Self-Compassion and Cultural Values: A Cross-Cultural Study of Self-Compassion Using a Multitrait-Multimethod (MTMM) Analytical Procedure. Frontiers in Psychology (20181221) Vol. 9

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Self-compassion is natural, trainable and multi-faceted human capacity. To date there has been little research into the role of culture in influencing the conceptual structure of the underlying construct, the relative importance of different facets of self-compassion, nor its relationships to cultural values. This study employed a cross-cultural design, with 4,124 participants from 11 purposively sampled datasets drawn from different countries. We aimed to assess the relevance of positive and negative items when building the self-compassion construct, the convergence among the self-compassion components, and the possible influence of cultural values. Each dataset comprised undergraduate students who completed the "Self-Compassion Scale" (SCS). We used a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach to the multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) model, separating the variability into self-compassion components (self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness), method (positive and negative valence), and error (uniqueness). The normative scores of the Values Survey Module (VSM) in each country, according to the cultural dimensions of individualism, masculinity, power distance, long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence, were considered. We used Spearman coefficients (rs) to assess the degree of association between the cultural values and the variance coming from the positive and negative items to explain self-compassion traits, as well as the variance shared among the self-compassion traits, after removing the method effects produced by the item valence. The CFA applied to the MTMM model provided acceptable fit in all the samples. Positive items made a greater contribution to capturing the traits comprising self-compassion when the long-term orientation cultural value was higher (rs = 0.62; p = 0.042). Negative items did not make significant contributions to building the construct when the individualism cultural value was higher, but moderate effects were found (rs = 0.40; p = 0.228). The level of common variance among the self-compassion trait factors was inversely related to the indulgence cultural value (rs = -0.65; p = 0.030). The extent to which the positive and negative items contribute to explain self-compassion, and that different self-compassion facets might be regarded as reflecting a broader construct, might differ across cultural backgrounds.

Differential Construal of Exercise versus Diet and Implications for Weight Control. Journal of Consumer Research (20190901) Vol. 46 No.3 pp. 528-544

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Successful weight control is a challenge for many consumers, but in principle, it is a simple arithmetic combination of increasing caloric expenditure and/or decreasing caloric intake. We call the former "exercise" and the latter "diet." A field survey, three behavioral lab experiments, and a national weight loss field study show that (1) people tend to construe exercise at higher levels and diet at lower levels, (2) activating people's focus on the high-level purposes versus low-level processes of their behavior may improve the odds of weight control success by exercise and diet, respectively, and (3) people who effectuated exercise plans that were high in desirability in terms of bringing about greater net caloric cuts, and diet plans that were high in feasibility in terms of ease of compliance, had the greatest weight reduction over a three-month period. Understanding the theory of how contrasting mental models underlie exercise versus diet may help consumers control their weight with more success, and marketers position their weight control products and services more effectively.

Emotional fortification: Indulgent consumption and emotion reappraisal and their implications for well-being. Journal of Consumer Behaviour (20190101) Vol. 18 No.1 pp, 25-31

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This paper suggests that indulgent consumption could be used as an emotion regulation strategy and that it could have positive implications for well‐being. "Emotional fortification," where the use of one emotion regulation strategy is correlated with the use of another strategy, is confirmed in this study. People who frequently use emotion reappraisal are more likely to use indulgence than people who use this reappraisal strategy infrequently. Study 1 shows the correlation between indulgence and reappraisal. Study 2 examines the implications of indulgence and reappraisal for life satisfaction and personal well‐being. These findings suggest that indulgence is not always harmful for people and society. Top 10% Most Downloaded Papers (2018-2019)

Emergence of Value Co-creation: Agent-Based Modelling on Behavioral Patterns of Customer, Corporation, and Regulator. Joint International Conference on Service Science and Innovation and Serviceology Taichung, Taiwan November 13-15,2018

