CASE STUDIES IN JAPANESE MANAGEMENT

edited by Parissa Haghirian (Sophia University, Japan) & Philippe Gagnon (Economist Intelligence Unit, Canada)

The Book:

This book provides a new opportunity for corporate strategy analysis within a Japanese context. It is the first academic textbook to be published in English which regroups case studies to emphasize key concepts in Japanese management. Where previous literature has set a separate focus on cultural, managerial and strategic variables, a holistic look is now taken at their influence on effective decision- making.
Over 11 detailed cases depict issues in entering the Japanese market, strategic issues when managing in Japan, marketing management, crisis management, cross-cultural encounters and future technologies. The sophistication and depth of these studies, along with their teaching notes, provide the basis for pragmatic analysis.
The mysticism surrounding Japanese culture seems magnified by the success of Japanese companies abroad, and the shortcomings of many MNEs that entered Japan ineffectively. Studying the empirical implications of these issues is a helpful exercise to develop more acute management reflexes in a Japanese setting.
The book's carefully laid out cases will benefit business and humanities students who are researching Japan, as well as professionals who work within this sphere.

Contents:

1) Entering the Japanese Market
You Can't Please All of the People All of the Time:
Wal-Mart's Adventures in Japan
How eBay got outbid; Initial failure and market
re-entry in Japan
Nintendo - The 800 Pound Gorilla Returns
NTT DoCoMo: beyond i-mode and FOMA
XBOX in the Land of the Rising Sun
Big Gulps and Big Business: Seven-Eleven Japan and the
New Keiretsu
Sony Playstation 3 (PS3): Phoenix from the Flames?

2) Marketing Management in Japan
Rise and Fall of the Japanese Luxury Market Toyota Lexus; Number One Abroad but Struggling at Home

3) Dealing with Crisis
Lost in Translation: Toyota and the Recall Scandal

4) Cross-cultural Encounters With Japan
Being Polite in Japan
Getting More Than I Aimed for: Cultural Challenges in the Archery Club Japanese Perfectionist Meets American Take It Easy

5) Future Technologies
Japanese Car Wars - Who will win the Race for the
Future Technology?

Readership:

International business and management undergraduate and MBA students, business professionals working with Japanese business partners, and researchers exploring the relationship between culture and business management.

Hardcover: 316 pages
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
ISBN-10: 9814340871,
ISBN-13: 978-9814340878
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Dr. Parissa Haghirian
Associate Professor of International Management Sophia University