In Japan familiarity breeds success
Why Japanese firms seem to prefer Japanese suppliers and how American suppliers can compete effectively...
Free Resources
Responsiveness: the key for suppliers of Japanese
Japanese customers expect suppliers to listen to their input and respond to their needs...
Large wallet required in Japan, the club member nation
Loyalty clubs are a popular way of building business in Japan....
In Japan the customer is God
Customer service in Japan rises above...
“Ogata heya” or cubicles? thoughts on sharing space
Japanese managers prefer staff to work in one large open room, Americans prefer cubicles, and some companies find a perfect hybrid...
Senpai & kohai: in Japan, experience is the best teacher
More than just mentor/mentee or senior/junior, the senpai/kohai relationship is the basic organizing feature in a Japanese company...
Japanese managers want subordinates to take the initiative
Japanese managers expect experienced staffers to be self-starters...
Japanese businesses: one big happy family? no. extended family? yes!
"Habatsu," or factions within a Japanese company cause internal competition among groups rather than individuals...
Genba shugi: see it with your own eyes
Japanese managers value investigating problems firsthand, going to the manufacturing floor if necessary...
When the going gets tough, the tough gaman
Putting up with difficulties versus speaking out about them -- contrasting approaches in Japanese and American businesses...