Can Western Management Theories Work in Japanese Companies? A Management Scholar on the Back-and-Forth Between the Workplace and Theory

Associate Professor Iwao Shunpei (岩尾俊兵) and literary critic Hamasaki Yosuke (浜崎洋介) develop a dialogue around the idea that the essence of management lies in a “back-and-forth movement between concretization and abstraction,” leading from concrete workplace experience to theory and then testing it again in the workplace. Taking into account the differences between Western theories and Japanese corporate culture, they emphasize the importance of applying values specific to Japan to management.

Through references to Nonaka Ikujiro (野中郁次郎), the discussion presents the understanding that “management is a way of life” and that the distinctive characteristics of nations and regions cannot be ignored. They share the view that emphasizing Japan’s own context, rather than pursuing an English-speaking-world-centered global outlook, can help Japan compete globally.

The importance of empiricism emerges as a central theme, with the speakers arguing that the way everyday Japanese language varies according to context, including its careful expression of relationships and forms of respect suited to particular situations, is connected to the essence of management studies. The discussion also introduces how the author shifted from research centered on formulas and simulations toward a concept of value creation that places greater emphasis on relationships within real organizations.

Iwao Shunpei (岩尾俊兵) emphasizes the characteristics of management studies, which depend heavily on the context of each individual organization, as a practical means of overcoming the gap between concrete experience and theory. Through a cycle of observing the workplace, formulating theory, and reapplying it, the discussion examines how the limits of globalism and Japan’s distinctive qualities can be put to use in management.