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Reflecting on Japan’s contributions to management theory

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  • Eleanor Westney

    (MIT Sloan School of Management)

Abstract

Although Japanese management’s transformative impact on American managerial practice has long been recognized, its contribution to management theory in a range of fields has been less widely acknowledged. This article looks back on the influence of Japanese management on concepts, frameworks, and theories in four management fields: organization behaviour/organization studies, production and operations management, strategy, and international business. The review reveals three ways in which Japanese management had a significant influence on the development of management theory: legitimating and enriching one position in a contested management field; inspiring novel management concepts and frameworks; and providing rich data for testing and refining hypotheses based on established theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Eleanor Westney, 2020. "Reflecting on Japan’s contributions to management theory," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(1), pages 8-24, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:abaman:v:19:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1057_s41291-019-00079-x
    DOI: 10.1057/s41291-019-00079-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Shige Makino & Derek Lehmberg, 2020. "The past and future contributions of research on Japanese management," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(1), pages 1-7, February.

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    Japanese management; Learning from Japan;

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