Culture, Meaning, and Institutions

Culture, Meaning, and Institutions: Executive Rationale in Germany and Japan Author(s): Michael A. Witt and Gordon Redding Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 40, No. 5 (Jun. - Jul., 2009), pp. 859885 Published by: Palgrave Macmillan Journals Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40262813 . Accessed: 16/03/2013 09:19

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

Palgrave Macmillan Journals is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of International Business Studies.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded on Sat, 16 Mar 2013 09:19:51 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Journal of International Business Studies (2009) 40, 859-885 Business Allrights reserved © 2009 Academyof International 0047-2506 www.jibs.net

Executive Culture,meaning,and institutions: rationalein Germanyand Japan

Michael A Witt1and Gordon Redding2

^NSEAD, Singapore; 2INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France

Tel: +65 6799 5253; Fax: +65 6799 5399;

Correspondence: MA Witt INSEAD, 1 Ayer Rajah Avenue, Singapore 138676, Singapore. E-mail:Michael.WITT@insead.edu

This paper contributesrare primary empiricalevidence to one of the major researchquestions in the social sciences today, namely,the linkagebetween national cultures and institutional structures national business systems. of or Drawing on the workof Redding,we explore the thinking, "rationale",of senior executives of leading German and Japanese firmsabout the ideal structure the...