Abstract
This study investigated how foreign employees who graduated from a Japanese university engage in cross-cultural adaptation at their Japanese workplaces. Four foreign employees of Japanese enterprises were interviewed in depth and their statements were recorded for qualitative analysis. The results of the analysis showed that all the interviewees alike sought to achieve cross-cultural adaptation by coordinating orientations of both assimilation and differentiation;however, the proportion between the two orientations differed with each individual. Results also revealed that the practices of assimilation and differentiation were both experienced in an ambivalent manner by the interviewees. These findings can be further utilized to improve management of foreign employees in Japanese enterprises and career support for international students at Japanese universities.
