This graduation thesis' aim is to help reader realize and understand what makes Japanese companies, especially Japanese management style, so successful and competitive and what problems (challenges) may occur while applying the Japanese managerial techniques in the Czech Republic. Companies teaching and implementing Japanese managerial style were found and evaluated. While giving background information on Japanese economy and manners, basic description of chosen Japanese managerial techniques as well as examples of their usage in companies, the main idea is to find out what the prerequisites of successful implementation of Japanese managerial techniques are, how techniques can be implemented and consecutively describe possible obstacles at the application of the Japanese management in the companies outside Japan. The reason for looking for the prerequisites of successful implementation is the thought that not only managerial techniques themselves (their "technical side") are the key for success. It is also, and very importantly, the way how they are used. It is knowledge what "forces" are driving the success of the techniques. Therefore, in order to understand what the Japanese managerial techniques are and who the people developing and using them are about, I step by step gathered related information and in a summarized form wrote them in this thesis. Analyzing the information I was able to conclude that there are three prerequisites for successful implementation of Japanese managerial techniques. It is firstly a technical side of managerial techniques itself, secondly it is a psychological aspect (learning Japanese management also means learning pieces of Japanese culture and manners and only if that culture is understood and applied, techniques can show they full potential) and thirdly it is hard working.

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. ¶ Australian managers and Japanese expatriate managers working for Australian subsidiaries of twelve Japanese-owned firms completed self-report questionnaires anonymously. A unique paired data set is used for particular analyses such as measuring communication and perceptions of each other. This thesis examines differences in work values and beliefs between Japanese expatriates and Australian managers on issues derived from structural and cultural features of Japanese MNCs; for example, the type of subsidiary-head office management (eg. strategic planning), integration of local managers, group-oriented decision making, and work ethic. It is found that there is a significant gap in perceptions between Japanese and Australian managers with regard to corporate membership, but no significant differences are found in their opinions towards the strategic planning style of management. Contrary to our expectations, Australian managers are found to be more group-oriented than Japanese managers. ¶ The characteristics of two industries, general trading firms (the sogo shosha) and manufacturing firms, are discussed and their impacts upon cross-cultural relationships and work attitudes of managers are examined. Findings indicate that Australian managers in manufacturing firms have more positive perceptions of work relations with Japanese managers and positive work attitudes than Australian managers in the sogo shosha. This suggests that manufacturing firms provide a more positive work environment to Australian managers than the sogo shosha, whereas cross-cultural interactions in the sogo shosha are not very effective, which may cause misunderstanding and mistrust between managers, and lower levels of job satisfaction and organisational commitment of local managers. The type of industry does not affect the work attitudes of Japanese managers or their perceptions of Australian counterparts. ¶ A conceptual model for predicting the organisational commitment of Japanese and Australian managers are developed and tested empirically. Independent variables included in the model are: individual characteristics, type of industry, psychological integration of local managers into the Japanese organisation, work relations between Japanese and local managers and job satisfaction. Results indicate that job satisfaction, work relations and tenure have significant impacts upon organisational commitment of Australian managers. As for the Japanese managers, job satisfaction and tenure have significant impacts upon organisational commitment, but no association between work relations and organisational commitment is found. In addition, the relationship between work relations and organisational commitment for the Australian managers is partially mediated by job satisfaction, however, this is not the case with the Japanese managers. ¶ The findings of this thesis will improve our understanding of cross-cultural interactions between expatriates and local managers, increasing overall firm performance and improving the quality of cross-cultural relationships within contemporary society. Moreover, these findings will provide a wider perspective on understanding how organisations can implement localisation of management and integrate local managers into the organisation.

