Japanese corporate culture

I agree with Riph: What U-Shin is attempting is a Brain Transplant operation, so the transplanted brain has a significant risk of being rejected outright by the rest of the body. This is not just about character conflict, but also the gaping culture gap between inside and outside Japan....

JAPANESE firms are an insular lot. Executives typically stick with one company for life and bosses are promoted from within.

Is this statement the usual stale false stereotype?
Isn't it applicable to any country?

Japanese firms are hardly inular in one very tangible measurable way ---- theta actively seek and sell in overseas markets. Not very insular!

Most western companies have boards drawn from a very narrow strata of society and from the same old boy network. Very insular!

Fast Retailing and Rakuten both have their reasons to move their headquarters out of Japan (probably to Singapore), and that is what drives their hasty adoption of English as offical language.
It's all about corporate taxe codes and political intrigue...

Though the post by (Banatee) is noteworthy,... having lived and worked in Japan for over 15years, and been privy to more than just corporate Japanism... but also to the mentality of the normal populace. I can honestly state that -while deep-rooted likes and dislikes are taken at face value by westerners who think everything is reflective of "tradition"... it is actually a love for anything "western" including the English language that hypnotizes Japanese about accepting new changes (especially anything western).

One of the most successful business ventures in Japan... are [eikawa] えいかわ which are nothing more than overrated English conversation schools... and I use the term school very loosely. For years now, Japanese have embraced the TOEIC testing system -a Japanese version of the TOEFL to promote management. Promotions in Japan are not inclusive of who is qualified, more experience, nor even respected by peers... rather who appears to sacrifice family/life for the company, and who has been liked by management.

What most outsiders consider successful Japanese management, has only been thriving for a short period of time, but as time progresses and world market leaders transform accordingly... Japan has been reluctant to let go of the Good Old Boy mentality... until now. I do not see it as some sort of embracing of outside influence but rather a tactic of survival in a very uncomfortable race into the next century. Without change, Japan has slowly noticed that antiquated tactics are no longer a great defense for the approach of multinational, international, and global markets around the world.

Davidsdeli

By silver bullet do you mean the thing that finally kills them ?

Could be

Who knew speaking English is a stand-alone management strategy, and an effective one as well?

Strange !!!

I have been interacting with Japanese companies for more than 4 years

I have developed good understanding on Japanese culture and tradition. This journalist have something in his mind...

1) The need for english speaking people is must for opening up on a global level

2) Hiring foreign english speaking people is another strange information for me ... but time is changing ...

Banatee is on the mark, beat me to it.

To add to the commentary though, I wonder how people inside U-Shin reacting to the move? Certainly there are going to be a few people in management who feel like they are being cheated out of what they feel are owed after a lifetime of dedication. Not only does the new president need to be competent in global business, he's going to need to be a pro at motivating his teams and getting everyone in line.

I've lived in Japan for several years as an exchange student and a civil servant, and I think that this journalist knows a lot more than everyone is giving him/her credit for.

This kind of change is a BIG deal in Japan because Japanese culture is all about maintaining established practices. When you suggest something new, many Japanese people will automatically shut down and say "no thank you, that's not what we've done up until now." Now that the practice of hiring foreign executives in Japanese firms is becoming established, you're going to see a lot more of it. I guarantee it.

Japan desperately needs foreign executives precisely because they aren't constrained by the Japanese culture of basing the future on the past. That strategy hasn't been serving Japan very well for quite some time now.

It might be a stretch to hold up the example of U-Shin as a sign of changing times in Japan. It's largest shareholder until earlier this year was RHJ International; formerly Ripplewood Holdings. RHJ unloaded its full stake in U-Shin for less than half of what it paid in 2006.

i feel its irrelevant wether you're english speaking or not, for me the most imporant thing is that your perform within and deliver within that role.

"The need for globally-minded bosses is finally being understood in Japanese boardrooms."

Ah, gotta love clueless journalists who think they know everything...

T.D. and K.C.,

Not really sure what's your point. Are you suggesting that English speaking-Foreign bosses are the silver bullet to failing Japanese companies? Seriously?

Regarding expatriate assignments, where did you get that idea??? Folks, are you serious? Do your homework or get out of the profession. My Japanese friends who get sent overseas are the brightest in their companies, and view it as a must to climb the corporate ladder. This tends to be more so in the largest and best companies.

Apparantly the women's and men's clothing brand UNIQLO have said that in the near future their staff will all have to be able to speak English.