship. 8. In the manufacturing industry and the non-manufacturing industry, there are remarkable different point of views about cross- cultural management The results of this research not only can be used by the enterprises as recommendations when they adjust their human resources policy and minimize the percentage of failures of expatriation, but also help expatriate-to-be managers understand the life in Taiwan and how to make a success expatriation. Hopefully to provide our government and school, even individual some related useful information.

碩士
國立中山大學
人力資源管理全英語碩士學位學程
103
This research focuses on expatriate manager decision making process and multinational corporation’s (MNC) training. Expatriate manager decision making is critical for managing subsidiary as one of international function, also, training is most significant factor for fostering expatriate skills, abilities before departure. The current research adopts a qualitative method in Taiwan, by interviewing expatriate managers who are in a higher position from Japan, different company, industry to collect date. The results shows managing expatriate still needs extra efforts to make them better perform as describing following problems: lack of training effectiveness, less exchanging information and understanding before departure, gap between headquarter and subsidiary. These three problems actually influence expatriate manager when they make decision. To solve problems, current research suggests that MNC information collecting, improvement of training organization for involving past expatriate or people who are familiar with local, making opportunity to exchange information from experienced expatriate. These suggestions contribute to MNCs for managing expatriate and increasing the cooperation and speed of decision making.

By virtue of the increasing global competition, many Asian countries have become the favourite target of large enterprises and multinational corporations (MNCs) desiring to invest in them. Thailand in particular, due to its location as a natural gateway for efficient distribution channels through various markets and customers, has attracted foreign direct investments across the world to relocate their manufacturing operations to the country since the mid-1950s. Further, following the low-wage labour market and social stability, Thailand has grown to be one of the top five countries targeted for Japanese investment. More importantly, with the support of both governments establishing the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement in 2007, strong economic ties have continued to develop, leading Japan to be a major investor in Thai industry. However, despite the obvious economic advantages for both countries, the unfamiliar socio-cultural environment in Thailand has presented many challenges for Japanese expatriate managers. Moreover, the relocation of operations not only has led to a rethinking of business strategies, but also the allocation of appropriate personnel to complete critical assignments in different business climates is crucial. More specifically, although the Japanese management style suits firms in their home country of Japan (as do Western management styles in Western countries), difficulties arise when they are applied verbatim in the Thai environment. Thus, the selection, training and dispatch of capable and well-suited expatriate managers to succeed when working in overseas posts are requiring careful consideration. Therefore, this research aims to identify the defining necessary attributes and influencing factors for Japanese expatriate managers’ success in Thailand. More specifically, it investigates the characteristics required for Japanese managers who collaborating with a predominately local workforce within the Thai automotive industry.

碩士
逢甲大學
國際經營管理碩士學位學程
107
With the number of investing internationally is continuously increasing, Thailand is one of the prospect destination for many multinational companies. Japan and Taiwan are the country that has high investment amount in Thailand. Therefore, it can create the number of Japanese and Taiwanese human resources coming to work in Thailand which can lead to the organizations having more culturally diverse workforce. Cultural differences can cause the unsatisfied environment in the workplace. The purpose of the study is to find out the issues to contribute to the cross-cultural management and how cultural diversity is managed in Thailand. The study is conducted with the qualitative method by applying the interview with four case companies; two Japanese companies and two Taiwanese companies. This study is focused on cultural diversity and how it is managed in the organization with a concentration on Time, Hierarchy, Relationship, and Gender Perception. The study provides the recommendations for the personnel that manage the cross-cultural workforce within the Japanese and Taiwanese companies operating in Thailand as following; adapt and overcome the cultural gap between organization culture and local culture. The personnel should learn and accept the different cultural values in order to understand how to manage cultural norms within the whole company.