Paper short abstract:

By using semi-structured guideline-based qualitative interviews with marketing managers of Japanese and German companies in Japan, this study aims at understanding companies’ views on young people in Japan (16-24) with regard to sustainable consumption and their marketing activities.

Paper long abstract:

Private consumption accounts for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions and effects in other environmental impact categories. Private consumption is influenced by factors pertaining to consumers, like values and attitudes. It is further influenced by their social environment, e.g. through norms. But it is also influenced by the kinds of products and services companies offer and how they conduct their marketing. While there is consumer research looking at sustainable consumption practices by young people in Japan, there is a research gap on the company side. In other words, the marketing strategies of companies with regards to sustainable consumption by young people in Japan and the underlying views companies have regarding young people are under-researched. Therefore, this study aims at understanding the company side tackling the research questions of how Japanese and German companies see young people in Japan (16-24) with regard to sustainable consumption. We analyze how companies address this age group with regard to sustainability in their marketing activities. We use semi-structured guideline-based qualitative interviews with marketing managers of Japanese and German companies in Japan. This will help to reveal the kinds of barriers that prevent companies from marketing sustainable products and services in Japan and will also aid in identifying initial ideas about how to overcome these barriers.

Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses Customer Experience Management (CEM) as a new form of value creation in highly competitive environments. Findings from an empirical study of domestic and foreign-affiliated companies in Japan are presented to understand how experiences are planned, executed, and controlled.

Paper long abstract:

One of the key goals of the new economic policy advocated by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is to build a society that facilitates the birth of new services. This requires proper management of customer services, engagement, and success as companies move from selling products and services to fully-fledged solutions in this digital age. High expectations are being placed on Japan which has always been considered to have a high service quality standard, and Japanese customers evaluate a relatively wide array of service performance criteria (Khan, 2009). However, the mere introduction of new services and improvement of service quality alone is not enough to remain competitive in this globalized world.

In recent years, Customer Experience Management (CEM), or “the process of strategically managing a customer’s entire experience with a product or company” (Schmitt, 2003), has gained much attention from academics and practitioners. This management concept is seen as a way to evolve to the next step of value creation by offering unique experiences, to achieve competitive advantages and to develop customer loyalty. However, most existing studies remain conceptual and little insights are available from empirical research, particularly in the context of Japanese Management.

This paper proposes a holistic approach to measure and manage customer experiences and presents findings from semi-structured interviews with domestic and foreign-affiliated companies in Japan that explore how interactions between customers and companies are planned, executed, and controlled. Insights from this study will be used to develop an integrated model of CEM for managing the complex set of customer touchpoints across different channels and platforms. The implications of the findings from this study will also be discussed, particularly in the context of future business model development and how CEM techniques can be used to enhance the value for customers, partners, and society at large. These insights will become important for companies in Japan, particularly for those who struggle in global and competitive markets despite offering high quality products.

Paper short abstract:

This paper presents the current status and analyses of case studies of female entrepreneurs in Japan, in both metropolitan and rural areas. It employs the life history approach to gain in-depth information about entrepreneurship and to develop gender perspectives in entrepreneurial studies.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents 1) the current status of female entrepreneurs in Japan and 2) analyses of case studies of female entrepreneurs in both metropolitan and rural areas. It employs the life history approach to gain in-depth information about entrepreneurship and to develop gender perspectives in entrepreneurial studies.

Women’s advancement in various spheres of society has been one of the most important growth strategies in Japan. The recent data prepared by the World Economic Forum (2022) reveals, however, that gender gaps in Japan are still quite large, with the country ranking 116th among the 146 countries studied. The indicators for the political empowerment and economic representation of women in Japan are also extremely low. Indeed, in the area of employment, it has been acknowledged that there are very few women in management and leadership positions when compared to not only advanced countries, but also to so-called emerging countries.

When we look at female entrepreneurs in Japan, the situation seems to be more serious in the case of women employed by companies. Female entrepreneurs only account for 10% of all entrepreneurs, a very low figure not only in terms of the sheer number but also with regard to the sales they generate in the Japanese economy. According to the “Corporate Centered Society” (Osawa, 1993), the traditional employment system drove Japan’s economic success, but more recently, those success factors seem to have become big obstacles for Japan’s recovery.

The hypothesis of this paper is that female entrepreneurs can 1) provide big breakthroughs for the stagnating Japanese economy with new ideas and business models; 2) contribute to the creation of a lively society and communities; and 3) provide positive and exciting work opportunities for themselves.

Paper short abstract:

In the Japanese labor market, labor shortages are already evident in some industries. The challenge is how to effectively incorporate people who have not been regarded as the main labor force into business organizations. The focus of this study will be on women.

Paper long abstract:

In the Japanese labor market, labor shortages are already evident in some industries, and the situation is expected to worsen rapidly in the future. Under these circumstances, the challenge is how to effectively incorporate people who have not been regarded as the main labor force, such as women, the elderly, and foreigners, into business organizations as the workforce. The focus of this study will be on women. One of the problems for women workers in Japan is balancing housework and childcare and continuing to work. Statistical discrimination in the workplace and gender role divisions within the family are cited as reasons for being difficult for women to continue working. When women who have finished raising their children try to find work again, it is difficult for them to find regular employment, and they are only able to find part-time work that offers poor wages and welfare benefits.

Another problem is the difficulty of promotion within organizations. Currently, promotions are almost exclusively made up of Japanese men in regular employment, and the percentage of women in management positions is quite low even by international standards. This study will use data from 1087 female workers collected through a web-based survey in February 2019 to explore the factors that influence the increasing of turnover intentions. Various workplace conditions are expected to influence the process of fostering turnover intention in different ways.

In this study, structural equation modeling will be conducted with turnover intention as the objective variable. The variables entered into the model include the following eight variables, career prospects at the currently working firm, firm-specific skills and general skills of a female employee, the relationship with her boss, personal characteristics such as positivity, work-life-balance, age, number of children, educational background, and so forth. A preliminary analysis was conducted using hierarchical regression analysis. The results showed that firm-specific skills, work-life-balance and positivity had significant effects on turnover intention among non-managerial employees.