Transfer and Adaptation of Japanese Management Practices in a Different Cultural Context : Case Study of Technocentre (TNC), Shenzhen Region of China

The purpose of this study is to examine the way in which national culture influences the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices of Japanese subsidiaries in China. Six Japanese subsidiaries based in Technocenter (TNC), an industrial park established to support the activities of Japanese subsidiaries located in the Shenzhen region of southern China, were chosen as a case study and differences in perception concerning the Japanese-style management practices and possible conflicts that might result between Japanese managers and their Chinese subordinates were examined. The primary tool of data collection was semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The study found that within the Chinese context, a large number of the problems concerning the transfer and adaptation of Japanese-style management practices can be attributed to national cultural differences. The results indicate that some adaptation of Japanese management practices was undertaken to fit the Chinese socio-cultural context. Yet, while Japanese managers had knowledge about Chinese culture, they did not seem to know how to address the relationship between Chinese national culture and specific Japanese HRM practices. Whereas multiple studies have dealt with the transferability of Japanese HRM practices in the US, Europe, and a few countries in Asia, less is known about Japanese companies in China. Thus, the results of this study could be particularly helpful to Japanese Multinational Corporations (MNCs) when they design HRM practices for the specific socio-cultural configuration of China. 本稿の主な目的は民族固有の文化が人的資源管理（HRM）に与える影響を中国の日系企業の事例研究を通じ考察することである．研究対象として，中国沿海地方，深圳市郊外に位置するテクノセンター（TNC）と呼ばれる工業団地内で生産活動を行っている日系企業6社を選択し，そこに働く日本人マネジャーと中国人従業員に対し聴き取り調査を行った．調査では，主に日本人と中国人間の日本型経営に関する認識の相違とそこから生ずる対立について英語，日本語，中国語の3ヶ国語で質問を行った．聴き取り調査は，事前に準備した質問項目に基づき行われたが，必要に応じ質問項目の追加を行った．本調査研究は，日本型経営慣行の移転と適応に関わる問題の多くは民族固有の文化的相違に起因することを明らかにした．また，本研究は若干の日本型経営慣行は中国の社会・文化環境に適合していることを明らかにした．また，日本人マネジャーは中国についての知見があるにも関わらず，中国文化と日本の経営慣行との関係を的確に伝達する方法を習得していないようだった．日本型経営の移転についての研究は米国，欧州やアジア諸国で広く行われてきているが，中国にある日系企業についての研究はそれほど行われていない．それ故，本研究は日本の多国籍企業が中国で事業展開を行い，現地の人的資源管理を立案する際に有益となると確信する