Logic or smiles? International talent management across advanced and emerging economic contexts – Japanese expatriates’ cross-cultural communication friction in India

Ashta, Ashok; Stokes, Peter; Hughes, Paul

doi:10.4337/9781786437105.00021

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Under extant scholarship, religion and language held as the most important predictors of world cultural clusters (Ronen and Shenkar, 2013), and when geography is considered it is about geographic neighbourhood, rather than geography typology (island in this case). However, the present study lends support for the emerging theoretical idea of an India-Japan cultural cluster (cf Ashta et al, 2018Ashta et al, , 2019, which in turn would facilitate international business flows (Ronen and Shenkar, 2013).…”

Section: Implications For Societysupporting

confidence: 78%

Japanese CEOs cross-cultural management of customer value orientation in India

Ashta¹,

Stokes

Smith

et al. 2021

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop understanding of cross-cultural issues relating to the experience and implications of an elite grouping of Japanese CEOs customer value orientations (CVOs) within Japanese firms operating in India. The paper underlines that there is a propensity for East-West comparisons and in contrast the argument contributes to the under-examined area of research on East Asian/South Asian comparative studies.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were employed to generate narratives that provided rich and novel insights into the lived experience of Japanese CEOs working in Indian contexts and in relation to CVO. An inductive framework was employed in order to develop a more in-depth understanding of Japanese CEO CVO in Indo-Japanese empirical settings.FindingsThe data analysis identified a number of shared themes that influence CVO practice in the Indo-Japanese context. The findings develop an awareness of cross-cultural management's (CCM) in relation to the under-explored area of the Indo-Japanese dyad.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper develops CCM perspectives towards a more in-depth conceptualization of Japanese CEO perceptions on CVO practice in India. This is also of potential relevance to wider foreign investors not only Japanese businesses. The sample respondents – Japanese CEOS working in India – constitute a small and elite group. The lead author, having experience as a CEO of a Japanese firm was able to use convenience sampling to access this difficult to access group. In addition, also stemming from the convenience aspect, all the respondents were in the manufacturing sector. The study was deliberately targeted and narrowly focussed for this reason and does not claim automatic wide generalizability to other employee strata or industry; however, other sectors and employees may recognize resonance. This identified gap provides space for future studies in varying regional, national and sector contexts.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies implications for CCM training and Indo-Japanese business organization design.Social implicationsUse and acceptance of the enhanced research paradigm could support diversity in research and knowledge production with implications for research, teaching and future policymakers.Originality/valueThe cross-cultural study is original in that it contributes to CCM literature by providing a rare Indo-Japanese (sic East Asian: South Asian) comparative study. It provides an uncommon granular appreciation of the interaction of these cultures in relation to CVO. In addition, it secures rare data from an elite Japanese CEOs of manufacturing sector businesses.

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Section: Implications For Societysupporting

confidence: 78%

Japanese CEOs cross-cultural management of customer value orientation in India

Ashta¹,

Stokes

Smith

et al. 2021

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“…Recognizing such elements solidifies an explanation for inductive development of CCM theory that argues an explication of V-B cultural cluster (Ashta et al, 2018(Ashta et al, , 2019. The perspectives developed in this paper contribute to CCM theory development by reinforcing explanation for theory development as visualized in Figure 4.…”

Section: Mrr 447supporting

confidence: 56%

“…The present study extends the research field by offering an illustrative trace that contextualizes understanding of spiritual philosophy's influence in examining the India-Japan relationship and the role of the V-B CCM cluster. By clarifying on the "why" (Whetten, 1989) explanatory conceptual perspective, this study extends prior work on the India-Japan dyad (Ashta et al, 2018(Ashta et al, , 2019) and provides a framework within which further researchers can extend the body of knowledge on this important international business dyad.…”

