T2 John Higgins [626560]

Team 2, Week 1

1.
General Presentation

Characters :

–
Leonard
Prescott
:
Vice-president
and
manager
of
the
Weaver
Yamazaki
Pharmaceutical

Company
Ltd.
of
Japan.
Arrived
in
Japan
in
2010.
He
replaced
Mr.
Richard
Densely.
He

feels
that
John
Higgins,
his
executive
assistant,
is
becoming
less
efficient
because
of
his

increasing affiliation with the Japanese culture.

–
John
Higgins
:
In
his
youth,
he
had
worked
in
the
US
Army
Force,
enrolled
on
a
Japanese

section.
In
2009,
after
completing
two
periods
of
internship,
he
integrated
in
the
company

and
was
assigned
to
the
Japanese
operations.
He
married
a
Japanese
woman.
Throughout

the
years
he
adopted
the
customs
of
Japanese
community
and
became
very
well

integrated. He is generally liked & trusted by Japanese people.

–
Richard
Densely
:
He
has
been
in
Japan
since
2004.
He
has
been
replaced
by
Leonard

Prescott in 2010. Former general manager.

–
Shozo
Suzuki
:
He
was
the
president
of
the
subsidiary
and
is
the
executive
vice-president

of the parent company but also of other subsidiaries.

Concrete Facts

Rumors, Opinions

Mr.
Prescott
had
been
described
as
an

"old
hand"
at
international
work,
having

spent
most
of
his
25-year
career
with

the company in its international work.

Early
1980’s
:
Operations
started
in

Japan
(sales
activities).
The
Yamazaki

Pharmaceutical
House
was
the

franchise
distributor
for
Weaver's

products in Japan.

Josh
Higgins
noted
that
Americans
had

a
tendency
of
imposing
their
value

systems,
ideals
and
thinking
patterns

upon
the
Japanese.
He
had
felt

indignant
on
numerous
occasions
over

the
inconsiderate
attitudes
of
many

Americans he had observed in Japan.

1998 : Export sales to Japan have

resumed
again.
The
Weaver
Company

had
product
superiority
and
they

decided to undertake local

production of some of the product lines.

Mr.
Prescott
found
Mr.
Higgins
to
be
a

capable
administrative
assistant
and

staff member.

2003
:
The
beginning
of
the
negotiations

with
the
Yamazaki
Company
(the

franchise distributor).

Mr.
Prescott
began
to
note
a
gradual

change
in
Mr.
Higgins'
basic
values
and

attitude.
He
also
noted
that
marriage

was
a
big
turning
point
for
Mr.
Higgins.

He seemed to have completely

integrated himself with Japanese life.

2004
:Weaver-Yamazaki

Pharmaceutical
Co
is
officially

organised.

Mr.
Higgins
seemed
to
have
completely

integrated
himself
with
Japanese
life

and
Prescott
felt
that
Higgins
would
be

far
more
effective
could
he
take
a
more

emotionally
detached
attitude
toward

the
Japanese
people
and
culture.

Leonard
Prescott
is
thinking
about

taking action regarding him.

2010
:
Arrival
of
Mr
Leonard
Prescott,

who
had
extensive
international

experience.
He
replaced
Mr.
Richard

Densely.

On
many
occasions,
Mr.
Prescott
felt

that
though
it
was
helpful
to
have
Mr.

Higgins
report
back
to
him
the
feelings

and opinions of the personnel but he did

not
appreciate
the
latter's
attitude
in
so

doing.
In
these
cases,
Mr.
Higgins'

sympathy was with the Japanese

Group.
In
Mr.
Prescott's
thinking,
there

were
dynamic
changes
taking
place
in

traditional
Japanese
customs
and

culture
and
he
was
confident
of
their

positive effects.

Fall
of
2012:
Leonard
Prescott
thinks
to

take
actions
regarding
his
executive

assistant, John Higgins.

Mr.
Prescott
felt
that
Mr.
Higgins
had

become
a
willing
participant
in
the

system
regarding
the
relationships
with

the Japanese government.

2.
Problem(s): Causes & Effects

The problem:

Mr.
Prescott
believes
that
Mr.
Higgins
had
been
losing
his
effectiveness
as
one
of
the

representatives
of
the
U.S.
parent
company
in
Japan,
as
he
became
critical
in
the
company's

policy
in
managing
the
Japanese
operations,
due
to
his
extraordinary
identification
with
the

Japanese
culture.
In
his
opinion,
Mr.
Higgins
absorbed
and
internalized
the
Japanese
culture

to
the
point
where
he
had
lost
the
United
States
point
of
view,
perspectives
regarding
the

American
ways
of
doing
things,
and
orientation.
He
had
‘’gone
native"
in
Japan
which

resulted
in
a
substantial
loss
of
his
administrative
effectiveness
as
a
bi-cultural
and
-lingual

executive
assistant.
As
such,
the
issue
here
is
Mr.
Higgins’
emotional
attachment
and

involvement in the Japanese culture.

