From the past until now, the Japanese were and still are one of the biggest investors in Thailand, under this cross-cultural context; the Japanese management system applied in Thailand is mismanaged. In the article Culture and Conflict: Japanese managers and Thai subordinates, Fredric William and Jun Onishi did their research based on the cultural dimensions of Hofstede’s conceptual framework, it conducted a study on possible conflicts between Japanese and Thai subordinates when they have different perceptions.

The research provided evidences that the expectation of Japanese managers and Thai subordinates adapting in a different cultural context are reversed according to three aspects which are culture characteristics based on Hofstede, Japanese HRM system, and unique Japanese social and business practices. The authors collected data from ten Japanese manufactures to research and find the differences in real situation.

From the culture dimensions, we can see the differences as follow: 1) Thai subordinates have higher power distance, they believe that company should have clear hierarchy. 2) Thai are less individualistic, they prefer to receive instructions than come with own ideas. 3) Japanese have higher masculinity, they always work voluntarily on weekends. 4) For the uncertainty avoidance, Japanese managers prefer specific company rules but Thai subordinates prefer flexibility. 5) Thai subordinates do not like long-term work plans which the Japanese managers set for them.

The Japanese HRM systems work ineffectively in Thailand according to the Thai subordinates' response, 1) Thai staff don't like the lifetime employment system, they it is inflexible and it is not based on performance. 2) Thai staff believe that performance-based rewards are better to encourage employees to get promotion than seniority systems. 3) Thai staff think that the Japanese union concept does not provide any benefit. 4) Thai subordinates are unhappy with Japanese type of consensual decision making even they accepted this decision making process. 5) Thai staff don't want to contribute their free time to quality circle because they think it should be conducted during working hours.

On Japanese business practice side, it also has significant differences. First of all, Japanese managers have different roles in Thailand, this causes Thai staff misunderstand of them. Secondly, Japanese style of punitive action also cannot be accepted by Thai staff. The last one is different senses of self pride causes the misunderstanding.

The findings of this article showed the major source of conflict is different perception on equality, innovation and quality circles; and different views about consensus and the separation of private and work time. On the other hand, the findings also showed that Japanese managers adapt more to Thai culture and Thai subordinates also adapt to the Japanese style of management and human resource system. But in some critical areas such as motivation, consensus teamwork and the emphasis on cross-cultural understanding, the Japanese managers and Thai subordinates are still have different perception.

This article helps people understand of culture differences between Japanese and Thai deeply, and it helps people to improve management or adapt management in cross-cultural organization with this understanding. Moreover, it provides the information for people who operate international business and faces the cultural difference with local employees. However, as a result of the small sample size (100 employees from 10 Japanese companies in northern industrial zone), inaccuracy may occur. The results cannot describe the real situations precisely. Furthermore, different backgrounds of respondents may give different answers; this also causes deviations of the results.

To conclude, this research paper had shown the big picture about the conflict among Japanese and Thai subordinates in the organization. Different in perception and points of view will lead to conflict among them especially the problem in cross-cultural and teamwork. Japanese managers may change a bit in their management system to adapt with Thai culture and furthermore, Thai subordinates also need to adapt themselves, open-mind with the company they are working for to minimize the conflict, work effectively and get along well with each others.