Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Working Knowledge
Business Research for Business Leaders
  • Browse All Articles
  • Popular Articles
  • Cold Call Podcast
  • Managing the Future of Work Podcast
  • About Us
  • Book
  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Entrepreneurship
  • All Topics...
  • Topics
    • COVID-19
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Finance
    • Gender
    • Globalization
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Negotiation
    • Social Enterprise
    • Strategy
  • Sections
    • Book
    • Podcasts
    • HBS Case
    • In Practice
    • Lessons from the Classroom
    • Op-Ed
    • Research & Ideas
    • Research Event
    • Sharpening Your Skills
    • What Do You Think?
    • Working Paper Summaries
  • Browse All
    Harvard Business School Faculty Comment on Crisis in Japan
    17 Mar 2011Research & Ideas

    Harvard Business School Faculty Comment on Crisis in Japan

    Harvard Business School faculty share their views and insights about the challenges that lie ahead for Japan's business leaders and for global companies operating there.
    LinkedIn
    Email

    As Japan continues to come to grips with the devastating toll exacted by the earthquake within its borders, the aftershocks are just beginning to be felt within the global economy. Here, several Harvard Business School faculty members share their views and insights about the challenges that lie ahead for Japan's business leaders and for global companies operating in Japan.

    Rohit Deshpande, Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing

    The culture of Japan tends to be outer directed. Thus, taking care of other people becomes much more central to its value system. This is one reason why Japanese companies tend to look out for the welfare of their employees in such an effective fashion. The impact of this at the national level can be seen from the Japanese people's response to previous crises, including the earthquake in Kobe in 1995. The remarkable resilience of the Japanese was clearly in evidence during those times, along with countless acts of heroism by ordinary citizens-people not empowered or trained to do great things. We are seeing this in the horrible aftermath of the current earthquake and tsunami.

    Consider the reports of my HBS colleague Hiro Takeuchi, a Japanese national who was working in Tokyo last week when tremors hit the city. He left his office to drive home. The usual 10-minute trip lasted four hours. Despite their lack of knowledge of what was happening and the full extent of damages, despite their worst fears based on previous experience, people were relatively calm, he said. He was also impressed by their patience and resilience.

    There was no pushing and shoving, Takeuchi reported, no honking of car horns, even in long waits for a tank of gas. On the highway, anxious drivers eager to get home to see if their families were safe remained in their lanes.

    All this makes for a case study of the moral courage of ordinary Japanese citizens in times of crisis. There are lessons to be learned here by the rest of us.

    W. Carl Kester, George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration

    Human suffering is certainly our main concern in the immediate aftermath of Japan's 3/11 tragedy. But even as we focus on immediate human needs, we cannot avoid recognizing--and coping with--the long economic shadow cast by this disaster.

    The direct impact on real economic activity worldwide is already being felt. The destruction will surely cost Japan many times the $132 billion that the 1995 Kobe earthquake did, making it one of the Japan's most costly natural disasters. Transportation disruptions and the closing of many factories throughout Japan will shrink Japanese aggregate demand and disrupt supply chains worldwide. Analysts have already reduced forecasted GDP growth rates for Japan by 0.5% for the first quarter of this year, and by more than 1.5% for the second quarter.

    The financial consequences are equally alarming. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 6.2% at the market's close on Monday (3/14), erasing more than $300 billion of equity value, and lost another 10.6% on Tuesday. These are no mere "paper" losses. The drop represents a significant loss of wealth which could unleash further deflationary pressures--a phenomenon Japan's on-again, off-again economy has been fighting for almost two decades.

    Japan's economic policy makers are being put to the test once again. Flooding money markets on Sunday (3/13) with ¥15 trillion (about $183 billion) was a sensible first step by the Bank of Japan, but the real challenge lies ahead. Prime Minister Naoko Kan's government, still young and struggling for public support, is left with the task of fashioning an appropriate fiscal response. Bold recovery plans would seem to be in order, but how that response is financed holds great import for Japan's economic future. With government deficits equaling 10% of GDP, and national debt at 200% of GDP, funding the recovery plan with still more government debt would be imprudent. Should Japan lose its AA- sovereign debt rating, confidence in the country's economy and government could be sent into a debilitating tailspin. A safer, even if less popular, course of action would be to reprioritize spending within the existing budget to cover most of the cost of the recovery plan.

    Japan often shows itself at its best in times of crisis, setting aside internal differences and responding with inspiring levels of efficiency and self-sacrifice. This crisis will be no different as far as its response to humanitarian needs is concerned. Hopefully, the longer-term economic response will also be executed in ways that will avoid unleashing yet another round of deflationary forces. Unfortunately, there is little margin for error this time.

    Tom Nicholas, Associate Professor of Business Administration

    Just before noon in September 1923, the Kanto region (where Tokyo is located) was affected by a strong earthquake. The Grand Kanto Earthquake, as it has become known, led to the destruction of Tokyo and Yokohama. Over 100,000 people lost their lives.

