Ralf Bebenroth Knihy

This book examines the major challenges and dilemmas in human resource management as Japan's industrial society continues its resurgence in the global arena.

Focusing on the Japanese mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market, this book provides a comprehensive investigation into the evolving landscape of international business in Japan. It highlights how Japanese firms are adapting to globalization and examines both domestic and cross-border M&A activities. Supported by extensive data analyses and case studies, the work offers insights into the objectives and strategies of specific firms. The author's 14 years of experience in Japan enriches the narrative, making it a valuable resource for those studying Japan-related international business.

This publication sheds light on how Japan-based German firms dealt with the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in March 2011. To gather data, a questionnaire was developed and sent out in April 2012 to 244 German subsidiaries based in the Kanto area, mainly in Tokyo, with replies received from the top managers of 84 firms. In addition, the author conducted follow-up interviews with top managers of 14 of those firms in Tokyo to illuminate interesting aspects of the responses given in the questionnaires. It is shown that the overall impact on the performance of German firms was comparatively low. Those firms have now returned to normal operation and face relatively few disaster-related problems. However, firms with higher autonomy more frequently moved their offices either to the Kansai area, including Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto, or at least temporarily closed down. In retrospect, the interviews made clear that relocating or suspending operations was a costly mistake. In contrast to transaction cost theory, which states that subsidiaries should be given high autonomy in such cases of emergency, it would have been better for the headquarters offices to have communicated more intensively with the management of their subsidiaries.​

This Special Issue looks to shed more light by focussing on a specific host base for global multinational enterprises and specific International Human Resource Management issues in a local context. Japan as a case study offers an interesting perspective. From a practitioner’s point of view, intercultural International Human Resource Management activities will become ever more prominent in a globalised market, and this Special issue will offer insights of considerable practical value.

This book is based on a range of presentations which were delivered at the M& A conference held at Kobe University on February 20th 2007, titled as: “In the wave of M& A MAHLICH, J. / YURTOGLU, B. On the determinants of M& A performance KSHETRI, N. / BEBENROTH, R. / Li, D. Chinese Firms’ Outward Merger and Acquisition Activities: The Case of TCL in Europe MURAMATSU, S. M& A in Japan – Past and Present Part II: M& A for European and Japanese companies STAPLES, A. Inward FDI and Economic Revitalization in Japan: A Political Economy Approach BEBENROTH, R. / LI, D. Performance of inbound Japanese M& A: Europe and Japan”. This event was hosted by the Research Institute of Economics and Business Administration (RIEB-Center) at Kobe University and was organized by Professor Dr. Ralf BEBENROTH, who belongs to this entity at Kobe University. For this workshop, researchers were invited from all over the world to the RIEB-Center and it is therefore, for all those interested parties who were unable to attend this event that we have put together this booklet.