Customer Reviews

The Rice-Paper Ceiling: Breaking through Japanese Corporate Culture

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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.

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.

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.