Cross-Cultural Management Article Review by cee-cee

In this essay, the writer presents an analysis of cross-cultural management, based on an article by Tomoko Masumoto entitled 'Learning to 'Do Time' in Japan: A Study of US Interns in Japanese Organizations'. The writer reviews and discusses the article, which presents a theoretical framework for analyzing the impact of U.S.-based interns traveling to work in corporations in Japan. The article specifically focuses on studying how time is perceived differently between the Japanese managers and the U.S. intern counterparts. The writer defines the framework in the article discussed as focusing on how the expectations of time itself vary between the two groups, measures the time taken to adapt and become productive, and also defines how space allocation and use of space correlate to the Japanese perception of time. The writer points out that this shared space and socialization aspect of the study presents a culture shock to American students, who have long equated status and independence with the relative level of privacy in American and westernized corporations. The writer notes that the study concludes with an analysis of the variation of how the relative level of feedback and its frequency fuel a sense of security on the job or not, and also with an analysis of short-versus long-term orientation on the part of each group.

Outline:
Synopsis
Assessment of the Theoretical Framework
Assessment of the Research Approach
Implications for Individuals Working Multinationally with the Japanese