The Search for Successful Japanese Women Managers

Abstract

Abstract Given the prevailing male-dominant culture of Japanese organizations, the belief that there are no women in management is not surprising. The questions I was most often asked about Japanese women managers were “Are there any?” “Are they married?” and “Where are they?”The questions reveal widespread assumptions: first, that there aren’t any women managers; second, that if women are managers, they aren’t married; and third, that the women are not really managers. Finding women managers was part of a research process that involved extended interviews of the women alongside data gathering on the economy and culture. This chapter’s goal is to confound stereotypes I encountered by describing women managers, their lifestyles, their family status, and the industries in which they are found. In the very process of seeking out women managers, I gained insights into who they are and how they became managers that lend depth to the quantitative results. The research process is set forth as part of the basis for evaluating the findings.