Expatriates in Japanese firms : experiences and expectations of workers from China and Vietnam

Focusing on the experiences of foreign employees working in Japanese firms, this book identifies the trends and realities facing both expatriates and firms in the current landscape of the Japanese labour market. By utilising interview data from both expatriates and Japanese HR staff, this study identifies the fact that self-initiated expatriates often do not remain in Japanese firms for long and highlights the main factors that influence their decisions to leave; including difficulty adjusting to Japan's lifetime employment system, seniority-based pay, and the prevalence of unpaid overtime. The book reveals that whilst Japanese firms are adjusting to improve the retention of foreign employees, there remains a clear expectation gap between the two sides. Moreover, it outlines further potential adjustments that could be implemented to reduce the turnover rate of expatriates and create a more harmonious workplace both for expatriates and for local employees. This is an urgent challenge for Japan as it faces labour shortages. Featuring an in-depth exploration of first-hand experiences from direct testimonies of expatriates in Japanese firms, this book will be a valuable resource for academics and students of Japanese studies, human resource management, and organisation studies.

List of illustrations Acknowledgement Author biography List of abbreviations 1 Introduction: Foreign labour in Japan and the circumstances surrounding it 2 Cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates: Contexts of Japan and overseas 3 The Japanese traditional HRM system: The current system in Japanese firms and their overseas subsidiaries 4 Expectations of Japanese firms and Chinese/Vietnamese expatriates: The traditional Japanese HRM system 5 Experiences of Chinese and Vietnamese expatriates: Work cultural adjustment 6 Expectation gaps and hardship in Japanese firms 7 Conclusion: Lessons from the current phenomena and future implications Appendix Index