Paper short abstract:

Based on data from fieldwork, this paper will examine how Chinese culture is 'migrated' into business management of some Chinese enterprises in central Japan. "Chinese enterprises" here refers to those which are founded and owned by Chinese.

Paper long abstract:

The Japanese language uses the English terms "oldcomers" and "newcomers" to designate, respectively, immigrants who arrived before 1945 and those who have arrived since the second half of the 1970s. The oldcomers are, in the main, Koreans, but also include a small number of Chinese people, mostly from Taiwan. This paper is concerned only with the newcomers, originating mostly from mainland China. By "transnational Chinese entrepreneurs" I mean those people at the head of enterprises who connect the Chinese and Japanese societies and form, through their professional activities, a transnational social field—which, in this particular case, is a regional social field given the close proximity of the two countries.

This paper will probe into the following three questions: how is Chinese culture migrated in the process from a "newcomer" to a "transnational entrepreneur"? What are the cultural conflict and adaptation? What does migration of culture really mean in the business management for those transnational entrepreneurs? The paper will especially focus on how cross-cultural conflict often occurs between Chinese bosses and Japanese employees as the result of imposing one's own cultural meanings onto another and make an examination on the process of their cultural adaptation.

Paper short abstract:

This paper discussing with anthropology perspective on how Indonesian migrant entrepreneurs relationships dimensions are affected by the system of relations of production, exchange of resources, determination of the rights and obligations, and mechanisms problem solving individually or group in Taiwan.

Paper long abstract:

In migration studies have regarded social networks as the key to understanding migration processes and considered as essential for the social mobility of migrants. Not only used as a strategic survival in the host country but the ways social networks may help them get resources to start businesses also. In socioeconomic perspectives, access to a cohesive social network tends migrants to spur entrepreneurship. They tend to form tight social networks both with local fellow or nationals fellow. These networks facilitated the entrepreneur's activity by providing capital, support (mentoring), knowledge (access to sufficient capital) and a reliable supply and customer base are often key factors in the decision to undertake an entrepreneurial endeavor. These networks can also make up for the fact that migrants often do not have the contacts and local understanding of regulations and culture doing business in host countries. Besides socioeconomic, as an anthropologist studies Indonesian migrant entrepreneurship in Taiwan, I also found other interesting and influenced network in the broad linkages, such as, systems of households, bands, lineages, communities, corporations, or governments, not only in the individual persons linked context. An Indonesian entrepreneur in Taiwan is generally formed a social network, both formal and non formal, based on personal or group networks, religion, ethnic or hometown in Indonesia, or association base in the city where they work, to build networks entrepreneurship. Previously, personal network entrepreneurship is getting so much attention network analysis to clarify the more complex wholes migrant network across borders.

Paper short abstract:

This paper analyzes the role of social capital in return migrant enterprises in the Philippines. Using direct observation and key informant interviews, results revealed that cognitive social capital played a positive role to return migrant entrepreneurship compared to structural social capital.

Paper long abstract:

Social capital theory, although present in migration literature, has been largely applied to the analysis of initiation to migration. Social capital, according to Alejandro Portes (1998), is a form of capital that "inheres in the structure of people's relationships." Although studies on return migration experiences in various parts of the world and migrant entrepreneurship in the host societies had started to trickle in migration literature, there is however a dearth in documenting the burgeoning entrepreneurial initiatives of return migrants, especially as it relates to the Philippines. This paper aims to contribute to this paucity by looking at how social capital is deployed to facilitate several return migrant-led entrepreneurial initiatives in Filipino communities. Using key informant interviews and direct observation methods, this paper conducted an in-depth case study research on the experiences of two successful Filipino return migrants from Bulacan Province in Central Luzon, Philippines who had established migrant businesses after returning to the Philippines. The paper aims to analyze the function/s played by structural and cognitive forms of social capital in the establishment of return migrant enterprises. Since social capital is not directly measurable as a concept, proxy variables such as 'networks and memberships' (structural social capital) and 'social trust' (cognitive social capital) will hence be applied to explain the workings of social capital in facilitating or curtailing return migrant entrepreneurship. The major finding of this paper is that cognitive social capital has a more positive impact on return migrant entrepreneurship rather than structural social capital.

Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how local store managers adapt variously to the homogeneity organizational culture of a Japanese retailer, Uniqlo in Hong Kong and China.

Paper long abstract:

When the company enters into the overseas market, it is crucial to determine to what degree the company adapts to the local differences. The Japanese fashion retailer, Uniqlo has aggressively expanded its business into overseas markets without neglecting the implementation of its homogeneity organizational culture which has been largely characterized by its emphasis of "Japaneseness". This paper concludes that local store managers in Hong Kong and China variously adapt to the company's homogeneity organizational culture based on their own personal traits, career goals and the interpretation of corporate ideology. This paper contributes to understand the dynamics of local adaptation in the process of global homogenization within the modern business organizations and to suggest the importance of the anthropological research in the field of company study.

Paper short abstract:

Based on the achievement from introduction of role-play in teaching Japanese honorifics ("keigo") to the first-year students in Gifu City Women's College, Japan, this paper attempts to make an exploration of the cultural meaning and importance of Japanese honorifics.

