Communication and Decision Making: A Cross Cultural Study of Japanese and American Companies in the United States and Japan

Based on measures across a variety of dimensions, this paper reports on the communications and decision making practices of Japanese firms operating in Japan and the United States as compared to American firms operating in the United States. The findings document substantial similarity among these units. Contrasting Japanese and American firms operating in their home cultures, the findings dispute some of the traditional dichotomous depictions of the two management systems. The findings also indicate that Japanese subsidiaries in the United States adapt extensively to host country managerial practices.