Blogs and Articles from Third Way Forum Membrs

・Usually, Japanese companies are counting on foreigners for young labor force, professional expertise and top leadership for a big change.

・Managers are like coaches in the West and foreign employees expect to have more ownership in doing their jobs. But Japanese bosses tend to dictate employees to do what needs to be done.

・Japanese managers have no autonomy. So they don’t give autonomy to their subordinates. In the consensus culture, it is difficult to identify who has the ultimate responsibility to make the decision. That’s why the higher the proposal is escalated, more likely that it disappears like smoke.

・Japanese companies also tell Japanese employees to be creative and proactive upon joining but in reality people are expected to behave within a certain scope which could be too rigid.

・Foreign managers in Japanese companies are often expected to think and deliver out of the box etc. But the moment they try to do that, they are often blocked by Japanese leaders.

・Transformation does not happen not because it’s driven by foreigners or the Japanese. It does not happen simply because people just don’t like to change.

・When foreigners are talking about transformation, they just want to bring their own comfortable culture from home to Japan. So we need to be careful.

・What are some positive things about Japanese managers? They really take care of the team. Japanese managers are almost like father-figures. They do manage people and give you a family-like comfort. But it could develop into micromanagement and complacency.

・On the other hand ,foreign managers are like sports team coach. They train you hard. If you don’t play well, you will be taken back to the bench or even fired. No mercy. But the organization may stay fit with high performing professionals.

・Attitude toward Head Count is different between Japanese and foreign managers. Liability or asset? Spread-sheet management or relationship building?

・Mutually matured relationship between employer and employee is idea. Not a father-child relationship

・In Japan, both companies and employees are heavily invested in each other. It could be a good thing and also a bad thing at the same time.