Is it mere coincidence that the strikes that have hit foreign carmakers in China have affected only Japanese companies not their US, European and South Korean rivals? Or is there something about Japanese management that has invited trouble?
With the industry internationalising so many practices, the question might seem 20 years out of date. After all, much of what is now regarded as best practice is common to most big carmakers – with a big contribution to raising efficiency coming from Japanese companies, headed by Toyota Motor.
But, as a report by correspondents in today’s FT shows, Japanese executives seem to have had more difficulties handling relations with their Chinese workers than western competitors – perhaps because western companies headed by Volkswagen, have been in China longer and established deeper roots.
Stefan Wagstyl
Josh Noble
Rob Minto
Pan Kwan Yuk
Jonathan Wheatley
Heba Saleh