In the wake of the recent and prolonged economic crisis, corporate governance in large corporations has come under increasing scrutiny. Employment is said to be precarious, and some commentators talk of how the social contract is being shredded. Against this backdrop, more nurturing approaches to employment and human resource management have an intrinsic appeal. With its stakeholder capitalism, Japan provides one such model. This thesis examines that model through the prism of a qualitative study of business repatriates and their careers. Using six career stories, it gives us a window on to contemporary Japanese HRM practices as they impact ‘core’ employees working with the assumption of lifetime employment at large Japanese companies. As a result, we learn about the ongoing strengths and weaknesses of Japanese HRM, and see how practices may change. The study’s longitudinal research design allows these career stories to unfold dynamically as the participants reflect reiteratively on their experiences and hopes, while interviews with two other repatriates, four HR managers, one mid-career job-changer, and a European administrator with long experience in multinationals add further depth and perspective. The repatriates express support for the HR systems in their companies, while also reporting frustration related to issues such as the opacity of the job assignment system. Their time abroad has changed how they think about their work and their employers, yet they are less vectors for change and more an internationalised old guard. Overall, this study gives us a detailed and nuanced picture of how Japanese repatriates experience their careers and think about their futures. It shows the value of an in-depth grounded approach to understanding contemporary attitudes in Japan related to the ongoing debate about HRM practices. The narratives of these Japanese business people, who have been exposed to what is alleged to be better practice overseas, demonstrate the importance of the continuity and stability of the Japanese employment model. Moreover, the traditional model emerges as logical and effective, suggesting that the considerable criticism of that model over the past two decades is misplaced. In addition, interpretation of the data suggests future avenues of research into how we understand change and continuity in Japanese HRM practices.

published_or_final_version / Japanese Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

Japan, destroyed by an ill-fought war and risen to world power and yet again recently broken by natural and man-made phenomena, a nation intensely recognized the world over yet misunderstood, victim of its own exceptionalism, today needs to ask an old question. Will Japan participate in the international community as a full active member? Japan's involvement with the world was narrowly defined and confined to that of a trader and its image sustained by a self-proclaimed unique culture and all these today are put to the test. The trader's fundamental reliance on strictly cultural values to achieve success may today be insufficient to sustain their survival in a globalized world. Thus, the Japanese as well as foreigners question the validity of hitherto successful cultural tools such as loyalty in the context of globalized commerce

本研究旨在呈現日本泡沫經濟崩潰之後，企業變革的方向，觀察日本式經營從過去至今的演化過程，並以「究竟何為日本式經營？」為中心，研究分析日本式經營的優勢及核心所在，瞭解日本企業如何藉此厚實自身能力資源，在劇烈變動的環境中，掌握未來企業的變革方向。如今世界正面臨全球化、IT網路化等，此種前所未有的結構上的變化，透過泡沫經濟崩潰，讓日本企業提早面臨環境改變，迫使其進行策略方向的轉變及組織變革。由於現在企業面臨的環境不確定性提高，此寶貴的經驗對於現在及往後的企業變革，將具有高度的參考價值。 本研究先根據既有的研究，以日本式經營的演進，將日本經濟分為三個階段，形成期：1955至1973年高度成長期、適應期：1974至1991年安定成長期到泡沫經濟崩潰、轉換期：1992年迄今 泡沫經濟崩潰之後的經濟停滯。從「企業實體」、「策略」、「系統」等 三個層面，歸納每個階段的日本式經營特徵、瞭解日本式經營從過去迄今，維持及改變的部分為何。並以現在--轉換期的日本企業實際的做法為例，整理分析從今以後日本式經營的變革方向。 若將過去學者的眾多研究歸納整理，日本式經營從1955年迄今始終存在著不變的特徵，「長期性」及「培育人才」。這是日本式經營的核心，也是企業的優勢。日本企業即使在轉換期的變革中，也是以此優勢為中心，繼續進行變革。並且也繼續實行將既有的優勢再建構及深化，將弱點持續改善，藉由企業社會責任的實踐及強化，以企業成長及地球環境共存為目標，穩健進行提高利潤、結構改革等，厚實因應外在環境變化的基石。 / The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the direction of business change after the collapse of Japan’s bubble economy by observing the evolution process of Japanese firms. With the question, “What is Japanese management?” as central focus, research was aimed at analyzing the core and advantages of Japanese firms to discover how, amid a strong changing environment, firms used their solid resources and abilities in mastering their direction of future change. Currently, the world is confronted with globalization and the combination of IT and Internet; this new structural change caused the collapse of the bubble economy, leading Japanese firms exposed to early environmental changes, compelling them to change their strategies and organizations. Nowadays, since firms face increased uncertainty, the Japanese experience has high referral values for current and future business changes. Based on the findings of existing studies, this study divides the evolution of Japanese firms into three stages: the formation period: from 1955 to 1973 as the period of high growth, the adaptation period: from 1974 to 1991 as the period from stable growth to collapse of bubble economy, and the transition period: from 1992 onwards as the period of economic stagnation following the bubble burst. The characteristics of Japanese firms in each stage are induced and the changes and non-changes throughout the history of Japanese firms are identified. Furthermore, by studying Japanese firm’s case during the transition period, the study hopes to discover insights that point to the direction of Japanese Management’s future change. If past researches are collected and analyzed, the everlasting Japanese firm characteristic from 1955 onwards is the “long-term” quality and the “investment in human capital” quality, both of which are the core and advantage of Japanese management. Even during the transition period, organizational changes were centered on these advantages. These advantages were reconstructed and deepened, whereas weaknesses were tweaked. Profit margins were increased and structures were changed via the implementation and strengthening of a company’s social responsibility as well as the goal of coexistence between firm continual growth and world environment.

