Japan Research Center

The Harvard Business School Japan Research Center (JRC) opened in January 2002. Located in Tokyo, its primary purpose is to support HBS faculty research and case-writing activities in Japan. JRC plays an important role in helping HBS advance its activities. Through its work in Japan, facilitated by the JRC, HBS strives to deepen faculty's understanding of and exposure to Japanese management issues, trends, and practices, as well as developing locally relevant case studies and course materials for use in MBA and Executive Education programs around the world. The School is heavily involved in strengthening ties with important constituencies in Japan (including companies, universities, government, and HBS alumni) - these relationships are critical to ensuring that the School's efforts have an impact. The work of the JRC has enabled the School's faculty to identify and study important management advancements in Japan, or develop and test their ideas within a Japanese framework.

Harvard Business School Japan Research Symposium was held in Tokyo on March 23, 2007, and Dean Jay O Light made an opening speech.

Japanese Version

Newsletter No. 5 March 2005

Cases

Rakuten
Professors Warren McFarlan (General Management), Andrew McAfee, (TOM) and Tom Eisenmann (Entrepreneurial Management) jointly updated a case on Rakuten, a successful internet shopping mall company founded by Hiroshi Mikitani (HBS MBA93). The case focuses on how Rakuten increased its customers, merchants, and traffic; how the company diversified through acquisitions; and how it competed with Yahoo! Japan.

The Continuing Transformation of Asahi Glass: Implementing EVA
Professor Mihir Desai (Finance) wrote a case on the initiatives undertaken by Asahi Glass to transform itself into a truly global form, including introduction of EVA, corporate reorganization into worldwide business groups, the appointment of non-Japanese managers to key positions, and corporate governance reforms. The case explores in detail how Asahi used EVA to improve resource allocation and evaluate performance of top executives.

Orix KK: Incentives in Japan
Professor Nancy Beaulieu (Negotiation, Organizations and Markets) developed a case on Orix with focus on its performance evaluation and compensation system. The company's CEO Miyauchi faces the challenge of mixing and balancing the traditional Japanese system, which emphasizes teamwork and non-monetary rewards, and the western system, which focuses on individual performance and monetary compensation.

Making China Beautiful: Shiseido and the China Strategy
Professor Geoffrey Jones (Entrepreneurial Management) developed a case on Shiseido's international strategy and its focus on the China market. Having entered China in 1981, much earlier than any of its competition, the company has established an enviable position: its Aupres brand has the largest market share in over 90% of Chinese department stores. The case examines challenges and strategies of Shiseido in face of intensifying competition.

Research Projects

We continued to assist Professor Tarun Khanna (Strategy) on research on corporate governance of Japanese companies.

Visitors

During the latter half of 2004, Andy McAfee (Technology Operations Management), Geoffrey Jones (Entrepreneurial Management), Aaron Zimmerman (Research Associate for Professor Nancy Beaulieu, Negotiation, Organizations and Markets), Dan Isenberg (Entrepreneurial Management), Rajiv Lal (Marketing) and his Research Associate Arar Han, Steve Bradley (Strategy), Tom Eisenmann (Entrepreneurial Management), and Warren McFarlan (General Management) visited Tokyo to engage in research, case development, and other activities.

Other visits included Daniel Yamins (Chair, Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations; Harvard University graduate student), Lynton Hayes (Executive Director, Executive Education Corporate Relations), and Camille Tang (Executive Director, Asia Pacific Research Center).

Dean Kim Clark in Tokyo

On December 9 to 10, 2004, Dean Kim Clark visited Tokyo for the first time since the opening of Japan Research Office. He was accompanied by Professor Dick Vietor (BGIE), Director in charge of Asia Initiative; John McKee, Senior External Relations Officer; Josh Merrow, Director, Major Gifts. The HBS Club of Japan, the alumni club in Japan, hosted a dinner on December 9, 2004 at Grand Hyatt Tokyo, which was attended by 120 people. The program began with a toast and witty remarks by the Club's President Masato Tsuru (HBS MBA '77), President, NOK Corporation. During the dinner Kim Clark discussed the recent development and future direction of the school, and Dick Vietor explained the school's activities in Asia including opening of a new research center in Mumbai, India. Mike Yoshino, Professor Emeritus, who is now based in Tokyo, gave a warm introduction of the two professors.

In addition, Kim Clark gave a presentation on "Design Rule: Power of Modularity" to the Academic Association for Organizational Science. He was also interviewed by a Nikkei journalist, and two articles appeared in mid-December.


Tokyo Visit: Dean Clark and wife, Sue, with Masako Egawa (MBA '86), Japan Research Office executive director, and University of Tokyo professor Takahiro Fujimoto (DBA '89).


Professor Dick Vietor


Mike Yoshino, Professor Emeritus and Ken Mogi (MBA '73), Deputy President, Kikkoman Corporation


From left: Masato Tsuru (MBA '77), President, NOK Corporation and President, HBS Club of Japan; Kim Clark; and Hiroshi Mikitani (MBA '93), CEO, Rakuten Inc.

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