Integration and Onboarding - an International Dimension. A study of integration and management adjustments for Swedish companies operating on the Japanese market

Abstract: The importance of managing and integrating employees in a globalized world with infinite numbers of multinational companies is certainly increasing. Researchers believe that people is nowadays the only resource that truly differentiates markets and cultures from each other. However, the area of managing and integrating employees from different countries is relatively unexplored. This thesis therefore aims to create a better understanding of management and integration processes that are suitable for Swedish companies operating in Japan. The study approaches the topic through the use of seven qualitative interviews with senior executives active in some of the biggest and most successful Swedish companies with subsidiaries in Japan. The empirical findings were analyzed by utilizing the GLOBE study and Bauer’s onboarding model. Additionally a questioning and critical perspective was added as a running theme through the study. What we found was that the success of the interviewed companies relies on the underlying similarities in terms of management between the countries studied. We also came to the conclusion that the best way to integrate new hires is through a fixed sequence of activities in the following order; knowledge of culture, role clarity, social integration and self-efficacy.