Paper long abstract:

Japanese honorific, "keigo" plays significant role for Japanese not only in improving their quality of life but also in constructing their identities. However, fewer young Japanese nowadays can use honorific properly. Based on the result from questionnaire and role-play conducted in Japanese classes for the first-year students in the department of Cross Cultural Studies at Gifu City Women's College, this paper attempts to examine the degree of students' abilities of honorific usages and how they interpret its meanings. Students are asked to take the short quiz before and after the introduction of role-play in teaching Japanese honorifics and those results are compared to find out the influences of this role-play. The questionnaire was also conducted to understand students' consciousness toward Japanese honorifics. This paper finds that students began to understand the importance of Japanese honorifics and want to use them properly since they realise that the more properly they can use honorifics, the more deeply they can understand Japanese culture. This paper also finds that students become more confident and encouraged in using Japanese honorifics after conducting the role-play.

Paper short abstract:

An exploratory study of Filipino organizations and migrant adaptation in the Kanto region of Japan.

Paper long abstract:

Close to half of the over 200,000 registered Filipinos in Japan are in the Kanto area. Within this region, there are 17 Filipino migrant organizations operating under the umbrella of the Philippine Assistance Group (PAG) as well as several other migrant support and religious organizations. In a supposedly migrant-restrictive environment operating on a differential exclusivist incorporation policy, what role do these organizations play in the Filipino community life and migrant adaptation? Looking at the organizational activities of Filipino migrants in Kanto, this paper will explore the role they play in the Filipino community in general and the lives of their members in particular. It will be argued that there are different levels of adaptation migrants must realize to be able to navigate and negotiate their existence in a foreign land and that their involvement in various community groups did not simply allow them to engage in helping other migrants but also gave them the opportunity to recreate in the process the familiar imaginary of the home and to reflect on their personal struggles in Japan. Discourse analysis and strategic fields theory will be employed to analyze the data from ethnographic and semi-structured interviews with the leaders and members of Filipino migrant groups and participant observations of their activities.

Paper short abstract:

Mainland Chinese brides are to refer to those marriage emigrations in Taiwan, who are from mainland China. Mainland Chinese brides has gradually experienced the process of being integrated into the local society and accepting local values in Taiwan.

Paper long abstract:

Mainland Chinese brides are to refer to those marriage emigrations in Taiwan, who are from mainland China. Since the Taiwan authorities allowed mainland Chinese people to visit relatives in Taiwan in 1987, nearly 300000 mainland Chinese females has been married to Taiwan. Two aspects of challenges emerged concerning this pattern of migration. One the one hand, during this period, cross-strait relations has undergone complex changes, the Taiwan authorities has developed and implemented special but defensive policies towards mainland Chinese brides, defensive or supportive. On the other hand, there exists great differences in several aspects between Taiwan and mainland China, such as ideology, social culture, traditional customs, values, etc. Therefore, the mainland Chinese brides has been exposed to problems, such as settlement in Taiwan, jobs, social identity, families, etc. However, things has become much more positive recently with the help of strong social concerns, favorable policies and development of private organizations. Mainland Chinese brides has gradually experienced the process of being integrated into the local society and accepting local values in Taiwan.At the same time,special migration culture of mainland Chinese brides is being formed, which blends their original culture with local culture in Taiwan.It seems that those mainland Chinese brides who possess similar traditions and experience inclines to form groups, and become an important part of emigrations in Taiwan.

Paper short abstract:

The author's focus in this case is on immigrants of Pangcah people of Hualien to South Africa in the 1980s.

Paper long abstract:

The author's focus in this case is on immigrants of Pangcah people of Hualien to South Africa in the 1980s. They belonged in the past to Taiwan society's underlying labor class, meanwhile their life in the political and economic context was of the lower class, however they have one thing in common with each other, they were Christians when living in Taiwan.

During the migration and growth process, they have set up the first overseas branch of their original village church, Pangcah Presbyterian Church of Taiwan, at the border between South Africa and Lesotho, but because of severe flooding, the local government decided evacuate the town residents in 1998 and also clear all buildings, including the church. However, although the Pangcah people were scattered all over South Africa , they continue to maintain momentum as religious, self-understanding even after global immigration.

Paper short abstract:

Statistically, Indonesian become the largest number immigrant worker in Taiwan, while Indonesia is known as the biggest Muslim population in the world. This paper will discuss how the religious life of Indonesian Muslim community and how they preserve their identity as Muslim in Taiwan.

Paper long abstract:

At first, Taiwan and its Chinese culture is not associated with Islam as religion and Muslim people. However, with the aging population in Taiwan and growing number of immigrant worker, the demographic of Taiwan is changing. Numerous immigrant workers (mainly from South East Asian countries) come to Taiwan in informal sector. In terms of number of foreign workers in Taiwan by March 2013, Indonesia has the highest number (44%). Indonesia also known with its biggest Muslim population in the world, so we can assumed that those Indonesian workers in Taiwan mainly are Muslim. In order to preserve their identity and cultural life, the Indonesian Muslim in Taiwan formed various religious-based community.

The objective of this study is to know how the religious life of Indonesian Muslim and how they preserve their identity as Muslim in Taiwan. This topic not only important for the Indonesian or Muslim in Taiwan, but also for the Taiwanese society itself, to face more diversified people and culture. Qualitative approach on data collection was undertaken, using literature review followed by interview with Indonesian Muslim Community figure, Indonesian Muslims and expert on Islamic Studies in Taiwan.