抄録
This research explores the mechanism of organizational decline in Japanese companies from a cross-sectorial perspective, addressing two research questions: (1) Is there a common mechanism of organizational decline among failing Japanese companies? , and (2) Do cultural factors influence this mechanism? Three analyses were conducted: (1) case studies of failing Japanese companies, (2) quantitative and comparative analyses of both failing and succeeding companies, and (3) quantitative analysis applying the cultural psychology framework. A prototype of the failing mechanism was derived from seven cases of failing companies and four cases of high-performing companies. The prototype considers three factors as follows: (1) decision-making and intra-organizational coordination processes are highly harmony-oriented and promote strong friction avoidance; (2) the executive promotion process is strongly political, and persons with allegiance to bosses are rated high and promoted; and (3) senior executive competence is biased toward political maneuvering inside organizations, and leadership is strongly inclined toward maintenance rather than performance. These factors are interrelated and reinforce one another, implying that they constitute a self-maintaining cycle (“adaptation impediment cycle”). This cycle causes failing companies to make mistakes such as excessive capital investments and avoidance of business restructuring, which result in failure. Quantitative and comparative analyses of both failing and succeeding companies verified this prototype. Applying the cultural psychology framework, a third survey was conducted to determine how cultural factors influence the prototype using data collected from six companies of the same conglomerate. The decision-making and intra-organizational coordination characteristics were found to be related to cultural self-construal, which is dominant in East Asia in a statistically significant way. This implies that the prototype is accelerate by cultural factors in Japan. Management initiatives were also found to be influential, implying that management could control cultural factors.
