Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Leading Self: Motivation and Leader Identity of Women in Japan

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Japanese Women in Leadership

Part of the book series: Current Perspectives on Asian Women in Leadership ((CPAWL))

  • 617 Accesses

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore literature on Japanese women leaders to identify how they have taken ownership to develop to become leaders, shifting from dependent and supporting roles to leaders. We seek to understand the learning experiences of these women based on three questions: what triggers motivated these women to become leaders, how does their view of their identity change as they move toward leadership, and how did they learn to develop competencies to achieve the leadership positions? Based on the assumption that the key drivers of leadership are motivation and learning, we explore Japanese women’s self-efficacy. As Japanese women are said to lack confidence, we end this chapter with a discussion of how self-efficacy can be developed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Asahi. (2019).「仕事も子育ても『任せる』勇気を持とう」株式会社ワーク・ライフバランス　代表取締役社長/小室淑恵[Let’s having a courage of asking help for work and child-rearing: Komuro Yoshie, President of Work Life Balance Co., Ltd.]. Retrieved from https://telling.asahi.com/article/12912089.

  • Bandura, A. (2008). An agentic perspective on positive psychology. In S. Lopez (Ed.), Positive psychology: Exploring the best in people (pp. 167–196). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elder. (2018). Leader’s Talk No. 53. Elder, 40(11), 1–4. Retrieved from http://www.jeed.or.jp/elderly/data/elder/q2k4vk000001v1bd-att/q2k4vk000001v1dx.pdf.

  • Forbes Japan. (2020). 世界最強の女性経営者から私が教わった「3つのダメ」新しい師 弟関係[What three Nos that I learned from the world’s best woman CEO about mentoring relationship]. Retrieved from https://forbesjapan.com/articles/detail/34197.

  • Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office. (2019). 男女共同参画白書 [White Paper on Gender Equality]. Retrieved from http://www.gender.go.jp/english_contents/about_danjo/whitepaper/pdf/ewp2019.pdf.

  • Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamada, K. (2018). 働く女性と罪悪感 [Working women and their sense of guilt]. Tokyo, Japan: Shueisha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamaguchi, K. (2015). 働く女性の運命 [Destiny of working women]. Tokyo, Japan: Bunshunshinsho.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horii, K. (2015). Research on women in management positions in Japan. 共栄大学研究論集[Kyoei University Research], 13, 75–93. Retrieved from http://id.nii.ac.jp/1372/00000131/.

  • Inoue, M. (2018). 女性管理職者のコミュニケーション・スタイルに関する研究(6)流 動性の低い組織における調査結果から[Communication styles of female Japanese managers (Part 6): Research at an organization with low mobility]. 立教女学院短期大学紀要[Rikkyo Women’s Community University Summary], 50, 55–68. https://doi.org/10.20707/stmlib.50.0_55.

  • Ishizaka, N. (2014). 絶体絶命でも世界一愛される会社に変える![Change the firm into the most loved one even under a desperate situation]. Tokyo, Japan: Diamondsha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishizaka, N. (2018). 반딧불이 CEO[Change the firm into the most loved one even under a desperate situation] (K. Hyun-young, Trans.). Retrieved from http://www.yes24.com/Product/goods/78867111.

  • Iwata, K. (2020). 女性自身も変わらなければ真の男女平等は実現しない[Women also need to change to make the society truly gender-equal]. Diamond Harvard Business Review, 45(4), 70–82. Retrieved from https://www.dhbr.net/articles/-/6542.

  • Japan Institute for Women’s Empowerment & Diversity Management. (2019). 女性正社員50 代・60代におけるキャリアと働き方に関する調査[Report on full-time women employees’ career and work life who are 50 s and 60 s]. Retrieved from https://www.jiwe.or.jp/research-report/2019.

  • Jiji News. (2018). Interview with Yuki Araki at Calbee Inc. Jiji News. Retrieved from https://www.jiji.com/jc/v4?id=201803calbee0001.

  • Kanai, K. (2017). 女性の昇進をめぐる意識とマネジメント : 雇用管理体系とジェンダー[Awareness of Women promotion and it’s management: Employment system and Gender]. 大原社会問題研究所雑誌[Ohara Society Challenge Research Institute Journal], 704, 18–36. http://doi.org/10.15002/00014077.

  • Kijima, Y. (2019). 骨折で落ち込んだが…在宅勤務、体験して得た気づき[Awareness raising through remote work even though I was upset with my broken leg]. Nikkei Style. Retrieved from https://style.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO42145590X00C19A3000000?channel=DF181220173324.

  • Kobayashi, I. (2014, January 19). 自分のロールモデル、どう作る、小林いずみ氏に聞く[Ask Ms.Kobayashi on how to make your own role models], Nikkei Style. Retrieved from https://style.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASGG1402W_X10C14A1000000?channel=DF260120166500&style=1.

  • Kobayashi, M. (2009). How Japanese working women learn to attain leadership positions in the Japanese business environment (Order No. 3368422). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304873732). Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/304873732?accountid=147036.

  • Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning; Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuraoka, Y. (2015). Effective supervisory support for the development of nurse managers. The Journal of the Japan Academy of Nursing Administration and Policies, 19(1), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.19012/janap.19.1_20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuraoka, Y. (2018). Effect of an experiential learning-based programme to foster competence among nurse managers. Journal of Nursing Management, 26, 1015–1023. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12628.

