How Does Solution-Focused Management Influence Followership Behavior in Japan?

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to empirically clarify how solution-focused / problem-focused communication in the workplace influences the followership behavior of Japanese non-managers. We took an empirical approach to verify hypotheses derived from past research. We contacted 300 full-time employees in Japanese organizations from a diverse range of industries to participate in this research through iBRIDGE Corporation. We wanted to examine the followership behavior of Japanese followers toward their managers, so we selected respondents who were in a non-managerial position and whose manager was in a managerial position. The final analysis included 273 responses. The results of our analysis revealed the following two points. Firstly, solution-focused management has a positive effect on every dimension of followership behavior. Secondly, solution-focused communication had a stronger influence on followership (active behavior) and followership (considerate behavior) than problem-focused communication.