The study aims to propose a resolution for the causes of the lack of creativity in Japanese firms based on theories of groups and creativity in psychology, cognitive science, and organizational behavior. First, it reconfirms the definition of creativity in business and reviews the relationship between groups and creativity as a basic theory of group creativity. Next, I propose three conditions for creativity in business: promoting creative team learning, encouraging creative thinking attitudes in individuals, and generating creative deviance in organizations. In addition, the causes of lack of creativity in Japanese firms and their prescriptions are discussed according to these requirements. Finally, the academic and practical implications and future research directions are presented.

This study discusses the micro-organizational theory of “person–organization (P–O) fit and misfit” to reflect on the decline of Japan’s innovativeness and on-site capability during its “lost 30 years.” Japanese human resource management is typified by forming an internal labor market based on the one-time hiring of new graduates and lifetime employment, which strongly requires individuals to conform to the organization. However, if this case becomes excessive, homogeneity will intensify, resulting in innovation being undermined. Furthermore, when an organization lags behind the changes of the external environment, individuals will have difficulty adapting to the external environment together. This phenomenon will lead to a loss in the value of the external labor market and a decline in the up-to-date on-site capability. When individuals try to adapt to the external environment independently, they will feel misfit against the organization, which is heavy and slow-moving toward the change. This study examines the effects of individuals speaking out to the organization, starting from misfits, on dynamics between the person and organization.

In recent years, expectations for management to incorporate the concept of sustainability have proliferated. Sustainability is a company-wide initiative; therefore, corporate functions and management play an essential role. However, it is difficult to ascertain whether sustainability is being treated as a critical growth driver in corporate functions and top management. This study aims to clarify this issue and help Japanese companies find better ways to address sustainability, increase their corporate value, and achieve sustainable growth in the future. Empirical evidence taken from several surveys of companies and investors reveals significant perception gaps between investors and companies. Based on the results, several corporate reforms are suggested, including activating discussions on the board to integrate sustainability and management strategies. To hold high-quality discussions, the board must have a management team with high standards. This study also points out the importance of top management’s proactive involvement in sustainability activities and the necessity to develop systems for selecting and training such a management team.

The purpose of this study is to examine how Japanese electronic parts manufacturers (JEPMs) protect their technical information in terms of patent applications and trade secrets, how they use patent acquisition and know-how retention or secrecy, and how they maximize their long-accumulated organizational capabilities (OCs) and core technologies to respond to customer needs and changes in the business environment. In JEPMs, the author believes that their high growth and competitiveness have been supported largely by tacit knowledge, such as manufacturing technology and know-how. The trinity of intellectual property (IP) strategy (mainly preservation of trade secrets and know-how), continuous technological development, and frequent updating of product lineups by maintaining a high percentage of new products for diverse applications will not only prevent product obsolescence and imitation but also help firms to maintain technological competitiveness that attracts customers. In this way, the trinity of IP strategy, OCs, and product metabolism helps firms maintain a high level of competitiveness, which is a major characteristic of JEPMs. The author attempts to examine the corporate behavior of JEPMs and the source of their competitiveness while also taking a practical perspective on these actualities. The author presents a model of corporate behavior that maintains a high new product ratio realized as a result.

Organizations may not be able to execute business strategies as intended under uncertain environments, and the effective execution of emergent strategies requires the combination of several control systems. The process of establishing the synergetic effect between control systems can be understood by considering the relationship between control systems and outcomes, as explained by Simons (1995)’ Levers of Control (LOC) framework. The purpose of this study is to examine how this relationship can result in the synergetic effect between control systems. The findings emphasize the importance of combining control systems with different characteristics in order to execute effective business strategies in unpredictable situations. In particular, this paper demonstrates that the synergetic effect of belief system and diagnostic control system enhance communication among frontline employees, that is interactive control system, and motivate frontline employee to take actions for improvement. The contribution of the paper is to provide new insights into LOC research with respect to the effectiveness of the synergetic effect between control systems in a process, rather than just the parallel relationship.