CASE 13.1
A Challenging Workplace
As a leader in campus organizations, Samira often led projects and took deadlines very seriously Her strong work ethic led to an internship offer at a Japanese-based automotive company At orientation Samira learned that Japanese companies historically had little diversity in terms of race and gender. Women in Japan were not in North America. In an effort to adapt to North American norms, Japanese subsidiaries had well-developed For example, Samira tracked the usage of minority owned businesses in the company's supply base. This ensured that the company invested local that operated in traditionally eco- nomically disadvantaged areas. Investing in the local community was already an important business value in Japan, so this was a simple adap- tation for Samira s company.
The company culture was a unique blend of Japanese and North American work styles. The employees in North America worked fewer hours than the employees in Japan. Around the office, it was common for employees to hear Japanese and English. However, management still had some internal conflict Japanese advisers were perceived as focusing on the creation of consensus in teams, often leading to slow decision mak- ing. American workers were seen as rushing into projects without enough planning Feedback was indirect from both Japanese and North American managers.