WELCOME TO THE WOMEN IN BUSINESS READING LIST
This is a curated collection of resources that have informed and inspired members of the ACCJ Women in Business Committee.
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Access the Women in Business Toolkit: 2021 Edition, a special report highlighting company successes and outlining concrete business initiatives, real target metrics, and key learnings to increase the participation of women and diverse leaders.
Womenomics
This section covers the goal of increasing the number of women in high-ranking positions in firms, including articles on female managers and executives, the role of women on boards and management, and opportunities of career advancement and promotion for women.
Only 6 percent of board seats at Japanese companies are held by women. After years of unkept promises, these businesses are now facing pressure both at home and abroad to diversify.
This book explores the 5Cs of courage, confidence, communication, connections and career and how they can be used to support the success of women.
This book features the extraordinary voices and stories of women leaders from around the world who have trailblazed to the board room, as letters to the next generation of women in business and government.
A slim Japanese language volume by the equity strategist Kathy Matsui, who coined the term Womenomics. In this book, The author talks about 10 points she has learned about managing and developing women in corporate life in Japan. A must read for any Japanese leader interested in this subject and for Japanese woman who want to succeed in corporate life in Japan.
A terrific article about Sanshu Seika, a mid-size Japanese company, which has been committed to gender equality and led by a decisive Japanese leader. The positive impact of their actions on business results and employee satisfaction are clearly communicated.
This article, focusing on the appointment of Yuko Kawamoto, a professor at Waseda Business School, as a board director at Softbank, looks into the number of Japanese companies still lacking diversity at board level, and discusses "box ticking" versus appointing capable non-executive directors.
Looking for examples of true leadership in a crisis? From Iceland to Taiwan and from Germany to New Zealand, women are stepping up to show the world how to manage a messy patch for our human family.
This article highlights the unorthodox career of ACCJ member, Cynthia Usui, who first entered the workforce in Tokyo after 17 years of being a full time mother. It shows the remarkable progress Cynthia has made in her career since accepting the lowly hourly rate as a telephone operator at a members club, and how she has channeled her experience to help and encourage others. A MUST READ.
Looking for examples of true leadership in a crisis? From Iceland to Taiwan and from Germany to New Zealand, women are stepping up to show the world how to manage a messy patch for our human family.
This article published on April 9, 2020 looks at how countries are handling their responses to the COVID-19 crises, and calls out the performances of New Zealand and Germany – both governments are lead by women.
In this article, Sakie Fukushima talks about how the number of female board members in Japan is still low and the need to increase the number of female board members.
This Reading List is curated by members of the ACCJ Women in Business Committee as a service to ACCJ members and the international business community in Japan.
If you’d like to add to this list, click below.
Working Mothers
This section covers a wide range of topics concerning working mothers in the workforce such as balancing child care and raising children, various maternity issues, utilizing flexible working arrangements, and finding ways to outsource household duties.
This book, written by Shaa Wasmund and endorsed by a recent ACCJ Women in Business speaker, encourages a less is more approach so we can find the time to focus on what matters. The book looks at the importance of nurturing a support network, scheduling for value, and escaping procrastination.
This article highlights the unorthodox career of ACCJ member, Cynthia Usui, who first entered the workforce in Tokyo after 17 years of being a full time mother. It shows the remarkable progress Cynthia has made in her career since accepting the lowly hourly rate as a telephone operator at a members club, and how she has channeled her experience to help and encourage others. A MUST READ.
In 2008, the Japanese government began piloting the Ikumen Project, aimed at drafting policies that would make workplaces more father-friendly and funding various cultural projects that would encourage dads throughout Japan to get more involved with their children.
This article talks about Hiroki Komazaki, who has persuaded the Japanese government to pass a law on childcare that would allow entrepreneurs to establish nurseries using vacant spaces in apartment buildings in Tokyo.
This Reading List is curated by members of the ACCJ Women in Business Committee as a service to ACCJ members and the international business community in Japan.
If you’d like to add to this list, click below.
Issues Regarding Gender
The section on gender issues details the problems of gender disparity in the Japanese workplace. This section includes articles about gender bias in the workplace, problems dealing with harassment, and perspectives outlining the role of men in promoting diversity.
Dirty Diversity, Janice Gassam, Ph.D is a short book that provides a very practical guide for organizations looking to strengthen their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has long made creating jobs for women central to his economic policy, but as the country heads for its worst economic slump since World War II women are suffering a bigger share of the pain.
Research shows that women leaders tend to be more relationship oriented, more collaborative and better listeners, all traits that are essential to building high performing teams, interfacing with customers and solving complex problems.
This Reading List is curated by members of the ACCJ Women in Business Committee as a service to ACCJ members and the international business community in Japan.
If you’d like to add to this list, click below.
Government Responses
This section covers the actions and steps taken by the governments of Japan and other countries. This section includes articles about legislation in Japan dealing with promoting women in business, in addition to articles detailing women in business in other countries.
In this working paper, authors from the Petersen Institute for International Economics use the results from a global survey of firms to examine the relationship between the presence of women in corporate leadership positions and a firm's performance.
This Reading List is curated by members of the ACCJ Women in Business Committee as a service to ACCJ members and the international business community in Japan.
If you’d like to add to this list, click below.
Cultural & Social Issues
This section includes articles about the impact of gender in the working culture in Japan, in addition to the rising issues of Japan's aging society causing increasing pressures on elderly care and the nation's decreasing population caused by a low birthrate and fertility rate.
Catalyst provides a good definition of Intersectionality in this short piece and reminds leaders to be intentional about who they are talking about or targeting, and to be mindful of employees for whom certain structures may create particularly high hurdles. Also useful reminder on psychological safety.
This Reading List is curated by members of the ACCJ Women in Business Committee as a service to ACCJ members and the international business community in Japan.
If you’d like to add to this list, click below.