Senior Japanese business leaders within the U.S. consumer electronics industry were studied to understand the influence Western societal and organizational culture values impact their leadership approach. The focus was temporary ethnocentric cross-cultural staffing assignments. Utilizing a qualitative multi-case study design with a phenomenological element, the findings suggested a majority of these senior Japanese leaders experienced lifetime employment practices, indiscriminate career paths, mentoring, and job rotation. A majority exhibited an ethnocentric philosophy and the path-goal theory of leadership effectiveness.

The Japanese leaders had to develop, communicate, and gain support for their mutual goals to be effective in their U.S. assignments. Additionally, they needed to accept opposing viewpoints to operate effectively, given the structure of Western cultural environments. Consequently, these leaders adjusted their communication, motivation, and negotiation practices.