The Rice-Paper Ceiling: Breaking through Japanese Corporate Culture [Paperback]

Rochelle Kopp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

Every day, 700,000 Americans working in Japanese companies confront the "rice-paper ceiling." International business consultant Rochelle Kopp exposes this invisible obstacle to advancement at Japanese corporations, how it operates, and what you can do to "break through" it to improve your workplace relationships and career prospects. Along the way she details case studies that reveal the profound differences between Japanese and American work styles and cultures. If you work for a Japanese company, or plan to, you need this book. "A revealing, readable account of American-Japanese interactions in the workplace."-Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School

Rochelle Kopp is a Yale graduate with an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. She is Managing Principal of Japan Intercultural Consulting in Chicago.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Is there really a "rice-paper ceiling" that keeps Americans out of top management jobs in Japanese companies? Kopp, a principal of Japan Intercultural Consulting in Chicago and a former employee at a Japanese firm, investigates the cultural origins of the ceiling and gives advice on breaking through it. She presents an evenhanded analysis meant not to Japan-bash but to help Americans and Japanese build bridges. In the future, she contends, Americans and Japanese will have to rely more closely on one another to maintain global economic success. Though a bit long-winded and repetitive, this well-written and interesting book offers important advice on how to evaluate a potential Japanese employer and how to succeed on the job. It should be read by anyone seeking a job with a Japanese firm. Recommended for all career collections.
Kris Swank, American Graduate Sch. of International Management, Glendale, Ariz.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A revealing, readable account of American-Japanese interactions in the workplace." Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School -- Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School

"Slices through the myths and mists of Japanese business culture like a sharp samurai blade." Chicago Tribune -- Chicago Tribune

"Slices through the myths and mists of Japanese business culture like a sharp samurai blade." Chicago Tribune -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880656515
• ISBN-13: 978-1880656518
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rochelle Kopp is an authority on Japanese culture and business. As a consultant specializing in cross-cultural communications, she has extensive experience working with Japanese organizations and their non-Japanese suppliers and partners.

Rochelle gained firsthand experience of Japanese corporate culture when she lived in Japan and worked at the Tokyo headquarters of a major Japanese financial institution. She speaks, reads, and writes Japanese fluently.

Rochelle is Managing Principal of Japan Intercultural Consulting, which provides cross-cultural training and human resource management consulting to Japanese-affiliated companies and joint ventures, as well as working with American firms that have Japanese customers and suppliers. She is also a frequent speaker on cross-cultural topics, and is a contributor to various Japanese publications.

Further information about Rochelle and her work is available at www.japanintercultural.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to Japanese corporate culture!, June 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rice-Paper Ceiling: Breaking through Japanese Corporate Culture (Hardcover)

This well-written and thought-provoking book outlines some key differences between American and Japanese corporate culture--with a sense of perspective and a touch of humor. I highly recommend it to Americans working with Japanese firms...and it may be of interest to Japanese businesspeople wondering how younger Americans view their professional ethos.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for individuals that work for a Japanese company, August 19, 2005

By 

R. Smith (Mendham, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Rice-Paper Ceiling: Breaking through Japanese Corporate Culture (Paperback)

I currently work for a large Japanese and have identified many of the issues that were written in this book. Recognizing many of the issues that Americans have working for Japanese corporations is one thing, but understanding the many drivers is another. The book was 'right on' on so many issues is was scary. This truly is a must read for anyone that works for a Japanese company or wants to work for a Japanese company. Although at times it can be a bit redundant, the book was a easy read and very well written.

5.0 out of 5 stars For American employees of Japanese corporations, February 8, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rice-Paper Ceiling: Breaking through Japanese Corporate Culture (Paperback)

In The Rice-Paper Ceiling: Breaking Through Japanese Corporate Culture, Rochelle Kopp notes that although more than 700,000 Americans are currently employed by Japanese companies, very few Americans are in top-level management positions with those firms. The explanation lies in the real but almost invisible barrier that prevents sufficient communication across the cultural divide. Due to differing attitudes toward work, goals, accountability, and a variety of other factors, American employees and Japanese bosses often have completely opposite assumptions about how things should get done. Japan's current economic slump (and the litigation pending against such companies as Mitsubishi) clearly show that Japanese managers are not infallible. Success comes from honest communication and mutual understanding of goals. Highly recommended reading for American employees of Japanese corporations, American governmental and economic policy makers, economists, as well as both Japanese and American corporate executives, The Rice-Paper Ceiling provides numerous practical and forward-thinking strategies for getting beyond the culturally induced conflicts as Rochelle Kopp provides a very highly recommended, insider's guide to what really goes on inside the Japanese corporate system.