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The purpose of our research is to identify the mechanism by which value co-creation emerges on an open innovation platform. Our approach is a multi-method field study, combining quantitative analysis on customer behavior data on an open innovation platform "LEGO CUUSOO" and qualitative case analysis on LEGO products developed through the platform. Keywords: Value co-creation, open innovation platform, agent-based model 1 INTRODUCTION As a further development of Fujikawa, Oue and Nishiyama (2016), where an agent-based model (ABM) simulates voting patterns of customers on the open innovation platform, we extend the model to a multi-period and multi-product ABM and explicitly incorporate expected and realized values created on the platform. This research intends to reveal how actually observed macro dynamics emerge from individual expectations and decisions of many customers and how interventions by regulator may alter the voting patterns and thus the submission patterns of ideas. Research on value co-creation has identified how interactions between users and corporations emerge new value in corporate management context (Prahalad and Ramaswami 2003, 2004). User innovation research explained that source of innovation can be found outside of corporation and thus rational for innovators differ from that of corporations (von Hippel 1986). User driven innovation theory also explained how an online platform with voting mechanism allows users to participate to create a market and at same time suggest potential market opportunity to corporation (Ogawa 2005). While the extant research has clarified how the emergence of co-creation happens in a static state, there are limited explanations to explain the dynamism of emergence of value co-creation. In the real-world community, values are co-created not only by users and corporation but other actors as result of complex interactions (Lemons 1996). Research in service science attempted to explain the emergence of value co-creation in value constellation model (Vargo and Lusch 2008). Actor-to-actor model tries to simplify the interactions by limiting the interaction of an on online platform and by focusing the interactions amongst three actors; users, corporations and regulators (Nishiyama and Fujikawa 2016). The actor-to-actor model suggested that value co-creation on online platforms could be influenced by regulators, but it does not explain how regulators actually controls the outcome. Neither this research suggest the causal effect to the emergence of value co-created are conducted to date.

Self-Gifting in Interdependent Cultures: Lonely Mothers and Self-Compassion. European Association for Consumer Research 2018 Vol.11 pp.50-54

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Self-gifting consumer behavior, due to its nature of focus on self, its compatibility with interdependent cultures had always been questioned. Still, self-gifting is now prevalent in many interdependent cultures. This paper illuminates that self-gifting plays an important role of self-compassion for Japanese mothers feeling isolated from their family members. As demonstrated in its name and characteristics, one of the predominant aspects of self-gift consumer behavior (SGCB) is the focus on self. Hence, Mick and DeMoss (1990a) suggested that SGCB may depend on an individually-centered view of self, and questioned its existence in cultures dominant with a group-centered view of self. Thus, the investigation of SGCB in non-Western cultures has become to be one of the research agendas in the self-gift research. However, only very recently, the initiatives of exploring SGCB in the Eastern cultures have begun (e.g., Joy et al. 2006; Suzuki 2011; Tynan et al. 2010). Using the data gathered from the Japanese mothers on their SGCB, we explore how self-gifts play a role in interdependent cultures.

Nudge and Willingness to Work, Presented at the Japanese Economic Association Autumn Meeting September 8, 2018 Gakushuin University

Revisiting the Creation of Meaning by Media: A Perspective from Japan

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This paper revisits the role of media in the meaning-construction system. In consumer research, media are often regarded as gatekeepers in the system. This paper focuses on the media's other role -- as the creator of meanings. In this paper, an interpretive analysis of magazine articles regarding the 'jibun e no gohoubi' [self-reward] consumption since 1990 has been conducted. The findings indicate that the media had created the meanings of sacred and profane consumption acts, in the domain of self-reward consumption. In addition, the paper explores the influence of media in liberating and empowering Japanese women.

Career mobility in the embedded market: a study of the Japanese financial sector. Asian Business & Management (20200806) Vol. 17 No. 5 pp.339-365

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The coexistence of domestic and foreign firms in Japan provides a fascinating test bed through which to examine how local firms adapt to global pressures, and how employees navigate the changing institutional environment. I employ a mixed methods approach using in-depth interviews and two separate datasets of finance professionals in Japan. My analysis reveals that there is greater mobility and greater employee heterogeneity in the foreign firms. Mobility is a one-way transition from domestic to foreign firms, intermediated by status distinctions between firms. My findings also suggest that mobility in the foreign firms is constrained by local norms and conventions.

