Japanese Management: Cultural challenges and coping strategies

Details

Supervisors

Lejeune, Christophe ; Ehnert, Ina

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en Ingénieur de gestion

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is twofold: first to understand the cultural challenges that foreigners face when dealing with the Japanese management, secondly, to help a manager on his/her way to Japan to be better aware of potential challenges he/she might face and provide concrete hints for a smoother day-to-day interaction In order to do so, I will explain that the origins of the Japanese management are to be found in both its history and the Japanese society specificities. I will identify and describe the three main characteristics of the Japanese society having the most influenced the Japanese management: religions, groups & obligations and the value system. I will deal with the history of the Japanese Management which is the result of a long hybridization between the Western and the Japanese model. An overview of the main specificities of the Japanese management and of the Japanese manager will be done. The first part of this thesis will end by analyzing the main issues encountered by foreigners when dealing with the Japanese management: communication, importance of seniority and negotiation. The last part of my work will be a qualitative study around the question: what are the differences in terms of management style in between Japanese and non-Japanese managers working in Japan? Amongst other things, I will explain that the work commitment could be the source of an important pressure for managers and that expatriate managers tend to insist more on encouraging their team members to become future leaders than their Japanese colleagues.