Arab and Japanese Universities : The "Culture-bound" vs. the "Culture-free" Position

Aspects of the organizational culture of four universities, two in Japan and one each in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, are discussed and compared. The paper argues that organizations established in countries sharing similarities in national cultures are likely to be characterized by similar values, beliefs, and assumptions, in short, that similarities in national cultures are likely to nurture similarities in organizational cultures. Japan and Arab countries are similar with respect to several cultural dimensions; thus, the organizational cultures of the four universities are expected to reflect such similarities. While the findings provide some support to the "culture-bound" position it is nevertheless premature to entirely dismiss the "culture-free" argument, as aspects of organizational culture in the universities examined appear to be the product of organizational variables rather than socio-cultural factors

Japanese Management Practices after the Big Bubble

Many changes are underway in Japan\u27s distinctive human resources management practices amid the country\u27s prolonged recession. However, such changes may not necessarily indicate the eventual collapse of the Japanese employment system, as sometimes suggested in the related literature. Despite the adjustments companies make to cope with the economic downturn, distinctive human resources management practices in Japan\u27s large-scale enterprises are unlikely to disappear altogether. This paper argues that distinctive management practices will continue to define the relationship between large-scale enterprises and an even smaller core segment of the workforce thus pointing to an ad hoc reshuffle rather than substantial restructure of internal labor markets

The Global Work Force Crisis in the IT Industry

The rapid growth of Information Technology deepens the global work force crisis. The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) reports a shortage of 346,000 IT professionals. It is estimated that the shortage of the IT specialists in Europe will increase to 1,200,000 by the year 2002. In response to crisis, the IT industry runs certification programs at an enormous scale. The university sector tries to expand its courses and become more responsive to industry needs