Section: Implications For Theorymentioning

confidence: 55%

“…The author is grateful to independent researcher Mrs Hitomi Ashta for inspiring thought on the novel ideas presented in this paper, including arranging insights to an understanding of Buddhism in contemporary Japanese society. India-Japan cross-cultural management cluster 1029 theory postulating a Vedic-Buddhist (V-B) India-Japan cultural cluster (Ashta et al, 2018(Ashta et al, , 2019. It answers to a growing awareness in the academy that academic writing not only furthers theory development, but also addresses reinforcement of theories developed (Hambrick, 2007).…”

Section: Explanatory Conceptual Perspective On Emerging Novel Cross-cultural Management (Ccm) Empirical Research-basedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, through a recently incepted research project, Ashta et al (2018Ashta et al ( , 2019 provided initial empirical evidence to support the postulation that there are parallels between traditional Indian philosophy and contemporary Japanese management leading to an envisioning of a V-B CCM India-Japan cultural cluster. There remain a couple of concerns.…”

Section: Explanatory Conceptual Perspective On Emerging Novel Cross-cultural Management (Ccm) Empirical Research-basedmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Postulation of India-Japan Vedic-Buddhist cross-cultural management cluster: conceptualizing a spiritual philosophy-based explanation for emerging theory

Ashta

2021

MRR

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Purpose Though there is emerging research that induces a postulation for a Vedic–Buddhist (V–B) cultural cluster, good theory development requires not only generalizability but also strong explanation. This paper aims to address the explanation gap to strengthen emerging theory development. Design/methodology/approach Religion-derived spiritual philosophy travel is traced from historical origins in India to contemporary Japanese management practice and its underpinning values. Findings The enhanced explanation developed in this paper finds a clear trace of spiritual values with roots in India surfacing in contemporary Japanese management as identified in extant cross-cultural management (CCM) literature. Research limitations/implications This paper offers important explanation to strengthen emerging theory on the novel idea of a V–B CCM cluster. Practical implications The strengthening of explanation for emerging theory adds to the case for modification of the traditional CCM meta-narrative that has positioned India and Japan in separate cultural clusters. Social implications Strengthening the postulation of a V–B cultural cluster potentially lubricates foreign investment from Japan to India contributing to achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal no. 17 that pertains to international partnerships. Additionally, the findings raise questions for public policymakers who in modern times occlude religion from the public sphere. Originality/value This paper offers novel explanatory perspectives for emerging CCM theory, potentially expanding the spiritual philosophy avenue of management research.

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Work design expectations of Japanese MNCs’ local managers in English-speaking and Far East cultural clusters – USA, Thailand and India

Ashta

2020

JMD

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PurposeThe importance of work design to organizational engagement and firm performance is increasingly recognized in management scholarship. For international business, a majority of variation in work design based on national cultures is addressed through cross-cultural management scholarship. However, there is a paucity of qualitative research on the influences international business human resource managers face for work design in the intercultural environment of overseas subsidiaries. The purpose of this interpretivist study was to examine the lived experience of overseas subsidiaries’ local managers to surface a more nuanced understanding of their expectations and related implications for work.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical research was conducted through semistructured in-depth interviews with senior managers of subsidiaries of Japanese MNCs in USA, Thailand and India.FindingsThe findings of the study develop and extend on prior cross-cultural management scholarship on world cultural clusters revealing changed expectations of work in intercultural work environments as instantiated by Japanese MNCs.Social implicationsThrough engaging work design, international businesses can contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 that pertains to decent work.Originality/valueThe study adds to extant understanding of the work design antecedent to engagement by broadening to intercultural environment impacts understanding facilitated by empirical lived experience data and suggesting a modification to extant theory. This study pioneers in taking world cultural clusters as the field for evaluating data.

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Logic or smiles? International talent management across advanced and emerging economic contexts – Japanese expatriates’ cross-cultural communication friction in India

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Japanese CEOs cross-cultural management of customer value orientation in India

Japanese CEOs cross-cultural management of customer value orientation in India

Postulation of India-Japan Vedic-Buddhist cross-cultural management cluster: conceptualizing a spiritual philosophy-based explanation for emerging theory

Work design expectations of Japanese MNCs’ local managers in English-speaking and Far East cultural clusters – USA, Thailand and India

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