    Despite the severity of the earthquake and its aftermath, the country quickly recovered in key areas of economic activity. Consider patents as a proxy for resources devoted to innovation. In 1923 and 1924, patents registered in Japan fell by around one-third compared to 1922, the year before the Grand Kanto Earthquake. But by 1925 (even though the Japanese Patent Office in Tokyo was destroyed) patents registered were 69 percent higher than they had been in 1922, and the country continued its push towards technological modernization (see figure below).

    The Grand Kanto Earthquake only temporarily interrupted patenting activity. A long-run expansion in Japanese technological capabilities set a favorable foundation for the economic growth miracle the country experienced after World War II. If history is any guide, Japan should make a full recovery from the devastating effects of the recent earthquake and tsunami on the east coast of Honshu.

    Patients Registered to Japanese and Foreign Investors in Japan 

    Notes: Japanese domestic JP(D) and foreign inventors JP(F) patenting in Japan. Source: Tom Nicholas, "The Origins of Japanese Technological Modernization", Explorations in Economic History (2011, forthcoming). http://people.hbs.edu/tnicholas/Jmod.pdf

    Willy C. Shih, Professor of Management Practice

    Beyond the devastating and saddening human costs, the earthquake in Japan is another reminder of the complexity of the world's supply chains and the great interdependencies in global production systems. The world's supply chains are complex and highly optimized to deliver products efficiently at the lowest cost. They are characterized by a sequential mode of production where goods are produced in a series of stages in different countries by vertical specialists who pass them across borders to the next firm in the value chain. Shocks like this ripple through the chain, and test the robustness of their design. With lean inventories and just in time deliveries, there is not a lot of slack in the system to act as a buffer. This disaster promises to be quite a test.

    Consider, for example, Shin-Etsu Handotai, one of the world's leading producers of the silicon wafers and ingots that are used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Its Shirakawa plant is located in Fukushima, close to the epicenter of the earthquake and near the site of the nuclear power plant troubles. That plant is responsible for 22% of the world's supply of silicon wafers, and it has been shut down for lack of electric power. Hopefully this is temporary, but imagine taking 22% of the global supply of a vital commodity offline.

    Toshiba is a Japanese company that makes 35% of the flash memory in the world, consumed by devices like Apple's iPad and smartphones. It has not disclosed yet how the earthquake has affected its business, but major DRAM memory chip makers like Samsung and Hynix in Korea, and Powerchip in Taiwan have already stopped quoting prices until they can assess the impact of the earthquake on their supply chains.

    Anisotropic conductive film is a key material used in the manufacture of LCD flat panel displays in TV sets, notebook computers, smartphones, and tablets. 70% of the world supply comes from Japan, and as of March 16th, suppliers have stopped taking orders. Most of the world supply of LCD panels comes from Korea, Taiwan, or China.

    All of Sony's lithium battery cell plants are in Fukushima in the disaster area, and many of its suppliers are as well. This has the potential to affect the supply of notebook computers, even though almost notebooks are assembled in China.

    Japanese automakers also have significant component production in the affected area, and even for factories located at a distance from the epicenter, the rotating power outages promise to be a significant near term challenge. An e-mail exchange with a good friend at a major Japanese multinational over the weekend highlighted for me the uncertainty that lies ahead. After spending four hours walking home because the trains weren't running in Tokyo, he told me that some major manufacturers have stopped operations not only because of damages to their own facilities, but because of damages to their parts suppliers and subcontractors located in the region.

    Comments
      • Sudheer Thaakur
      • Professor, BITS, Pilani, India
      japanese restraint and patience in face of such calamity though more than admirable makes people like us in India wonder if japanese are more than human. we in india in face of much less get excited and volatile. huge emotions are not only on display but acted upon. japanese seem to ignore self preservation over preservation of society. is amazing how individual put other before. are they human or robots? or are we less than human given to looking after myself even at the cost of others. I am confused
      • G.P.Rao.
      • Founder Chairman., Spandan (Foundation for Human Values in management and society), India.
      'Moment of Truth', I submit, enables us comprehend the basic human nature under the circumstances of extreme stress, chaos and catastrophe such as the one under consideration - as also 'Terror at the Taj'( HBS Working Knowledge, January 24, 2011 HBS Case on the terrorist attack on The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai , India on November 26, 2008). During situations of severe crises, whcih are rather rare, human beings face moments of truth when either their very best or very worst comes out. Chances however are that their very best comes out as their response and mode of coping the given gignatic challenge. The reason is their innate divinity and intrinsic altruism. As perceived by a group of management students with reference to the exemplary behaviour of the employees of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Owning Responsibility, fearlessness, courage, bravery and self sacrifice characerise the human response under those trying conditions. All oth
      er labels and identities such as nationalities, cultures and status symbols become at best redundant.
      • Paulo Wilson Rodrigues
      • Chemical Engineer Student, Eel Usp
      Fukushima's Nuclear Accident shows clearly the breaches in providing fast substitution for the Energy in case of a sudden shortage due to internal causes like that in Tchernobyl or to a Earthquake. We can not predict exactly when it will occur and when it come it takes everyone unawares. The Nuclear Power Plant supply is not of ease substitution but vital for the refrigeration of these installations. What if a natural disaster stop the operation of not 6 Power Plants, but 60 of them. It would be like the end of the oil reserves supplies. Thanks God over we have biofuels!
      • Anonymous
      The catastrophic disaster that engulfed japan is no doubt a blow to the global business been the largest manufacturer of electronic gadgets in the world.It's a time of trial to all Japanese considering their restriant and perseverance they will surely overcome this unwanted calamity.
      • Anonymous
      the poet Akahito:

      Off the beach at Waka
      With the rising tide
      The sandbanks vanish and
      Plunging to the reedbeds
      The cranes fly over, calling.
      • Sivaramakrishnan
      The events at Japan must make the scientists and engineers come together and ask themselves a simple question: Is our unending desire to have more and more of something (in this case crude) have led us to ignore the 'balance' with which earth has been created? Have we with our excessive desire to dig oil out of the sea-bed caused immense damage, leading to imbalance at the sea bed and release of energy?

      If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then we need to look for some 'values' by which we institute restraints on scientific activities that could lead to such a huge suffering to innocent people and communities.

      The biggest challenge is to get some honest answers and start taking steps to stop further damage of the eco system under the seas, on the skies and on earth?

      Are we up to the challenge?
      • Rudolf O. Rinze
      • Managing Director, ComBuCasa
      "Still today the Japanese are taught that it is vain to seek happiness and immature to be affected by unhappiness. They do not, however, deny the possibility of happiness tomorrow, and this optimistic expectancy as a rule gives them courage and patience to accept their misfortunes gracefully." This quotation from Oriental Secrets of Graceful Living by Boye De mente may serve as a guideline to understand that unique, admirable character of the japanese people that instills them to always surmount with such quiet but dignified and powerful energy of soul , those probing circumstances as their lot has been to withstand along the times. What an exemplary breed of human kind!
      • Kapil Kumar Sopory
      • Company Secretary, SMEC(India) Private Limited
      We know very well the abnormal general strength of the Japanese to face natural or other calamities with courage and revive what has gone save of course the lost human lives.There is no alternative but to take bold steps in such situations and in their own way many countries also do that. But, despite advancement of knowledge, man has still not been able to successfully predict such oncoming disasters. Here man almost fails.
      Let the World unite to provide all possible support and help to Japan and wherever this happens.
      • Atul Guglani
      • Director, Mantex Technologies
      First I have to salute the Japanese people to have shown resilience and extraordinary courage to endure this natural adversity.

      However, the unending Nuclear Reactor Saga has blown up the myth about Japanese management systems, wherein managers are trained to find solutions sitting in circles and offering solutions that top management endorses and the action gets shaped.

      In an emergency like this, the system simply fails and ingenuity and conviction emerging of leadership is clearly seen missing. In the hard management style practiced by the Japanese the failures are foreseen and prevented; but if the unforeseen happens, there are no fast and clean solutions.

      It is about time that the Japanese review their management systems.
      • merlin davidovic
      • vp logistics, Food and Beverage Inc
      The day after the disaster I contacted the Chairman of the board of a major corporation in Japan. The immediate response was:

      1. Concerned for friends in the devastated area
      2. Will work on the reconstruction, no time for tears.

      Md
      • ???`?????`?????`??
      • ujjmifnbdep@gmail.com, http://www.freesheepfree.org/burberry.html
      This really answered my problem, thanks!
      Trending
        • 25 Jan 2022
        • Research & Ideas

        More Proof That Money Can Buy Happiness (or a Life with Less Stress)

        • 14 Mar 2023
        • In Practice

        What Does the Failure of Silicon Valley Bank Say About the State of Finance?

        • 25 Feb 2019
        • Research & Ideas

        How Gender Stereotypes Kill a Woman’s Self-Confidence

        • 15 Nov 2022
        • Book

        Stop Ignoring Bad Behavior: 6 Tips for Better Ethics at Work

        • 07 Mar 2023
        • HBS Case

        ChatGPT: Did Big Tech Set Up the World for an AI Bias Disaster?

    Rohit Deshpande
    Rohit Deshpande
    Baker Foundation Professor
    Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing, Emeritus
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    W. Carl Kester
    W. Carl Kester
    Baker Foundation Professor
    George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Tom Nicholas
    Tom Nicholas
    William J. Abernathy Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Willy C. Shih
    Willy C. Shih
    Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Management Practice in Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Find Related Articles
    • Globalization
    • Supply Chain
    • Government and Politics
    • Japan

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter

    Interested in improving your business? Learn about fresh research and ideas from Harvard Business School faculty.
    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    ǁ
    Campus Map
    Harvard Business School Working Knowledge
    Baker Library | Bloomberg Center
    Soldiers Field
    Boston, MA 02163
    Email: Editor-in-Chief
    →Map & Directions
    →More Contact Information
    • Make a Gift
    • Site Map
    • Jobs
    • Harvard University
    • Trademarks
    • Policies
    • Accessibility
    • Digital Accessibility
    Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College