Le Japon, détruit par une guerre mal combattue, élevé au rang de puissance mondiale, récemment touché par des phénomènes naturels et artificiels est une nation profondément reconnue dans le monde entier bien qu’incomprise, victime de son exceptionnalisme, aujourd'hui doit se poser une vieille question. Le Japon fera-t-il partie de la communauté internationale en tant que membre actif ? La participation du Japon dans le monde a été étroitement définie et limitée à celle d'un commerçant et son image soutenue par une culture unique autoproclamée font que ces éléments sont aujourd'hui mis à l'épreuve. La dépendance fondamentale du trader/commerçant basée sur des valeurs strictement culturelles afin d’atteindre le succès escompté peut aujourd'hui s’avérer insuffisante pour s’assurer une survie dans un monde globalisé. Ainsi, autant les japonais que les étrangers questionnent la validité des outils culturels qui ont permis de réussir jusqu'ici telle que la loyauté dans l'avenir du commerce mondial / Japan, destroyed by an ill-fought war and risen to world power and yet again recently broken by natural and man-made phenomena, a nation intensely recognized the world over yet misunderstood, victim of its own exceptionalism, today needs to ask an old question. Will Japan participate in the international community as a full active member? Japan’s involvement with the world was narrowly defined and confined to that of a trader and its image sustained by a self-proclaimed unique culture and all these today are put to the test. The trader’s fundamental reliance on strictly cultural values to achieve success may today be insufficient to sustain their survival in a globalized world. Thus, the Japanese as well as foreigners question the validity of hitherto successful cultural tools such as loyalty in the context of globalized commerce

In this thesis certain elements of the Japanese management model are examined in the context of Euro-Atlantic management model. As a single integral model of Japanese management does not exist, firstly, two groups of selected elements of Japanese management are explained in the theoretical part. The aim of this thesis is to analyze whether selected approaches of Japanese management have been applied at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive Czech s. r. o., and or how they have been modified in the Czech Republic. The first group of selected elements includes approaches in which active employees allow the organization to achieve high quality products and services - the strategy of kaizen, the activities of quality control circles and total quality management. Japanese management features that are included in the second group lead to the organization cost minimization. Particularly, this paper describes the just-in-time production, total productive maintenance concept, the technique of 5S, the technique of systematic elimination of wasting and the phenomenon of employee loyalty. Having realized a qualitative survey with seven respondents, the analysis showed that the chosen approaches in the organization have been applied, except for the quality control circles. The kaizen strategy has been narrowed down...

In this thesis I focus on the Japanese labour market in agriculture, traditional, semi-traditional and modern light industry between the 1730s and 1950s. In the first chapter I introduce institutional theory and path dependance theory which serve as my conceptual frame. In the second chapter I present a broad definition of the modern period based on Kito's demographical periodization of Japanese history. In the third and fourth chapter I analyze the institutional structure of agriculture and by-employments that dominated the modern labour market. In conclusion I discuss the connection of this structure to heavy industry and its implications for the current dual labour market.

科学研究費補助金 研究種目:国際学術研究 課題番　号:10041067 研究代表者:ちよ斗変 研究期間:1998-1998 年度