1

Negative effects:

●
The
most
obvious
negative
effect
which
results
from
Mr.
Higgins’
profound

identification
with
the
Japanese
culture
is
the
​
loss
of
his
effectiveness
and

efficiency
as
a
bilingual
and
bicultural
representative
of
the
US
parent
company.
As

such,
he
is
on
the
verge
of
not
representing
the
company’s
culture
and
values

anymore but actually taking on the Japanese values;

●
Because
of
his
involvement
with
the
Japanese
culture
and
because
he
was
acting
on

behalf
of
the
employees
in
their
relationship
with
Mr.
Prescott,
we
can
observe
a

tense
relationship
between
those
two
and
also
a
change
in
Mr.
Higgins’
judgment.

Mr.
Higgins'
sympathy
with
the
Japanese
group
and
his
insistence
that
these

demands
were
reasonable
and
well
justified,
according
to
the
Japanese
standard

and
traditions
were
the
main
objection
he
raised
whenever
Mr.
Prescott
proposed
a

change
in
administrative
procedures.
Consequently,
it
can
be
said
that
due
to
Mr.

Higgins’
identification
with
the
Japanese
culture,
employees
are
willing
to
listen
to

him
more,
thus,
creating
​
tensions
on
the
group
level
of
the
company
​
,
as

employees will only agree to Mr. Higgins’ opinions;

●
There
is
also
a
​
loss
of
objectivity
on
Mr.
Higgins’
behalf,
which
results
from
his

intense
interest
in
the
Japanese
culture
and
negatively
affects
the
performance
of
his

responsibilities as an executive assistant;

●
The
diminishing
of
Mr.
Prescott’s
executive
position
​
,
as
Mr.
Higgins
started
to
act

against Mr. Prescott’s decisions in hiring and dismissing employees;

●
Not
sensing
the
new
and
radically
different
development
taking
place
in
Japan
and

the inability to bring in new ideas and innovations
​
;

●
Lack
of
communication
and
cooperation
between
Mr.
Prescott
and
Mr.
Higgins
​
,

as
Mr.
Prescott
stopped
seeking
Mr.
Higgins’
advice
regarding
different
managerial

aspects.

Causes:

●
The
Weaver
Company's
policy
of
moving
American
personnel
around
from
one

foreign
post
to
another
but
actually
allowing
a
man
to
stay
in
the
country
for
an

indefinite
period
of
time.
As
a
result,
there
were,
though
few
in
number,
those

Americans
who
had
stayed
in
one
foreign
post
over
10
years
–
such
is
the
example
of

Mr. Higgins.

●
The
fact
that
Mr.
Higgins
​
got
married
​
,
in
the
summer
of
2011
to
a
Japanese
girl.

Mr.
Prescott
thought
that
this
step
was
a
“big
turning
point”
for
Mr.
Higgins,
because

until
that
time
he
was
interested
in
the
Japanese
culture
only
from
an
intellectual

point
of
view.
After
he
got
married,
he
fully
took
on
the
Japanese
culture
and

identified profoundly with it.

●
Not
wanting
to
take
the
two-month
leave
to
go
back
to
the
US,
justifying
that
​
his

parents
were
already
dead
and
his
brothers
and
sisters
were
widely
scattered

throughout
the
United
States.
Consequently,
because
he
did
not
feel
he
had
many

connections
in
the
United
States,
he
took
his
two
months
leave
and
visited
historical

monuments through Japan with his wife;

●
Mr.
Higgins’
​
wish
to
improve
the
“Ugly
American”
image
many
Americans
had

created in Japan;

●
Maintaining
​
close
social
relationships
with
the
company’s
employees
​
,
being

interested in their personal lives;

2

●
Siding
with
the
Japanese
employees
in
order
to
respect
the
traditional
Japanese

ways
of
doing
things;
Also,
the
employees
started
to
seek
Mr.
Higgins
attention

regarding
their
complaints
and
demands
with
the
management.They
thought
that,

because
Mr.
Prescott
did
not
understand
the
language
he
was
not
aware
of
the

insecurity
the
policy
caused.
Also,
because
of
differences
in
culture,
the
traditional

superior-subordinate
relationship
in
Japan
was
characterized
by
distance,
fear
and

obedience
and
the
employees
were
not
willing
to
take
those
problems
directly
to
Mr.

