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Employees’ Adaptability in Japanese Workplace Cultures
Siti Nurra Sheikh Badar, Faten Norsyuadah Slim, Mahadir Ladisma @ Awis*
Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150100094
Received: 30 January 2026; Accepted: 06 February 2026; Published: 17 Februar 2026
ABSTRACT
All organisations are hoping to have employees that can adapt well to the workplace cultures and remain long
in the organisation. One of the organisation's objectives is to have an employee who stays with the company
throughout its journey to achieve exceptional performance. However, there are certain barriers that make it
difficult for employees to fit in with the workplace culture, which leads to employee turnover, particularly in
global corporations. As a result of this scenario, the issue of employees' adaptability in workplace cultures has
emerged, with this study focusing on local employees who work in Japanese-based organisations. Therefore,
this study has identified four objectives which are designed to examine (1) the level of employee adaptability
among local employees that work in Japanese-based organisations; (2) the relationship between communication,
innovation, teamwork and decision-making cultures and the employee's adaptability by the local employees; (3)
what the best predictor is that contributes towards employee adaptability by the local employees that work in
Japanese-based organisations; and (4) the years of experience as a moderator in the relationship between
workplace cultures (communication, innovation, teamwork and decision-making) and employee
adaptability. This study was conducted among Malaysian employees who work for Japanese-based businesses.
Structured questionnaires and stratified random sampling were used. The data was collected from 360 local
employees. The study revealed a high level of employee adaptation among local employees working in Japanese-
based businesses. The three factors, namely communication, innovation, and teamwork cultures, have a
substantial association with employees' adaptability. This study also reveals there is no significant relationship
between decision-making culture and employee adaptability.
Keywords: Employees Adaptability, Communication, Innovation, Teamwork, Decision Making, Culture
INTRODUCTION
Dynamic environment changes have made adaptability skills one of the criteria that can lead to organisational
success (Erdorf et al., 2013). This shows that it is impossible to neglect the importance of adaptability in the
organisation, especially towards employees, where they need to learn and be responsive to the adaptability of
various demands that come from different perspectives (Yukl and Mahsud, 2010; Nesbit and Lam, 2014).
Employees’ adaptability towards the workplace culture has become one of the important elements and concerns
for an organisation in ensuring the sustainability of employees (Stone and Deadrick, 2015). Failure to adapt
among employees will affect the overall organisation's performance and image (Kan, 2012). According to
Easterby-Smith and Lyles (2011), the employees’ adaptability can be enhanced through positive workplace
culture implemented by the organisation, and also with the effective learning sessions conducted with the
employees, it can increase the chances for employees to adapt well to the changes in improving job performance
(Zorzie, 2012).
In the Malaysian context, employees’ adaptability to culture is also one of the concerns that multinational
organisations face, whereby most of the organisations will impose their own culture in the form of values and
beliefs that come from the host country (Kan, 2012). This can be related to the culture adopted by Japanese-
based organisations in Malaysia, which are known to be strict and controlling towards their employees
(Mironski, 2008). The Japanese workplace culture is always characterised by others as a good indicator and
example for others to follow (Fujimura, 2007; Mironski, 2008). Most of the organisation will use some form of
Japanese workplace culture to be implemented in their own organisation, as they believe the culture is systematic
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and orientated (Mironski, 2008; Fujimura, 2007; Kan, 2012). Organisations therefore need to take severe efforts
in improving the workplace environment, especially the culture that’s applied in the organisation, so that
employees will be able to learn and adapt well to the workplace culture.
