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- Convenors:
-
Keiko Yamaki
(Shujitsu University)
Noriya Sumihara (Tenri University)
- Chair:
-
Megumi Doshita
(Tama University)
- Discussant:
-
Tomoko Hamada
(College of William and Mary)
- Stream:
- Relational movements: Crossroads, Places and Violences/Mouvements relationnels: Carrefours, Lieux et Violences
- Location:
- VNR 3035
- Start time:
- 6 May, 2017 at
Time zone: America/New_York
- Session slots:
- 2
Short Abstract:
This is the panel on Commission Enterprise Anthropology. We will discuss the process of conflicts resolution in/for the business community to adapt the environment changes.
Long Abstract:
This is the panel on Commission Enterprise Anthropology. In this panel, we will discuss Conflict Resolution in Business Communities.
Enterprise's activity is the social relationships and the interactions between communities and agents. Different conflicts are assumed among agents in order that their purposes and interests in business are different each other. Furthermore, the conflicts of interest occur often among people even in the same companies, departments, teams, and even though in the most suitable and ideal organizations depending on the business environment changes. Therefore, management is a process of adaptation for the environment. Business is the competition to create both winners and losers, however, they sometimes act in solidarity depending on their concern. Enterprises sometimes are able to grow up through the way of creative conflict resolution.
With globalization and complication of business environment, organizations and administration are required to manage for homology in a conflict resolution and the decision-making scene.
In this panel, we discuss some case study of conflicts resolution process in business.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Yasunobu Yasunobu (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST))
Paper short abstract:
This paper explores how ethnography was introduced to, and spread through, the Japanese business scene, in the decade following 2000. Through recurring interviews in various firms and with magazine reporters, the paper highlights the "feedback loop" between mass media and firms' business affairs.
Paper long abstract:
As a business tool, ethnography has been gaining popularity in various industries such as marketing, design and engineering, to name but a few. On one hand, ethnography is regarded as a most promising technique, which uncovers hidden needs and leads to exciting new products and services. On the other hand, depending on the context, ethnography can be an authoritative source for a firms' advertising. Through recurring interviews with ex-managers and researchers of various firms, as well as business magazine reporters, this paper explores how ethnography was introduced to, and spread through, the Japanese business scene, in the decade following 2000. The way ethnography was introduced to the business community is rather convoluted and far from straightforward. (ⅰ) The explanations of ex-managers of companies that were first to adopt ethnography, described as "early adopters", were only focused on business issues. (ⅱ) The researchers at the companies' laboratories assert that ethnography entered Japan though endogenous developments in academia. (ⅲ) Recognising this trend, the mass media (reporters from business magazines) sought other examples from various companies that they then reported on. These were companies that were doing consumer research and work in the field. These companies, described as "followers", did not know the English term "ethnography", but recognised the trend through being reported on and proceeded to employ this in the PR. One could see this as a "feedback loop" between mass media and firms' business affairs.
Noriya Sumihara (Tenri University)
Paper short abstract:
In this presentation, by looking at a trial known as “Obscene comic trial” in Tokyo from 2004 to 2007, I want to discuss how a head-on collision between “freedom of expression” guaranteed by the constitution and “illegality” of an “obscene” manga was avoided for settlement.
Paper long abstract:
While manga has gained universal popularity now in Japan, some kinds of manga, especially so-called erotic manga or manga for adults, have also been criticized as "obscene" and "nocuous" for youths and have even been censored by the government. "Obscene comic trial" or "Shobunkan trial" named after the name of an adult manga publishing company in Tokyo drew wide public attention as the defendant, president of the company, fought for the freedom of expression up to the Supreme Court. Besides, it was anticipated that the judgement would influence the subsequent expression of manga in general significantly.
Many people including scholars, jurists, and cartoonists volunteered or were invited to testify for or against the prosecution. At the first trial, the defendant was sentenced to one year in prison suspended for 3 years. But at the appeal hearing, the punishment was significantly reduced to fines, although the defendant was still guilty for publishing an "obscene" comic book illegally. According to the lawyers, the significant reduction of punishment was a very rare case, so the trial was a substantial victory for the defendant, although he was not satisfied with the sentence.
By exclusively looking at pros and cons presented by notable testifiers as well as interviewing the defendant, lawyers and other related people, I want to see how the trial was concluded as such.
Megumi Doshita (Tama University)
Paper short abstract:
Japan now attracts a number of overseas visitors and local authorities deal with their diverse demands. This paper will examine a case of introducing a new system in Fujisawa, Japan, to gain insight into the communication, consultation and negotiation with local businesses to satisfy global demands.
