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.

Japanese Version

Newsletter No. 9 March 2007

Summary of activities during the second half of 2006

Cases

Production I.G: Challenging the Status Quo
Professors Andrei Hagiu (Strategy), Felix Oberholzer (Strategy) and Tarun Khanna (Strategy) studied Japanese animation industry, focusing on the following question: “Why there is no equivalent of Disney in spite of competitiveness of Japanese animation industry?” The case focuses on the challenges facing Production I.G, an animation production company which produced Ghost in the Shell and other excellent works, and its CEO Mitsuhisa Ishikawa.

Shinsei Bank: Developing an Integrated Firm
Professor Tom DeLong (Organizational Behavior) developed a case on the challenge faced by Shinsei Bank to integrate diverse cultures and manage the organizational change. Its CEO, Thierry Porte (MBA1982), appointed Tom Pederson as Chief Learning Officer to spearhead this initiative. The case examines the challenges Tom Pederson faces in using performance evaluation program as a measure to influence the culture of the bank.

Fujifilm: A Second Foundation
Professors Mary Tripsas (Entrepreneurial Management) and Giovanni Gavetti (Strategy) developed a case on Fujifilm. Sales of its core product, color films, which contributed 70% of its profits in 2000, dropped by over 20% each year due to shift to digital cameras. In response to the change in its environment, its CEO, Shigetaka Komori, launched various initiatives to undertake “the second foundation” of the company. The case focuses on those initiatives and the challenges he faced in changing the organizational culture and employees’ mindset.　

New Staff

photo In November 2006, Mayuka Yamazaki joined JRC to work as Research Associate. Prior to joining JRO, she worked at McKinsey & Company as a Business Analyst, and at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology of The University of Tokyo as a Research Associate. Mayuka holds BA in Economics from The University of Tokyo and MS in Foreign Service with honors from Georgetown University.

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