Prescott
and
preferred
to
ask
Higgins
to
intercede
on
their
behalf
by
reporting
their

feelings to him;

●
Because
of
many
complicated
intricacies
regarding
the
​
relationship
with
the

government
in
Japan
​
,
this
aspect
had
been
entrusted
to
Mr.
Higgins
and
his
two

Japanese
assistants.
Consequently,
Mr.
Higgins
had
become
a
willing
participant
in

the system without much reservation or restraint.
 
 
●
Significant
differences
in
perceptions
regarding
the
ways
of
doing
business
in
a

foreign
country:
for
instance,
Mr.
Prescott
thought
that
there
was
no
point
for
a

progressive
American
company
to
copy
the
local
customs
and
he
felt
that
its
real

contribution
to
the
Japanese
society
was
to
bring
in
new
ideas,
whereas
Mr.
Higgins

has
developed
a
profound
respect
towards
Japanese
culture
and
is
genuinely

interested in the well being of the Japanese employees.

 
 
 
 
3.
Alternative Solutions

●
Suggest
Mr.
Higgins
to
relocate
for
6
months
in
the
US
at
the
company
headquarters,

so
as
to
take
part
in
some
executive
management
classes
or
complete
an
American
MBA.

This
way,
he
can
be
up
to
date
with
the
most
current
strategies
&
techniques,
refine
his
skills

and have contact with American culture again. This would also help him further in his career.

●
Mr
Higgins
is
said
to
have
two
Japanese
assistants
–
maybe
employ
an
American
as

one of his assistants, in order for him to hear opinions from both cultures.

●
Maybe
Mr
Prescott
is
not
very
inclined
to
understand
Japanese
culture.
As
Mr

Higgins
satisfied
his
latest
superior
he
doesn’t
seem
to
be
the
problem
in
this
company.
So

Mr
Prescott
has
to
be
sent
in
another
country
where
the
company
work
and
they
have
to
find

a new vice-president.

●
M.
Prescott
could
propose
to
M.
Higgins
to
have
phoning
session
in
his
schedule
to

exchange
with
the
headquarters
of
the
company
based
in
the
United
States
about
the

opportunities
or
difficulties
inside
the
company,
what
are
the
objections,
the
news
thing

concerning company's politics. In that way, he can keep in touch with the American's culture.

●
The
root
of
these
intricacies
lies
in
the
fact
that
Mr.
Higgins
finds
the
Japanese
work

ethics
superior
to
the
Americans’.
Since
this
perception
has
been
inoculated
into
this
mind

for
years,
there
is
almost
no
chance
for
a
change
in
his
mentality.
Thus,
the
best
approach,

one
that
is
intrinsically
American,
would
be
to
assess
Mr.
Higgins’s
work
on
merit,
in
a
rather

quantifiable
way
(sales,
profits
etc).
The
results
of
his
work
speak
for
themselves.
The

reason
for
this
approach
is
Mr.
Prescott
is
not
very
clear
when
stating
that
Mr.
Higgin’
s

behavior
has
“resulted
in
a
substantial
loss
of
his
administrative
effectiveness
as
a
bi-cultural

and -lingual executive assistant”.

●
Mr.
Higgins
has
demonstrated
vital
knowledge
of
Japanese
culture,
his
expertise

being
indispensable
in
many
circumstances.
Afterall,
Mr.
Higgins
is
merely
a
representative,

an
intermediate
in
negotiations
between
the
2
parties,
who
is
not
responsible
for
the
final

3

decision.
Therefore,
another
solution
would
be
to
limit
Mr.
Higgini’s
tasks
to
only
giving

advice
on
matters
highlighted
by
his
superiors,
rather
than
representing
the
Japanese
unions

when
asking
for
increasing
benefits,
such
as
register
their
complaints
and
demands
with
the

management
or
their
desirability
of
company-sponsored
recreational
activities
such
as

occasional out-of-town trips and the acquisition of rest houses at resort areas.

4.
Optimal Solution

We
find
all
the
stated
solutions
equally
fine,
nevertheless
the
most
effective
(
in
terms

of
implementation
and
results)
are:
​
(1)
take
on
board
an
American
assistant
in
Mr.

Higgins’
s
team
(instead
of
only
2
Japanese
assistants),
​
(2)
limit
the
obligations
of
Mr.

Higgins
to
only
specific
tasks
clearly
mentioned
by
his
supervisor
and
(3)
conduct
a

research
study
in
order
to
objectively
assess
the
“effectiveness”
of
Mr.
Higgin’s

behavior from the point of view of the American company.

