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CIRJE-F-199 "The Role of the Senior HR Executive in Japan and the United States: Companies, Countries, and Convergence"
Author Name Jacoby, Sanford M. and Kazuro Saguchi
Date February 2003
Full Paper PDF file@
Remarks Subsequently published as "Corporate Organization in Japan and the United States: Is There Evidence of Convergence?" Social Science Journal Japan, 8(1), April 2005 (with S. Jacoby and E. Nason), "The Role of the Senior HR Executive in Japan and the United States: Employment Relations, Corporate Governance and Values," Industrial Relations, 44(2), April 2005 (with S. Jacoby and E. Nason)
Abstract

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.