READING NOTE · UPDATED 2026
Use management ideas without cultural shortcuts
This short historical note points toward Japanese management thinking. It should not become a claim that every Japanese organisation operates in the same way. When borrowing a management idea, examine its purpose, the conditions supporting it and the local problem it might address. Keep the reasoning explicit instead of relying on a national stereotype.
A practical next step
- Identify the specific management practice.
- Describe the conditions in which it is expected to help.
- Test its relevance to a real local problem.
This 2026 reading note is written by the Durnall editorial team. Richard Durnall’s original text follows below.
Historical references checked in 2026
The original words remain below. References without a verified useful destination are plain text rather than links to an error or unrelated website.
- an interview with Japan Airline’s CEO, Haruka Nishimatsu: YouTube reports that the associated account has been deleted.
Original publication: .
Original WordPress feed timestamp, UTC; the old theme’s local date may differ. Check the date source ↗
The original words below retain their period and attribution. The reading note above is the current editorial addition.
Source capture · 2009-01-29 ↗Owen Berkeley-Hill sent me this clip of an interview with Japan Airline’s CEO, Haruka Nishimatsu. I think it’s a great insight into Japanese management thinking; I love Nishimatsu’s response to the interviewers comment on US executives earning tens of millions of dollars. Priceless.
Enjoy.