Objectives of Study
Therefore, the study aims: (i) To determine the level of employees’ adaptability amongst local employees that
work in Japanese-based organisations; (ii) To examine the relationship between Japanese workplace cultures
(communication, innovation, teamwork and decision-making) and employees’ adaptability; (iii) To identify what
is the best predictor between communication, innovation, teamwork and decision-making cultures in
determining employee’s adaptability; and (iv) To examine years of experience as the moderator in the
relationship between workplace culture (communication, innovation, teamwork and decision-making) and
employees’ adaptability.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Employee Adaptability
The adaptability in the workplace has been conceptualised and finalised based on the outcomes from
communications standards, job performance, and innovation of changes, decision-making outcomes, and the
stability of individuals (Stokes et al., 2010). Adaptability is important as it will impact the organisational
outcome, such as job satisfaction or job performance. Past research has shown the urgings and assumptions on
how the workplace culture has effects on the employees’ adaptation in the organisation as well as how it impacts
the performance of the employees (Rose et al., 2008). Their abilities to adapt to the culture, technologies, new
tasks, different environments, cross-cultural applications and others will help the organisation grow to be better.
Japanese Work Culture
The customary work cultures of Japan differ from the Western styles, as the Japanese cultures have their own
uniqueness, which consists of values from their lifestyles, norms and principles, which they turn into office
management cultures (Huang, 2011; Batyko, 2012; Kan, 2012). The Japanese work culture is known as one of
the well-known cultures that are adapted and practised by other countries. Kan (2012) mentioned that the cultures
will be practised in every Japanese company worldwide, which all the employees, regardless of their nationality,
must be able to adapt to once they work with them. In previous research, communication, innovation, teamwork
and decision-making are the Japanese work cultures that are frequently discussed by other researchers.
Communication
Graca and Barry (2017) observe that every organisation has emphasised the value of employee communication
cultures. Communication inside the company will be determined by how individuals interpret the information
they receive. Every organisation will have its own culture, which is based on their home nation or host country
and is practised within the organisation (Graca and Barry, 2017). The Japanese multinational organisations have
been studied a lot by other researchers for their uniqueness in cultures to compare with the Western cultures
(Stohl, 1993; Kiyomiya, 2000; Sorenson, 2002). Japanese employees are known as people that use their language
as their primary communication on a daily basis at work (Goodman, 2005). Kiyomiya (2000) discovered that
Japanese cultures are less individualistic and more accustomed to collectivistic cultures, commonly known as
group orientation and prioritising group goals over individualistic interests. Mohsen et al. (2014) acknowledged
that communication styles are a key predictor of employees' adaptability within the organisation. The difference
in understanding the instruction given by the management will be the primary cause of performance failure.
Innovation
Innovation can be defined as a strategic option for an organisation to improve performance and remain
competitive (Tidd, 2001). According to Ceauşu et al. (2017), a company is considered truly innovative when
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both employers and employees generate creative ideas and translate them into action. An innovation culture has
become an integral part of successful organisations, as such cultures are believed to enhance productivity,
organisational growth, and employees’ abilities and skills (Chich-Jen and I.-Ming, 2010). For local workers in
Japanese companies to sustain long-term employment, the ability to think creatively is essential (Hansen and
Birkinshaw, 2007). Kan (2012) found that Japan-based organisations consistently provide employees with
continuous learning opportunities, particularly in research and development. Management also introduces
employees to basic or targeted training programmes (Hansen and Birkinshaw, 2007; Stacho et al., 2017; Maier
et al., 2018). Through these initiatives, employees acquire knowledge from experts, enabling them to adapt to
change and implement improvements successfully (Hilmarsson et al., 2018).
Teamwork
Teamwork cultures are important in determining organisational performance and success (Kasl et al., 1997;
Goodman, 2005; Chang, 2013). In Japanese organisations, teamwork culture is regarded as a strong guideline
for other organisations and serves as an example of how effective team members are developed and teamwork
skills are shaped (Milliman et al., 2001). The effectiveness of teamwork can be assessed based on the extent to
which organisational objectives are achieved (Salas et al., 2014). Japanese organisations are highly concerned
with teamwork effectiveness, as it determines the organisation’s path to success (Chang, 2013). Oertig and
Buergi (2006) argued that a team will achieve meaningful outcomes when members are able to set clear direction,
maintain momentum, adapt workloads, and demonstrate full commitment. They further emphasised that
effective teamwork cannot be established within a short period but develops gradually over time. This is
applicable to Japanese organisations, where capable teamwork is nurtured within a defined time frame, reflecting
their belief in achieving strong long-term results (Chang, 2013).
Decision Making
Culture shapes decision-making and remains one of the most widely discussed issues in multinational firms,
especially in cross-cultural organisations (Dabic et al., 2015). Bik (2010) found that each culture adopts its
unique decision-making style. Cultural background, values, beliefs, and preferred choice styles directly influence
the decision-making process. Western organisations often practise an open-space approach that allows
employees to make individual decisions based on situational demands, including emergencies. In contrast,
Japanese organisations require employees to consult management before finalising decisions (Bik, 2010). Dabic
et al. (2015) identified the lengthy process of reaching and implementing decisions as a key concern in Japanese
organisations. In cultures that emphasise power and authority, organisations hold employees accountable for
their decisions because those decisions directly affect the overall organisational environment (Sagi, 2015). Some
cultures associate individual power with one’s ability to demonstrate effective decision-making. Other cultures
expect leaders to delegate decision-making to groups or subordinates, a practice commonly reflected in Japanese
organisations (Sagi, 2015). Therefore, organisations must treat decision-making as a critical process that
balances organisational priorities with employee involvement.
Years of Experience
Hunter (2017) stated that years of experience influence employees’ adaptability within workplace culture.
Researchers have explored this relationship, as employers often use years of work experience to assess
applicants’ quality. Tran and Soejatminah (2017) found that organisations prefer candidates with extensive work
experience over those with stronger academic qualifications. From the employer’s perspective, Oshagbemi
(2000) explained that organisations seek candidates with solid past experience because they view such
experience as an indicator of strong performance and adaptive skills.
Ng et al. (2005) supported this view and identified work experience as a significant factor influencing employees’
adaptation, retention, and job satisfaction within the organisation. Experienced employees tend to adjust their
work values to the workplace environment within a shorter period, reflecting stronger adaptability skills. In
contrast, less-experienced employees may demonstrate lower levels of responsibility and may leave the
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organisation within a shorter time frame (Uppal et al., 2014). These findings show that years of experience play
a major role in ensuring employees’ adaptability within workplace culture (Dash et al., 2017).
Conceptual Framework
Figure 1: The Conceptual Framework of Employees Adaptability
METHODOLOGY
This study employs a quantitative approach to fulfil the research objectives. The researchers directly collected
data from three Japanese-based organisations, involving respondents from bottom-level management to top-level
management to represent the study population. Official records indicate that the total population across these
organisations is 650 employees. To achieve the required minimum sample size, the study applied stratified
random sampling to ensure that each element had an equal chance of selection. Researchers commonly use this
technique in organisational and societal studies where structured populations exist. The study obtained 360
completed questionnaires, and all were usable for analysis.
The researchers measured both independent and dependent variables using an interval scale. They adopted and
adapted the items for employees’ adaptability from Kozlowski et al. (2001), Zorzie (2012), and Kan (2012).
They adopted and adapted the items for communication culture from Graca and Barry (2017) and Sharpe (2006).
They adopted and adapted the items for innovation culture from Svh (2014) and McLean (2005). They adopted
and adapted the items for teamwork culture from Chang (2013), Salas et al. (2014), and Jacob (2005). Finally,
they adopted and adapted the items for decision-making culture from Cullen and Parboteeah (2011), Bik (2010),
and Hofstede (2001).
