CIRJE-F-199. Jacoby, Sanford M. and Kazuro Saguchi, "The Role of the Senior HR Executive in Japan and the United States: Companies, Countries, and Convergence", February 2003.

Based on data from an original survey of senior HR executives in Japan and the United States, this paper provides empirical data for evaluating institutional convergence. In both countries, the headquarters HR function has shrunk and that employment decisions have become more decentralized. However, because the pace of change has been more rapid in the U.S., the national gap has widened. Differences persist in other areas, such as the HR executive's role in strategic decisions, perceived power of the HR function, how executives balance shareholder and employee interests, and the consequences of these decisions for corporate governance and organizational outcomes.