Question:		Why would I want to work for a Japanese company?
S. Honda:		The Japanese economy is No. 2 in the world. Despite recent problems, Japan remains a major player in the global community and its investments in the United States have much to offer employees in the way of career growth. Working for a Japanese-owned and –managed company provides a manager with insight into global strategy and international operations. Because of the significant differences in the Japanese and American cultures, a successful stint with a Japanese-owned company can help open doors for you in international U.S. companies. And yes, you can gain a lot of knowledge with your MBA. But that’s theoretical knowledge.  Working for a Japanese-owned company gives you practical, working knowledge.  There’s nothing more valuable than experience to move up on your career path.
Question:		Are companies owned and managed by Japanese really that different from companies owned and managed by Americans?
S. Honda:		Well, in many cases, today’s American companies have adopted countless facets of Japanese management style.  Leading American companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and GM have all implemented versions of the Japanese approach. Management by Walking Around (MBWA) a concept proposed and endorsed by management gurus W. Edwards Deming and Tom Peters is based on Japanese practices.    One distinctive difference that remains, though, is the decision-making process. In many American companies, the decision-making is done at the top, handed down and carried out through the ranks. In a Japanese company you’ll find the decision-making process much more participative, with more information-gathering, more analysis and more buy-in before a decision is finalized.
Question:		Do I need to speak Japanese?
S. Honda:		No, but you do need to be aware of significant cultural differences. Japanese companies in the U.S. continue to place a high value on relationships and keeping those relationships harmonious, where Americans are more competitive and confrontational.  In fact, the cultural differences are considerable, but they are readily overcome when you’ve spent some time learning about them. A good place to start is the book I wrote, The Sun Also Rises Over Toledo, Practical tips for Americans working with or for Japanese companies in the U.S. Also, keep your eye on the WIN Web Site.  We will regularly add articles having to do with various aspects of working for Japanese-American companies.
Question:		What kind of background is required?
S. Honda:		For management positions, as in U.S. companies, you’ll need some higher education. WIN searches for executive, managerial and professional candidates, and those positions require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and experience, sometimes an MBA. The difference with Japanese companies is that they don’t require you to be a specialist to start with.
Question:		What opportunities are available?
S. Honda:		The same kind of opportunities that are available in all companies, including managerial and executive positions. You do need to know up front that in Japanese-American companies, promotions may be a little slower in coming. The upside to this is that Japanese companies, believing in process management, don’t expect you to be productive your first week (or even your first month) on the job. They are more patient, giving you time to learn all about the operation before expecting you to be able to produce.
Question:		How is the management approach to problems different in Japanese companies than in American companies?
S. Honda:		The main difference has to do with the long-term view that Japanese management takes in troubled times.  When an American company is faced with financial problems, the first tendency is to lay off people to cut the bottom line.  Japanese companies, on the other hand, have a strong people orientation and tend to lay off personnel only as a last and final resort. For example, I know of a Japanese company in Georgia which had four production lines going when trouble hit.  American advisors wanted to immediately start lay-offs. The Japanese managers, instead simply cut production to three lines, and then two, while they looked around for other products they could produce.
Question:		I hear that in Japanese companies, there’s no room for individual thinking.  If your opinion isn’t the team opinion, you don’t get anywhere.  Is that true?
S. Honda:		False. While it is true that there is a greater focus on teamwork in Japanese-owned companies, Japanese managers value and insist on input and buy-in from all.  They don’t believe it demeans the decision-maker to ask questions of both subordinates and superiors before finalizing decisions. This gives everyone a chance to have their thoughts and opinions considered.  In addition, even though part of a team, the individual is responsible for carrying out their responsibilities within that team.

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