| Project/Area Number |
11630126
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Business administration
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| Research Institution | KOBE UNIBERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
YOSHIHARA Hideki Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Professor, 経済経営研究所, 教授 (60031390)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1999 – 2000
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2000)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
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| Keywords | International management / English / Language cost / Language investment / Overseas assignment / Bilingual / Internet |
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| Research Abstract |
I conducted mail questionnaire survey and interviewing research on international management and English. I have written four pieces of paper. A book will be published in this coming fall.
Important findings from the research are as follows.
English has become important to Japanese multinational enterprises. The reasons are two. The first reason is the expansion of international business and the second one is the Internet. According to the data of the questionnaire survey, the latter reason is more important.
Japanese multinationals manage their global operations in the Japanese language. The Japanese language is used as a common language in the international management and it incurs various language costs. They are costs of interpretation and translation, misunderstanding, delay of decision making. When the Japanese language is used, non Japanese persons are not able to participate in the decision making process. This may be the most serious language cost. Japanese multinationals are not able to attract talented local people because of the Japanese language.
Japanese multinationals have made efforts to improve English language abilities of their Japanese employees providing language training courses and overseas training programs. Overseas assignment is an important method to develop businessmen with good English aptitude.
Japanese multinationals should develop bilingual management. Ordinary Japanese employees use the Japanese language at factories, sales branches and offices. Managers, experts and engineers who are engaged in international business are required to use both the Japanese language and English.
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