Understanding politics even in one's own language is sometimes a chore, sometimes a bore. For those of us who live in Japan, though, this challenge is exponentially greater and not just because of the language and culture: it truly is a black-box here even for Japanese citizens (who at least can peer into the inner […]
Many companies send middle or blossoming upper management from the head office to take on the Representative director role in the Japan entity. The challenge is that many of those people don't completely understand the implications of the role much less the person going. In the June CI lunch we will have John Dorff of […]
The Tokyo real estate market is ever changing and as one of the highest fixed costs it has a profound effect on every company. With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games approaching, landlords are bullish and contractors have limited capacity and are experiencing historic profit levels. This month’s luncheon focuses on getting inside perspectives from […]
Both the EU and Japan have significantly amended their data protection laws. The new laws will enter into force in 2017 for Japan, 2018 for the EU. At the same time, the rules governing transfers of personal data between the US and the EU are being renegotiated. Some of these changes are very important and […]
Both the EU and Japan have significantly amended their data protection laws. The new laws will enter into force in 2017 for Japan, 2018 for the EU. At the same time, the rules governing transfers of personal data between the US and the EU are being renegotiated. Some of these changes are very important and […]
The media is a powerful force in every country. We see the influence in social media and other ways to broadcast your corporate message changing. Media in Japan works very differently from media in other countries. This turns into a special challenge during crisis situations where the company reputation is at stake. Foreign firms in […]
Diversity in the workplace, especially at middle and senior management levels, has now come to be globally accepted as one of the critical levers for getting the best out of people and creating value. Even in Japan, with the Abe administration pushing “womenomics” to create “a society where every individual can shine”, diversity has emerged […]
The CEO Insights group was founded in 2004 for a reason. For top leaders to share things that work. Companies are not just about selling a product or service, business is also about who is selling those products. Who are the leaders of that brand, what is their vision, and where are they taking things? […]
Running a company is no easy matter. There are not just issues of profit and loss but also regulatory, legal, and operational issues that a c-level must be thinking about. When the company is a homogeneous group of people, business is complicated. However, when you are a multinational l corporation (MNC) in a multicultural environment, […]
The Edelman Trust Barometer, the world’s largest survey of trust in institutions conducted in 28 countries shows that only 40% of Japanese employees trust the company they work for. This is somewhat counter intuitive given the image of the self-sacrificing, all for the company image that is held about Japans salarymen. Ross will address this […]