Reflecting on Japan’s contributions to management theory

Abstract

Although Japanese management’s transformative impact on American managerial practice has long been recognized, its contribution to management theory in a range of fields has been less widely acknowledged. This article looks back on the influence of Japanese management on concepts, frameworks, and theories in four management fields: organization behaviour/organization studies, production and operations management, strategy, and international business. The review reveals three ways in which Japanese management had a significant influence on the development of management theory: legitimating and enriching one position in a contested management field; inspiring novel management concepts and frameworks; and providing rich data for testing and refining hypotheses based on established theory.