Japanese Corporations
For students enrolled in or before 2014 K0216 Japanese Corporations 2 credits Spring 2015 INSTRUCTOR: Mari Kondo OFFICE: Kambaikan 307 TELEPHONE: 075-251-3948 EMAIL: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 10:45 – 12:15 (before the class). Before you come, please contact me by e-mail for an appointment, so I will be sure to be in my office. Course Description This course is for the students to actually “experience” Japanese corporations. In 2015, “Japanese Corporations”course will be offered in either type A, type B or the combination of A & B. Type A is, visiting or inviting traditional Japanese corporations with a long history in Kyoto. In this case, we will be meeting frequently in 3rd-4th periods of Tuesdays, and we will be visiting those special corporations together with Global MBA students. In my view, this is a very unique opportunity that you can get, and you will really learn “deep” about Japan and Japanese corporations. I will provide explanations and interpretations. What you do is a real “field work”, which you cannot experience anywhere else. As much as possible, I would like to try Option A, since it is really unique and valuable experience for you. However, visiting them is not so easy. It may depend on the number of students who enroll. So, no promise. The type B is explained below. For type B, we may still visit/invite some Japanese corporations. I would like to wait till the registration to complete, see how many students are enrolled, then contact target corporations for visits and invitations to the class. The dates of the class will be announce to you as soon as I finalize those visits. The Type B plan is explained below. Students will: ・ Discuss cases on Japanese corporations ・ View films related to Japanese corporations and discuss ・ Visit Japanese corporations ・ Conduct exercises to deepen their understandings on Japanese corporations ・ Study and make presentations on Japanese corporations Upon completion of this course, students are expected to have a good grasp of various aspects of Japanese corporations. IMPORTANT NOTES: (1) For this course, please note that the corporations we visit as well as the speakers we invite may change. Therefore, please understand the course plans below are some examples of activities and corporations we may visit or invite. (2) The transportation costs and other expenses concerning factory/corporation visits should be shouldered by the students. Naturally, more students enrolled, less costs. (3) As soon as the class dates are confirmed, we will notify you. We meet eight times during the semester, and classes will be back to back, i.e. 180 minutes plus break. Course Objectives This course is for students who are considering Japan-related careers in one way or another. For that purpose, the overarching objective of this course is to enable students to “experience” Japanese corporations. By the end of the course, students will gain insights of various aspects about Japanese corporations. Ultimately, the course is for students to gain important insights on their Japan-related career perspectives. Course Requirements and Assignments Attendance and participation. Matured attitude as Doshsiha students, including punctuality and attentiveness to the talks, etc. Dress code for the company visits will be instructed. Evaluation Criteria & Grading Final paper and presentation (Debate) 30% (20% Debate + 10% Paper) (Depending on the number of students enrolled, it can be a group work) Class participation including attendance 30% Class presentation and assignments 40% (Evaluation criteria may be changed. The instructor will discuss the matter with the students, in case we need to change.) Additional Information: CLASSROOM POLICIES 1. Since discussion is an essential part of this course please come to class prepared and on time. Do not enter the classroom if you are more than 15 minutes late. 2. Let me know if you have an emergency and will not be able to come to class. 3. Please turn off your mobile phones and tablets with the Internet function before class begins. It is inappropriate to go outside to make calls or to send or read text messages during class. 4. No sleeping in class. 5. No plagiarism or cheating will be tolerated. Course Materials Required Readings: Students may need to purchase some business cases (from Harvard Business School) of selected Japanese corporations. Instructions how to purchase will be provided at the first session. For other required readings, copies or links will be provided. References: Bebenroth, R. and Kanai, T. (Eds). (2011) Challenge of Human Resource Management in Japan. Lodon, UK: Routledge. Haghirian, P. & Gagnon, P. (2011) Case Studies in Japanese Management. Singapore: World Scientific. McKinsey & Company (Ed). (2011) Reimagining Japan: The Quest for a Future That Works. San Francisco, CA:VIZ Media. Sedgwick, M.W. (2007) Globalization and Japanese Organizational Culture: An ethnography of a Japanese corporation in France. London, UK: Routledge Witt, M.A. (2006) Changing Japanese Capitalism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press Yano, C.R. (2013) Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Track across the Pacific. NC: Duke University Press Course Schedule (Tentative) (This is Course Plan B) Session 1-2 Japanese Corporations and Where did they come from? Introduction: Where did Japanese Corporations come from? (lecture) Shimazu Museum (visit) Session 3-4 Quality in a Ramen Bowl (Film) Quality and Obsessions with Quality: Why are Japanese so obsessed? (Lecture, Film and Exercise) (Homework, After-class Activities) Observation and Analysis of Quality – Visit of Ramen Shops (Fieldtrip & Exercise) Session 5-6 How manufacturing business grew (Film) Inside corporation, business strategy, industry practices and government policy (Lecture, Film and Exercise) Session 7-8 Facing financial globalization (Film) Inside corporation, business strategy, industry practices and government policy facing financial globalization (Lecture, Film and Exercise) Session 9-10 Corporations and people (Film) Inside corporation and workplace (Lecture, Film and Exercise) Session 11-12 Traditional business Globalization of “Tradition”?: To be announced (Fieldtrip) (This session may be changed to a film-viewing + film analysis session.) Session 13 Review & Framework What did we witnessed - Review and Reflections (short presentation) Framework of Japanese Business System (Lecture & Discussion) Session 14-15 Wrap-up Final Debate Presentations by Students
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