  • Marsick, V. J., & Watkins, E. E. (2015). Informal and incidental learning in the workplace. New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezirow, J. (1990). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakahara, J., & Innovation, Tohmatsu. (2018). 女性の視点で見直す人材育成 [Redesigning talent development from the perspectives of women]. Tokyo, Japan: Diamond Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nikkei. (n.d.). テンプスタッフ[Temporary Worker]. Retrieved from https://ps.nikkei.co.jp/myroad/keyperson/shinohara_yoshiko/.

  • Nishimura, T., & Hu, M. (2017). Determinants of non-managerial women’s ambition for promotion. 経済学論究[Economics Research], 70(4), 25–49. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10236/00025827.

  • Nomura, H. (2020). 女性リーダーが生まれるとき[When woman leader is born]. Tokyo, Japan: Kobunsha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oda, M., & Sunazuka, M. (2017a, September, 05). 昇進する女はコミュ力、実績、専門的経験がある[Women who advance their career possess communication skills, outstanding results and professional experiences]. Nikkei Dual. Retrieved from https://dual.nikkei.com/article/109/39/?P=3.

  • Oda, M., & Sunazuka, M. (2017b, August 31). 大切なことが「タバコ部屋」で今だに決められる [Important decisions are still made at smoking rooms]. Nikkei Dual. Retrieved from https://dual.nikkei.com/article/109/40/.

  • Ogawa, Y. (2016). 女性管理職の教科書 [Textbook for women managers]. Tokyo, Japan: Dobunkan Shuppan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okamoto, Y. (2010). 女性の生涯発達に関する研究の展望と課題 [Overview of research and issues on women’s development]. In Y. Okamoto (Ed.), 女性の生涯発達とアイデンティティー [Women’s development and their identity] (pp. 1–30). Kyoto, Japan: Kitaojishbo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okubo, Y., & Ishihara, N. (2016). 女性が活躍する会社 [Companies where women demonstrate excellent performance] (2nd ed.). Tokyo, Japan: Nikkei Bunko.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osawa, M. (2019). 女性と管理職をめぐる現状[Reality of women workers and their promotion to managers]. In M, Osawa (Ed.), なぜ女性管理職は少ないのか [Why do we have only a small number of woman managers?] (pp. 9–24). Tokyo, Japan: Japan Women’s University Research Institute for Women and Career.

    Google Scholar 

  • President Woman. (2017). 横浜市市長・林 文子のルーツ「その日、その日をしっかり生きる」[Yokohama City Mayor, Fumiko Hayashi’s roots: Carpe diem]. Retrieved from https://president.jp/articles/-/21899.

  • Saito, C. (2019). パッチワーク型ロールモデルのすすめ　理想像は自作で[Recommendation of having patchwork form of role model: Creating an ideal model by yourself]. Nikkei Style. Retrieved from https://style.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO40406710U9A120C1000000?channel=DF181220173324.

  • Shimazaki, N. (2018). < 日本型システム > の形成過程とその特性[Formation process and characteristics of Japanese system]. 学術の動向[Direction of Academics], 23(9), 10–15. https://doi.org/10.5363/tits.23.9_10.

  • Shinoda, M. (2020).「無意識バイアス」が日本の女性活躍を妨げている[Unconscious bias holds Japanese women back]. Diamond Harvard Business Review, 45(4), 56–69. Retrieved from https://www.dhbr.net/articles/-/6543.

  • Shirae, A. (2016). 日本女性の底力 [Potentiality of Japanese women]. Tokyo, Japan: Kodansha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugimura, K. (2010). 現代女性の青年期から中年期までのアイデンティーの発達 [Identity development of modern women from puberty to middle age. In Y. Okamoto (Ed.), 女性の生涯発達とアイデンティティー [Women’s development and their identity] (pp. 55–86). Kyoto, Japan: Kitaojishbo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Takada, A. (2016). 女性マネジャー育成講座 [Women manager development course]. Tokyo, Japan: Seisensei Shuppan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Takeishi, K. (2019). 女性の意欲や職場パフォーマンスを高める管理職の要因に関する研 究 : 部下と上司の認識ギャップに注目して[Managerial factors to enhance women’s work motivation and workplace performance]. 生涯学習とキャリアデザイン[Lifelong Learning and Career Design], 16(2), 87–101. http://doi.org/10.15002/00022396.

  • Tsukada, K. (2019). 仕事に欠かせぬ「想像力」相手の気持ちも先回り[Imagination as a critical skill for work. Imagining other’s feeling]. Nikkei Style. Retrieved from https://style.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO41335280V10C19A2000000?channel=DF181220173324.

  • Ueno, C. (2016). ニッポンが変わる、女が変える[Japan will be changed by women]. Tokyo, Japan: Chuko Bunko.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamagiwa, K. (2016). 女性活躍の推進 [Promoting women’s performance]. Tokyo, Japan: Keidanren Shuppan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi, K. (2017). 働き方の男女不平等:理論と実証分析 [Gender inequality in the workstyle: Theory and substantive analysis]. Tokyo, Japan: Nihonkeizaishinbun Shuppansha.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Talent Development, Deloitte Tohmatsu, LLC, Tokyo, Japan

    Mieko Kobayashi

  2. The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA

    Yoshie Tomozumi Nakamura

Authors
  1. Mieko Kobayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yoshie Tomozumi Nakamura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mieko Kobayashi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA

    Yoshie Tomozumi Nakamura

  2. Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan

    Mayuko Horimoto

  3. Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Gary N. McLean

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kobayashi, M., Nakamura, Y.T. (2021). Leading Self: Motivation and Leader Identity of Women in Japan. In: Nakamura, Y.T., Horimoto, M., McLean, G.N. (eds) Japanese Women in Leadership. Current Perspectives on Asian Women in Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36304-8_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation