Converging work skills? Job advertisements and generic skills in Japanese and Anglo-Saxon contexts

In the debate over whether Japanese business practices are converging upon those of other economies, little attention has been paid to the skills that are demanded of new employees. Through a qualitative analysis of job advertisements and work skill reports, this article compares discourses in Japanese and Anglo-Saxon contexts. It finds that, although official reports in Japan draw explicitly on Anglo-Saxon concepts, job advertisements offer a more complex picture, containing elements associated with traditional conceptions of the Japanese firm. The findings suggest that Japanese cultural traditions continue to have strong influence on corporate identities.