December 2002
Contact: Catherine Walsh
Harvard Business School
(617) 495-6931
Harvard Business School Opens Japan Research Office in Tokyo
TOKYO-- Harvard Business School (HBS) officially opened its Japan Research Office (JRO) on December 4 with an inaugural event at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel attended by over two hundred guests, including Japanese business leaders, prominent academics, and alumni.
“Given Japan’s status as the world’s second largest economy and its long history of innovation and adaptability in the business world, it is imperative that Harvard Business School faculty be able to study this economy at close range,” said Professor John A. Quelch, senior associate dean for international development. “Already, JRO is enabling faculty to do first-hand research on Japanese companies and form key relationships with the country’s private and public-sector leaders.”
Yotaro Kobayashi, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives and one of the country’s top business leaders, gave a speech in which he welcomed Harvard Business School’s decision to open a research office in Japan. His remarks were followed by a toast by Masato Tsuru (MBA ‘77), head of the HBS Club of Japan as well as president of NOK Corporation. After dinner, University Professor Michael E. Porter gave a presentation titled “Building the Microeconomic Foundations of Prosperity: Findings from the Global Competitiveness Report.”
JRO first opened its doors in temporary quarters at the end of 2001; it moved into the larger, permanent facility in the new Marunouchi Building (near the Tokyo train station) last September. Along with the School’s other international research centers and offices in Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Paris, JRO is an important part of the School’s Global Initiative.
Launched in 1996, the Global Initiative is a major effort to enrich Harvard Business School’s long tradition of international research activity and course development by building closer ties with companies, academic institutions, alumni, and other resources worldwide. The research centers and offices enable faculty to be more effective in conducting research and developing case studies of actual business situations for classroom study.
Nearly twenty faculty members have already visited JRO or contacted the office for assistance in conducting research on Japanese companies, said Masako Egawa (MBA ’86), JRO’s executive director. To date, JRO has released six cases on Japanese companies; another dozen are in development, she said. “Japan presents fascinating research challenges because it is at an important crossroads,” Egawa added. “Although the country has experienced major economic problems since the 1990s, many of its companies are still major global players. It’s important to study these companies to see how they adapt in this era of globalization while preserving their uniqueness. We also want to learn what lessons they offer to non-Japanese corporations.”
Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu) is located in Boston and offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and doctoral degrees, as well as more than 40 Executive Education programs. With a faculty of over 200 distinguished scholars, the School is dedicated to educating leaders who make a difference in the world. Its core focus is to shape the practice of business, build enduring knowledge, and effectively communicate important ideas to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.