Today many companies talk about localization, but find it difficult to do. Sometimes expatriate managers are unable or unwilling to train their successors. This can be a particular problem for Japanese companies. The standard practice in Japanese multinationals has been to rely on people sent from the home office, even for mid-level technical jobs. In part, this stems from a tradition of apprentice-style training, which can mean Japanese firms ‘‘struggle to get new people up to speed quickly,’’ says Rochelle Kopp, principal of Japan Intercultural Consulting, a training firm. Language is often an added complication in going abroad. A further difficulty is that many Japanese expatriates and their families prefer to stay in America, say, rather than return home. As a result, Japanese employees abroad tend to hand over little responsibility to their local colleagues. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of localization of executives. Do you think Japanese situation is applicable to other regions? Why or why not?
Discuss strategic solutions regarding difficulties of localization for Japanese companies.