Team Dynamics and Diversity: Japanese Corporate Experiences

In the business realm, Japan provides an important and interesting place for studying teams, particularly in light of its contributions to management history. The Japanese are ubiquitously known for their teamwork, with attention to detail, efficiency, and a work philosophy of continuous improvement. This book examines team dynamics and diversity in business management of multinationals in Japan. Teams in Tokyo-based multinationals provide an interesting platform for studying the Japanese government's recent initiatives of including international talent, and, not least, the female workforce as assets in the Japanese drives for economic progress. Multinationals in Tokyo shed light on the processes in the interface between traditional Japanese ways (conserving uniqueness) and international corporations that bring in new inspiration and act as catalysts of change. Danish companies are outstanding in their advanced values of work-life balance, while American companies have explicit and elaborate diversity policies, and Chinese corporations inspire with an unforeseen drive for results and straight-forward pragmatic business ways. Therefore, penetrating the Japanese market provides substantial challenges for international companies, and setting up the right teams are of utmost importance towards reaching this goal. The participating corporations in this study include Bang & Olufsen, Ecco, Coloplast, Novo Nordisk, Microsoft, Sony, and Huawei. The book is targeted at bachelor, master, and MBA students in management studies, with focus on organization, communication, and competence. Business professionals will also find inspiration and interesting insights applicable to their own organizations concerning high performing team dynamics and cross-cultural management. Subject: Business Management, Japanese Studies, Cultural Studies, Women's Studies, Labor Studies]