Because I’m afraid to be punished, I don’t give: The role of relational mobility and fear in charitable behavior　Proceedings for the 2018 International Conference of Asian Marketing Associations

Bicultural brand personality model: A case of Japan and the U.S. 2018 Global Marketing Conference at Tokyo Proceedings 2018, 174.

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This research was conducted to develop a brand personality model that could be used to measure and compare the brand personality of a same brand across cultures. The results suggest that for West (the U.S.) and East (Japan), the bicultural BPD have five distinct dimensions of Sincerity, Sophistication, Ruggedness, Excitement, and Peacefulness, represented by the 15 attributes (wholesome, warm, kind, upper-class, elegant, romantic, masculine, tough, rugged, trendy, exciting, imaginative, shy, naïve, and childlike). The results show that many global brands have different brand personality perceptions across cultures. Only four (Levi's, Nintendo DS, Shell, and Visa) out of 21 global brands had the same brand personality perceptions in two cultures. These results may be inconsistent with the definition of global brands--brands whose positioning, advertising strategy, personality, look, and feel are same or at least similar from one country to another. However, the results confirm the findings of Aaker et al. (2001) that brands have culturally specific meaning. The results also confirm the "the lure of global branding"--the goal of developing one strong global brand is often unrealistic (Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 1999). Still, in the business world, many companies are trying to globalize their own brands in order to enjoy the high economies of scale. Hence, it is important for the business managers to be able to measure the results of their global branding efforts. This research provides a tool, the bicultural brand personality model, the managers could use to measure their global brands in Western and Eastern cultures, and understand the similarity and differences across two cultures.

Marketing in the steady-state economy: Conceptual model and propositions. Proceedings for the 2018 Global Marketing Conference

Finding a Better Match for Creative Collaboration: A Dyad Level Analysis of Academic Co-Authorship. Academy of Management Proceedings Vol. 2018 No.1

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Why are some co-authorship interactions more successful than others to create novel research outcomes? We endeavor to investigate this research question by exploring how dyadic differences of collaboration characteristics affect collaborative outcomes (creative performance). While prior studies on creativity and innovation have provided ample evidence for understanding the individual or team-level determinants of successful collaboration, less attention has been paid to studying creative collaboration at the dyad level. We analyzed 235 joint academic research papers that were published in the twelve management journals during 1998-2007. Our findings indicate that at the dyad-level, knowledge diversity, knowledge overlap, the interaction between knowledge diversity and knowledge overlap, and previous collaboration experience strongly impact creative performance. We also find that dyadic differences in past creative performance is positively associated with creative performance.

Self-gifting in interdependent cultures: Japanese single women and self-compassion Proceedings for the EMAC Annual Conference 2018 pp.50-54

Preference and strategy in proposer’s prosocial giving in the ultimatum game　PLOS ONE 20180305 Vol.13 No.3

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The accumulation of findings that most responders in the ultimatum game reject unfair offers provides evidence that humans are driven by social preferences such as preferences for fairness and prosociality. On the other hand, if and how the proposer's behavior is affected by social preferences remains unelucidated. We addressed this question for the first time by manipulating the knowledge that the proposer had about the responder's belief concerning the intentionality of the proposer. In a new game called the "ultimatum game with ambiguous intentions of the proposer (UGAMB)," we made the intentionality of the proposer ambiguous to the recipient. We expected and found that the proposer would make more unfair offers in this new game than in the standard ultimatum game. This expectation can be derived from either the preference-based model or the strategy model of the proposer's giving decision. The additional finding that more unfair giving in the UGAMB was not mediated by the proposer's expectation that the recipient would be more willing to accept unfair offers provided support for the preference-based model. Using a psychological measure of cognitive control, the preference-based model received additional support through a conceptual replication of the previous finding that cognitive control of intuitive drive for prosociality in the dictator game, rather than mind reading in the ultimatum game, is responsible for the difference in giving between the two games.

Revisiting the Creation of Meaning by Media: A Perspective from Japan. Market, Globalization & Development Review 2018 Vol.3 No.1

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This paper revisits the role of media in the meaning-construction system. In consumer research, media are often regarded as gatekeepers in the system. This paper focuses on the media's other role -- as the creator of meanings. In this paper, an interpretive analysis of magazine articles regarding the 'jibun e no gohoubi' [self-reward] consumption since 1990 has been conducted. The findings indicate that the media had created the meanings of sacred and profane consumption acts, in the domain of self-reward consumption. In addition, the paper explores the influence of media in liberating and empowering Japanese women.

