This book discusses management philosophy based on case studies in companies in Japan, Korea and China. In an era of increasing globalization and the internet society, it is time for companies to re-examine their mission and existence. Repeated corporate scandals and global environmental issues have revealed the need for CSR (corporate social responsibility) and business ethics. At the same time, cross-cultural conflicts in the workplace highlight the necessity for management to integrate multiple values. In other words, the importance of value in a company has to be reconsidered. This timely book re-evaluates the issue of management philosophy in the context of the global society. It approaches the issue of management philosophy from the perspective of keiei-jinruigaku, the anthropology of business administration, presenting interdisciplinary research consisting of fields such as management studies, anthropology, religious studies and sociology. By focusing on the phenomena of transmission of management philosophy to other areas by cultural translation, the book reveals the dynamic process of the global transmission of management philosophy.

This book focuses on the establishment process of the Japanese style of management (JSM). Traditionally, it has been widely believed that the JSM is native to Japan and consists of three pillars: lifetime employment, a seniority-based wage system, and company unions. This book opposes these traditional views on the JSM and argues that it has been shaped by the influence of management theories and ideas of other countries. The JSM has not only adopted the ideas and concepts of other countries, but also has refined, translated, and customized them to make such ideas and concepts acceptable in Japan. The hypothesis presented here is that in the postwar period of rapid growth, the JSM was a hybrid set of management theories and techniques greatly influenced by American ideas about management. This book concentrates on the impact of American management theories and ideas on the JSM. Taking the historical point of view, it clarifies that impact not only for academics but also for business people. The hypothesis propounded here is that some of those theories and ideas have been accepted whereas some of them have been rejected and eventually made irrelevant. The following issues are discussed: scientific management, the human relations school, Barnard’s organizational theory, Drucker’s management thoughts, strategic management, human resource management, and corporate culture.

In the twenty-first century, it is necessary for Asia to step up and assume a larger leadership role on the global stage, commensurate with its economic weight and interests. Eighty-eight percent of the increase in the numbers of the middle class in the next five years will take place in Asia, underscoring the reality that global business and leadership will be colored in significant ways by Asian values, approaches and strategies. This book explores how this may impact our view and conceptual approach to the notion of global leadership. The contributors to this collection explore and examine the concept of global Asian leadership and outcome implications at the societal, corporate and policy-making level. They argue that global leaders will increasingly focus on specific needs, values and strategies that are uniquely Asian, which emphasizes the reality that we most likely will have to redefine our notion of global leadership. This comprehensive study of the integration of Asian and global leadership will benefit those employed in the corporate, government and educational sectors as well as a broader audience with an interest in leadership, policy-making and economics. "To truly understand Asia, one needs to grasp not only its cultural dimensions, but also the organizational and societal contexts which provide a training ground and unique challenges and opportunities for Asian leaders. In this book, leading scholars share the latest thinking and scientific research on exactly these topics. Highly recommended for both novices and seasoned executives and scholars!" Donald L. Ferrin, Ph.D., Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University "While Asia’s rapid economic growth has caught the attention of the world, the study of the leadership engine behind the growth has been scarce. This book fills the void by assembling a coherent group of insightful articles to explore and explicate how Asian business leadership is different yet also similar to Western business leadership. The similarity resides in the meaning of leadership, that is, the capacity to influence others to achieve a common goal, whereas the difference manifests in the means or styles to exert such influence. With better and deeper understandings of Asian business leadership, this book offers invaluable wisdom to bridge the gap between the East and West for a more prosperous future of all mankind" Philip M. Condit, Endowed Chair Professor in Business Administration, Editor-in-Chief of Management Insights and Incoming Editor-in-Chief of Management and Organization Review, Department of Management and Organization, Foster School of Business, University of Washington

This handbook, representing the collaboration of 36 scholars, provides a multi-faceted exploration of Chinese business and management. The volume represents an ‘inside-out’ perspective, offering local knowledge and experience, in conjunction with an ‘outside-in’ approach, presenting measured and sensitive observations from an outsider’s perspective. The handbook’s approach is organised around five key themes: Cultural and institutional contexts for business in China Management, including digital marketing and entrepreneurship Work and employment, covering gender and trade unions in the workplace Human resource management and human resource development in Chinese businesses, including multinational corporations in the UK Business and economic overviews, revealing the impact of guanxi relations and networks on Chinese business and management Revealing major recent developments in Chinese business and management alongside an appreciation of the unique historical, institutional, and cultural context of Chinese business and management, this book is a must-read for scholars, students, and educators of Chinese business and theory, and business in Asia.

