Conflict and Change
Foreign Ownership and the Japanese Firm

A analysis of how take-overs by foreign companies have changed HR and organisational practices traditionally associated with Japanese firms.

George Olcott (Author)

9780521189880, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 21 July 2011

292 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.43 kg

'For practitioners and managers actively working in the acquisition of Japanese firms, [this] book offers an insightful and honest guide that should be of considerably more value than the standard fare seeking to explain Japanese business practices. For scholars working in the field of Japanese business studies, [it] is an empirical treasure trove of insight and offers a much-needed addition to the classics of our field; I know I will be citing it alongside Dore, Cole and the rest.' Social Science Japan Journal

What happens to the traditional work practices of Japanese firms when they are taken over by European and American firms? How do the employees react? What lessons can be learned from examples of successful and unsuccessful acquisitions? Formerly, such questions would never have been asked, simply because the incidence of take-overs of Japanese firms by foreign companies was virtually non-existent. However, in past years, a number of major Japanese companies have come under the control of foreign firms. Conflict and Change focuses on five Japanese companies acquired by foreign firms (including Nissan, Chugai Pharmaceutical and Shinsei Bank) to show how take-overs by foreign companies have changed HR and organisational practices traditionally associated with Japanese firms. This provides invaluable information for researchers and managers about the choices and challenges associated with cross-border acquisitions of firms that are embedded in 'institutionally distant' frameworks.

List of figures
List of tables
Introduction
1. Japanese institutions: are they different?
2. The study: overview and methodology
3. Entering the firm: recruitment and training
4. Lifetime employment and career patterns
5. Reward systems
6. Female employees
7. Organisation and decision-making process
8. Discussion and conclusion
Index.

Subject Areas: International business [KJK], Business & management [KJ]