Why Do the Japanese Work Long Hours? Sociological Perspectives on Long Working Hours in Japan. Japan Labor Issues February-March 2018 Vol.2 No. 5 pp.35-49

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For some time now, shorter working hours have been at the core of efforts to improve work conditions in Japan. The government has passed legislation and policy measures, and corporations have modified compensation and incentive schemes to help employees strike better work-life balance. Yet, working hours (among regular full-time workers) in Japan have remained virtually unchanged since the 1990s. In this paper, I argue that the true causes of long working hours lie not in the "observable" barriers such as public policy and law, but rather are embedded in "unobservable" or "unmeasurable" attributes such as social norms and work conventions. Understanding this problem better requires an approach that accounts for both economic principles (focusing on rewards and incentives) and sociological perspectives, which pay closer attention to the social-institutional context. I argue that long working hours in Japan stem from the institutional complementarities of the Japanese employment system and the cultural particularities underlying it. In the analysis, I discuss the role of the input-driven society, work conventions that rely on signaling, internal labor market structure, group consciousness and hierarchy, ambiguous job functions, and the traditional gender division of labor. I close by proposing measures to reduce working hours that follow from my analysis.

Consumer evaluation of healthy, unpleasant-tasting food and the post-taste effect of positive information. Food Quality and Preference 2018 Vol.66 pp.107-110

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Previous research on taste evaluations has often featured tasty foods. However, some foods taste unpleasant, particularly those that are good for our health. In two experiments, we showed that for unpleasant-tasting foods, the effect of positive information on taste experiences differs from the findings in the previous literature. When positive information about the food was given after tasting, participants evaluated the product experience more positively than when the same information was given before tasting. Here, we propose the mobilization-minimization hypothesis as a potential explanation for this post-tasting positive information effect. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of information order on product evaluation through emotional change. Taken together, learning positive information about unpleasant-tasting foods, particularly about their health benefits, may minimize the negative emotional impact of that experience, thereby positively influencing product evaluation. The theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.

Making a Good Impression at Work: National Differences in Employee Impression Management Behaviors in Japan, Korea, and the United States, Journal of Psychology, 2018 Vol.152 No.2 pp.110-130.

Inter-linkages between Educational Institutions and White Collar Labor Mobility : A Comparative Study in Japan, Germany, and the U.S.A. Kindai Management Review 2018 Vol.6 pp.100-115

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In this study, we examine how institutions and business practices are interlinked within institutional systems, towards helping explain differences among business systems in Japan, Germany, and the USA. More specifically, we explore how educational institutions and institutionalized corporate practices are inter-related within each of these systems, drawing on data from 2993 managers from large firms in Japan, Germany, and the USA to explore the relationship between educational institutions and institutionalized career path trajectories in firms in these countries. Results showed that business practices and career paths vary in these three countries, and that they are linked with educational institutions, in that managers with various professional certifications are more likely to have worked for multiple firms over their careers, while those with university degrees are not.

Optimism and the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity. Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association 2018 Vol.37 No.11 pp.1077-1080

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Dispositional optimism, a personality trait predisposing individuals to positive expectations, has been suggested to promote better health. However, little is known about the biological mechanism of the salubrious health effects of optimism. We hypothesized that by diminishing a sense of threat to the self, optimism will be associated with a healthier profile of gene expression in immune cells. Specifically, the "conserved transcriptional response to adversity" (CTRA) is activated by fight-or-flight stress responses and results in increased transcription of genes involved in inflammation and decreased transcription of genes involved in antiviral defense. In a sample of 114 male Japanese workers, we found that optimism was inversely linked to CTRA after controlling for demographic variables, health-risk factors, and indices of well-being. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced activity of threat-related gene expression programs may contribute to the health effects associated with optimism. (APA PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Consumer evaluation of healthy, unpleasant-tasting food and the post-taste effect of positive information. Food Quality and Preference 2018 Vol.66 pp.107-110

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日本商品学会　奨励賞