Tokyo, Japan
After graduating from Meiji University with a degree in commerce, Masamitsu Kobayashi joined Honda Motor, where he worked for 38 years, 22 of them overseas in Italy, Canada, China and Germany. This experience working in very different regions sparked his interest in cross-cultural understanding. While stationed in Germany, he served for six years as President of Honda’s U.K. and German subsidiaries.
During his decades overseas, Masamitsu identified gaps between locally hired and Japanese expatriate staff, and the resulting stress. He realized that this was due to differences in culture, values, and customs between Japan and other countries, and he became interested in the impact of these differences on business. In the years prior to his retirement from Honda, he began researching and studying cross-cultural communication and documenting his experiences.
After retiring from Honda, Masamitsu obtained a national certification as a Small and Medium sized Enterprise Consultant and an MBA from Hosei University. He currently works as a management consultant and as a specially- appointed lecturer at Hosei University Graduate School of Management. He is also a part-time lecturer at Yokohama University of Commerce, where he teaches business management theory and global business theory.
Masamitsu believes that he can be of help to those who are planning to be transferred or doing business overseas. He helps clients gain cross-cultural understanding regarding business and the management of overseas subsidiaries, based on business management theory as well as the differences in culture, values, and customs that affect work.