Firstly,
we
believe
that
employing
an
American
assistant
in
the
team
would
ensure
the

objectivity
of
the
ideas
and
would
offer
a
balanced
approach
towards
measures
that
are

advantageous
for
both
the
American
and
Japanese
employees.
The
main
advantage
for
the

company
is
obvious
–
i.e.
a
way
of
keeping
Mr.
Higgins
on
the
“right
track”,
the
one
that
takes

account
of
American
work
ethics
and
way
of
doing
business
and
maximizes
their
interests.

The
disadvantage
is
that,
on
the
one
hand,
the
implementation
might
be
time-consuming

(time
to
train
a
new
employee
and
find
a
bi-lingual
one)
and
costly
(transportation
costs,

accommodation
costs,
a
new
monthly
salary
to
be
paid).
One
the
other
hand,
the

disadvantage would be the fact that Mr. Higgins and his team might object to this measure.

Secondly,
the
American
executives
should
stress
that
fact
Mr.
Higgini’s
main
task
is
to

represent
American
side
in
troubleshooting
with
the
Japanese
customers,
attending
trade

meetings,
conducting
market
research
and
so
forth.
Besides,
he
has
never
been
asked
to

represent
the
Japanese
employees’
unions
in
negotiations
with
the
American
executives
for

more
benefits.
One
way
of
implementing
this
measure
would
be
to
limit
the
direct
contact

that
Mr.
Higgins
has
with
the
Japanese
employees.
By
contrast
with
the
above
measure,
this

one
is
more
subtle,
because
no
major
changes
would
occur,
in
spite
of
a
gradual

detachment
from
the
Japanese
side
(advantage).
On
the
other
hand,
the
disadvantage
is

that
this
measure
is
likely
to
be
highly
objected
to,
since
Mr.
Higgini
is
already
so
emotionally

involved with the team.

Lastly,
another
solution
would
be
to
actually
assess
whether
Mr.
Prescott
has
sound

reasons
to
doubt
his
assistant’
effectiveness,
since
Mr.
Prescott
might
be
rather
biased.

Thus,
quantifiable,
objective
pillars,
such
as
any
change
in
sales,
profit,
or
market
share

relative
to
previous
years
(before
2009,
when
Mr.
Higgini
was
assigned
as
assistant)
would

best
throw
light
on
this
matter.
The
advantage
is
that
this
is
an
objective
method
of

evaluation,
thus
no
party
would
be
accused
of
emotional
involvement.
The
disadvantage
is

that such a research study might be my lengthy and expensive to conduct.

4

5.
Implementation & Outcome of Solution

For
the
first
solution,
taking
on
board
an
American
assistant
for
Mr.
Higgins,
the

Human
Resources
Department
should
invest
in
finding
the
right
candidate.
They
should

consider
someone
that
had
previous
encounters
with
the
Japanese
culture,
therefore

understanding
how
mr.
Higgins
thinks,
but
also
stands
for
the
American
way
of
thinking
and

doing business. In this way, he would manage to steadily keep Mr. Higgins on the right path.

Limiting
the
obligations
of
Mr.
Higgins
should
be
carefully
considered.
He
must
be

clearly
instructed
during
several
meetings.
His
tasks
and
obligations
should
be
clearly
stated

in
order
not
to
interfere
with
those
of
other
managers
and
employees,
this
way,
his
close

interaction
with
others
would
be
clearly
drawn.
At
the
same
time,
they
should
be
considerate

of the way in which he might react and not offend his competence or work ethic in any way.

The
best
point
and
solution
would
be
that
of
clearly
assessing
Mr.
Higgins’

effectiveness
and
taking
measures
according
to
that.
Maybe
the
company
did
better
with
Mr.

Higgin’s
way
of
doing
things,
therefore
they
should
consider
some
beneficial
actions
like
a

promotion
and
also
giving
him
more
responsibilities.
Maybe
his
inclination
towards
the

Japanese
culture
does
more
good
than
harm
and
the
real
problem
is
Mr.
Prescott’s
point
of

view
which
is
wrong.
In
the
end,
enstranging
from
the
American
way
is
not
a
bad
thing,
if
the

company is doing better on multiple plans.

As
far
as
we
know,
Mr.
Higgins
has
a
lot
of
offers
from
different
American
companies

operating
in
Japan,
so
it
would
be
very
easy
for
him
to
let
go
and
go
to
a
different
one
if
it

seems
to
him
that
he
is
not
appreciated
at
his
real
value
and
that
would
be
a
great
loss
for

the
company.
If,
however,
a
fall
in
efficiency
shall
be
noticed,
then
Mr.
Prescott
is
officially

entitled
to
try
and
change
something
regarding
Mr.
Higgins’
attitude
and
behavior,
having

concrete facts to support his view.

5