This book discusses the growing interest in realism in social sciences of the twenty-first century. The first part of this book provides recent discussions on realism in philosophy. The second part describes specific problems that have returned to realism in various fields of the social sciences, such as economics, cultural anthropology, management science, and statistics. This book clarifies what kinds of movements are taking place and consequently the direction in which the social sciences are heading in the future. Readers would also find that there is great diversity in the way realism and reality are perceived and understood, depending on the objectives and circumstances of each field of social science. This suggests that rather than having a unified view (stance) of realism and reality, it may be more meaningful to value the differences, diversity, and range itself. Therefore, this book does not present a unified view of realism, reality, and actuality. Although the definitions of realism and reality may differ from chapter to chapter, this represents a corner of the current state of the social sciences. This book is unique in that it examines how the issues of realism and reality are viewed, understood, and dealt with in the various fields of social science, instead of examining them by philosophers and philosophers of science. This would clarify how philosophical discussions have been translated into the various fields of social science.

The purpose of this book is to clarify the mission and history of Kobe University Business School (KUBS), not only for the development of management education but also for the familiarization of industry in Japan with the ideas of modern management. Kobe University was the first in Japan to establish a faculty of business administration and has continued to conduct research and education in the field to this day. Under the influence of Germany and the USA, the academic area of management in Japan has achieved unique development not witnessed in other countries. Since 1902, when its predecessor, Kobe Higher Commercial School, was established, KUBS has been a pioneer of research and education in management studies in Japan by overcoming many obstacles and difficulties. Even now in the age of globalization, the spirit of innovation and liberal academic style, from the time of its establishment, are inherent in KUBS, and the faculty members have made great efforts to be innovative in management studies. This book aims to explore the mission and history of KUBS and to elucidate the development process of Japanese-style management research and education by introducing the diverse areas of management studies and the profiles of researchers.

Culture has an abiding influence on the way countries and business corporations are governed. This book introduces the reader to the deep philosophies that drive corporations and governments in East Asia, from China through Japan and South Korea to Singapore. With sparkling clarity and spiced with anecdotes and case studies, it depicts how respect for cultures can lead to spectacular success, or the lack of it to failure. Confucian practices such as guanxi in Chinese society, the benevolent culture of entity firms in Japan, and patriarchal chaebols in South Korea are analyzed with examples like Esquel, Nissan, and Samsung. A delightful chapter on Daoism shows how it drives Jack Ma’s Alibaba.com. In the governance of nations, the author reinforces Burke’s dictum that systems of government must be consonant with traditional cultures, and he calls out misguided attempts by the West to foist liberal democracies on civilizations in the East where respect for authority and communitarian values come before individual interest. The author advances the novel concept of the meritocratic democracy in which leaders are chosen not by electoral popularity but by proven ability. In a thought-provoking concluding chapter, he evaluates prospective constitutional changes in China that would enshrine meritocratic democracy as an alternative to liberal democracies that have turned dysfunctional in many Western nations.

This book sets new trajectories for language-sensitive business and management research and pedagogy. The existence of language plurality characterises these. Empirical studies have been established as important and relevant for contemporary research. It has shifted language-sensitive research from the periphery to the centre of international management research. However, this field is rapidly changing, and new thematic approaches have begun to emerge. By addressing this, the book offers genuine and more nuanced insights into existing themes and comes with applications of emergent conceptual developments in different settings. The second part of the book covers methodologies and gives examples and cutting-edge insights into the role of translation in the execution of empirical research and theorising arising from it. Finally, the book draws together innovative ways of how to address the challenges of a multilingual teaching classroom and how to innovate in order to incorporate such diversity through pedagogic practice. This book provides a source that unites insights from multilingual empirical research, methodological considerations and pedagogic practice in order to advance knowledge and debate. It will be a ‘handy source’ of information that offers direct access to the latest guidance on language-sensitive management challenges. It will, therefore, appeal to an internationally-minded and mobile audience, including scholars, students and decision-makers.

This unique volume provides a broad introduction to the ethnic Chinese business in Asia, with focus on the ethnic Chinese in East and Southeast Asia. The growing interest in ethnic Chinese business reflects its importance in these two regional economies, and its relations with China's economy — the world's new economic powerhouse. It examines the nature and characteristics of the ethnic Chinese business, such as business networks, family business and conglomerates, concepts of xinyong and guanxi, and entrepreneurship and management. It also examines the input of history and culture in the formation and operation of ethnic Chinese business. The second half of the book is devoted to detailed regional studies, covering the Chinese in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This book provides an excellent introduction for tertiary students in business schools, and for prospective businessmen who wish to do business with the Chinese in East and Southeast Asia.

The twenty-first century is frequently cited as the Asia-Pacific Century due to the phenomenal success of Asian countries over the last three decades. Nowhere has this been more visible than in Hong Kong which became the first Newly Industrialized Economy to enter the world's top ten trading communities in 1991. This book describes the current state of information technology (IT) exploitation in Hong Kong and the role of IT in the rapid advancement of the Asia-Pacific region. It raises issues - such as the impact of politics, culture and societal growth on IT effectiveness - but does not try to provide all the answers, and is therefore of interest to both business and IT managers in global organizations or companies operating in cross-cultural settings. It is also invaluable for students of business, management and IT who will play a strategic role in the future development of the new global economy.