The biggest surprise about Conflict and Change was learning that, according to the publisher, it is the first book on the challenges associated with foreign takeovers of Japanese firms.
At a BCCJ luncheon at the Hilton Tokyo hotel on November 11, Dr Olcott introduced the book. It focuses on five case studies (including Nissan, Chugai Pharmaceutical and Shinsei Bank), conducted over the last 10 years, that show how foreign takeovers have changed Japan’s traditional HR and organisational practices.
What happens to the traditional work practices of Japanese firms when they are taken over by foreign firms? How does staff react? What can we learn from case studies of successful and unsuccessful acquisitions?
Ten years ago, the publisher says, such questions rarely emerged because foreign takeovers of Japanese firms were very rare. However, because a number of major Japanese companies are now controlled by non-Japanese, this book is a must-read for researchers, managers and anyone interested in Japan.
In-depth interviews with key members of the management and staff at all levels of the firms included in the volume reveal what shareholders expect from the enterprises and how workers react to change. The vital insight into the options and challenges that present themselves when there are cross-border and cross-cultural M&As in this increasingly globalised country cannot but fascinate a wide readership.
Review by Simon Farrell
Cambridge University Press, 2009
292 pages
Japanese translation to be published by Nihon Keizai Shimbun in 2010
[greybox]Dr George Olcott, PhD is a Senior Fellow at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, where he wrote a dissertation on the impact of foreign ownership and control on Japanese organisations. He is Vice-Chairman of the Japan Society of the UK, Honorary Treasurer of the British Association of Japanese Studies, and a Nippon Sheet Glass board member.[/greybox]
COMPETITION
The first two BCCJ Members who correctly answer the following question will receive a free copy of Conflict and Change. The answer can be found in this issue of BCCJ ACUMEN.
What is the engine size of the new Triumph Thunderbird?
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