Expectations of western

managers in Japan

By John Hayes,

Sophia University, Tokyo

Expectations

Based on an the experiences of a Western manager working in Japan

Often western manager s come to Japan with preconceived expectations. This presentation aims to dispel 3 common

expectations of managers moving to Japan:

These examples are taken from an interview with a Western Manager who was surprised with certain aspect of Japanese

business life after his move.

© John Hayes, 2009

Language

Expectation: English is widely spoken in Japan and in Japanese workplaces.

© John Hayes, 2009

Accessibility and Meeting Manners

Expectation: Mangers will have easy access to fellow managers and subordinates and meeting will serve the same purpose as in a

firm in the West

© John Hayes, 2009

TimeExpectation: Western managers will have similar time commitments in Japan as they did in their home country

© John Hayes, 2009

Summary

Western manager: Be open to new experiences and points of view

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that since you’re working for a Western firm in Japan that the company culture will be

the same as that in the home country!

Enjoy your time in Japan!

© John Hayes, 2009

These slides are part of a student podcastproject related to the book “J-Management: Fresh Perspectives on the Japanese Firm in the 21st Century” edited by

Dr. Parissa Haghirian of Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan.

For further information about the podcasts and the book, please visit www.parissahaghirian.com

These slides are to be used for teaching and educational purposes only.

About This Project