Japanese Bosses in U.S. Modify Work Styles : Management: Most of those surveyed at American subsidiaries say workers expect a more egalitarian approach.

CYPRESS — When Tachi Kiuchi arrived from Tokyo nearly five years ago to head Mitsubishi Electronics America in Cypress, he figured he could run the U.S. subsidiary pretty much the way he had other Mitsubishi operations in Japan.

He was wrong. In Japan, Kiuchi personally made most of the key decisions, and a cadre of loyal managers carried them out with seldom a complaint. But things didn’t work that way in the United States, where workers are very outspoken.

Kiuchi said he soon found himself modifying his style to smooth relations with his American managers and workers.

Such is the tack taken by many Japanese business executives in the United States, according to a survey released Monday by the Japan America Society of Southern California.

Ninety-five percent of the Japanese executives said they would “definitely” or “might” make additional changes in management practices if given more autonomy from their parent companies in Japan.

Asked if they would bring employment or management practices learned in America back to Japan, 82% said they would, while 18% said they would not.

“Going into the survey, I thought Japanese executives were not responsive to ideas from American employees,” said Robert Novick, president of Impulse Research, a Los Angeles research firm that conducted the study for the Japan American Society. “But the survey showed that they actually wish to change how they behave as managers, but that management in Japan prohibits this.”

Dennis Laurie, who is writing a book on Japanese management practices, said that as the Japanese have expanded operations in the United States, they have become less likely to impose their management styles in the workplace, in part, because of the potential for friction with American workers.

“In the process of yielding to the American culture, (the Japanese) are letting go much of the great value of their management style, such as lifetime employment and intensive and constant training of employees on new technologies,” said Laurie, a research fellow at Claremont Colleges.

A majority of the business leaders (77%) said they’d like to extend their stay in this country for “several more years.” Only 6% said they’d rather not stay longer than required, and 17% said it makes no difference to them or their families if they stayed longer.

On American lifestyle, the survey found that Japanese executives adjust more quickly to American living than was previously assumed, said Steve Clemons, executive director of the Japan America Society. Nearly half (47%) said they and their families have not experienced problems relating to American food, culture, education and lifestyle.