Paper long abstract:
In Japan, the imbalance between the number of Japanese overseas travellers and that of overseas visitors to Japan was once crucial problem. In 2003, to tackle the imbalance, the Japanese government launched 'Visit Japan Campaign' to attract more overseas visitors, and in 2015, the number of overseas visitors to Japan eventually exceeded that of Japanese overseas travellers. Currently, many local authorities have attempted to deal with diverse demands of overseas visitors. In February 2016, Fujisawa City and its Tourist Association launched the online system named 'FUJISAWA Foodies' which, on the one hand, provides information about local restaurants in various languages via the Internet. On the other hand, the system enables local restaurants to make their own menu in multiple languages and to upload it onto the Internet. Fujisawa City and its Tourist Association attempt to utilise the system in cooperation with various small businesses to attract a large number of overseas visitors, yet the introduction of new system to the local community is not easy. Different restaurant owners have their own opinions and perspectives on hospitality to overseas visitors, their business management, communication in foreign languages, and so forth. In this paper, the activities concerning 'FUJISAWA Foodies' will be examined in depth in order to gain some insights into the communication, consultation and negotiation with various local businesses to satisfy some global demands.
Tanaka Takae (Tama University)
Paper short abstract:
This presentation will discuss the process of conflicts resolution in business through a case study of Japanese travel company in Guangzhou, China.
Paper long abstract:
This presentation will discuss the process of conflicts resolution in business through a case study of Japanese travel company in Guangzhou, China. The company is famous travel company in Japan and its Guangzhou branch opened in 2008. There were approximately 30 employees at the branch, 80% of which were Chinese; 60% of these Chinese employees used the Japanese language for their jobs on the average. The company's main business focused on Japanese customers. However, because Japan's travel market was small compared to China's, the company wanted to gradually transition their customer base from Japanese to the Chinese customers. In the office, the conflicts, which is better, "Japanese style" or "Chinese style"?, are always existed potentially. Not only social relationships but also the arrangement and use of materials affects such conflicts. Conflicts reveal there are disagreements among the employees on the subject. I examine the process of negotiation and comparison between "Chinese style" and "Japanese style", and explore their recognition of each other is not consistent. Conflicts are the process that they find new ideas and identities each other.
Keiko Yamaki (Shujitsu University)
Paper short abstract:
I would like to rethink the concept of ‘emotional labor’ by Arlie R. Hochschild in the service economy society today especially concerning ‘Labor’ at this time. Different kind of emotional labor is observed today's workplace compare to 1980s.
Paper long abstract:
In this paper, I would like to rethink the concept of 'emotional labor' by Arlie R. Hochschild.
Emotional management is a common requirements of job in the service industry. Hochschild had visited the Delta Airlines Stewardess Training Center in 1980s to research how the flight attendants are trained to control passenger's feeling in the airplane. She named such work in service 'emotional labor' and explained the mechanism of communication in service with Stanislavski System, a systematic approach to training actors.
According to Hochschild, 'emotional labor' is interpreted either employee's 'gift' or the resource to 'exchange' as value to the community (company). And this kind of work practice establishes the relationship between employer and employees.
After my participant observation in the Airlines in Europe, I classified the service work into two concepts 'Labor' and 'Opera' in Latin. Labor means the quota work and Opera is a creative practice in work. I discussed about Hochschild's concept of emotional labor in my publication in 2013, however, her concept did not explained much about Opera, maybe it is because her study was in 1980s when the service society had not yet developed. In the growth of service economy today, co-creating of value became more important, Different kind of emotional labor is observed today such an unpaid overtime which people often call 'service' in Japan.
In this paper, I would like to rethink the concept of 'emotional labor' in the service economy society focusing 'Labor' at this time.
Masayo Fujimoto (Doshisha University)
Paper short abstract:
This report describes the phenomenon of a high mobility society. In the societies where the external labor market is developed, even factory workers, employees are given several choices that exist outside the organization. Therefore, administrators struggle to keep employees of all level.
Paper long abstract:
This report describes the relationship between organizations and members in high mobility society. This study describes the relationship between organizations and members in two different high mobility societies. Survey areas as a highly mobility society are the Silicon Valley of the U.S. and the Shēnzhèn of China. Industrial relations in high mobility societies assumes turnover and dismissal. For this reason, it is very difficult to maintain competent employees in highly educated societies such as Silicon Valley, where people with high skills gather. In addition to preparing expensive remuneration, managers pay attention to many things such as preparing interesting projects, permanent residence rights, insurance, family educational environment and so on. Then, even factory workers who do not have special skills change their job in a large group, and the work will be delayed. So reducing turnover is an important role for managers. For this, they consider many things, such as raising salaries, giving jobs worthwhile and improving welfare benefits. Employees have the possibility of unemployment due to the contract term is not extended. However, they are not only in a weak position. Administrators struggle to improve stability for members attracted to external incentives by limited resources within the organization. Therefore, when the external labor market develops as the external environment of the organization, and people both inside and outside of the organizations are mobile, there are circumstances where employees can select an organization regardless to their academic background or skills.