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Demographic profile of Respondent
Table 1: Analysis of Respondents’ Demographic (n=360)
Question
Items
Frequency
Percentages
Gender
Male
170
47.2
Female
190
52.8
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Age
Less than 19 years old
2
.6
20- 29 years old
149
41.4
30- 39 years old
162
45.0
40- 49 years old
47
13.1
50 and above
0
0
Length of services
Less than 6 months
10
2.8
1 – 5 years
105
29.2
6 - 10 years
181
50.3
11 - 15 years
33
9.2
16 – 20 years
29
8.1
21 - > years
2
.6
Levels of Education
SPM
19
5.3
Diploma
122
33.9
Degree
179
49.7
Master
40
11.1
Salary
RM1000 – RM2000
25
6.9
RM2001 – RM3000
170
47.2
RM3001– RM4000
105
29.2
RM4001- RM5000
0
0
RM5000 and above
60
16.7
Position
Staff
195
54.2
Supervisor
105
29.2
Manager
58
16.1
Top Management
2
2.6
Races
Malay
218
60.6
Chinese
87
24.2
Indian
55
15.3
Department
Customer Service
27
7.5
Operation
79
21.9
Human Resource
12
3.3
Accounting and Finance
47
13.1
Business Development
29
8.1
Sales and Marketing
87
24.2
Technical and IT
38
10.6
Administration
41
11.4
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Based on Table 1, the study collected 360 responses, comprising 47.2% male (170) and 52.8% female (190)
respondents. The majority of respondents were aged between 30 and 39 years old, representing 45% of the total
sample (162 respondents). In terms of educational background, 49.7% of the respondents were degree holders.
The study collected 54.2% responses from the staff-level employees. Regarding length of service, most
respondents had served between 6 and 10 years, accounting for 181 respondents or 50.3% of the sample. In
addition, 21.9% of the data came from the operations department, while 24.2% came from the sales and
marketing department.
Discussion of the Findings
The findings of the study are also discussed based on the objective of the paper. There are four (4) highlighted
objectives as below:
Table 2: Mean Score Intepretation
Mean score
Interpretation
4.21–5.00
Very high
3.21–4.20
High
2.61–3.20
Medium
1.81–2.60
Low
1.00–1.80
Very low
Source: Moidunny (2009)
Table 3: Level of Employees’ adaptability (n=360)
Items
Mean
Std. Dev.
Level
I can adapt to my working environment.
3.905
.717
High
I can adapt to new changes easily.
4.011
.712
High
I can accept the new knowledge from others well.
4.230
.688
Very high
I have the ability to adapt with different situation.
4.025
.733
High
I found it is easy to adapt to different cultures at one time.
3.836
.609
High
I am a fast learner.
4.172
.715
High
I can adjust well with colleagues from different races.
4.438
.570
Very high
I have my own approach in adapting the task.
4.203
.647
High
I can adapt well by having good teams.
4.580
.494
Very high
I can adapt well to workplace culture by having management
support.
4.433
.569
Very high
Table 4: The Findings of Correlation (n=360)
Variables
Mean
Std. Dev.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Adaptability
4.019
.530
1
Communication
3.817
.494
.123
*
1
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Innovation
3.863
.529
.190
**
.406
**
1
Teamwork
4.184
.475
.303
**
.439
**
.539
**
1
Decision Making
3.878
.528
.012
.607
**
.524
**
.515
**
1
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Table 5: Collinearity Statistics
Coefficients
Model
Unstandardised
Coefficients
Standardised
Coefficients
t
Sig.
Collinearity
Statistics
B
Std.
Error
Beta
Tolerance
VIF
1
(Constant)
2.676
.264
10.127
.000
Communication
.106
.068
.099
1.562
.119
.607
1.647
Innovation
.113
.063
.113
1.806
.072
.624
1.603
Teamwork
.386
.070
.346
5.524
.000
.621
1.610
Decision Making
-.287
.069
-.285
-4.147
.000
.514
1.945
a. Dependent Variable: Adaptability
Table 6: The Moderation Table: Interaction effect in between X (or W) on Y
Moderating
coeff
se
t
p
LLCI
ULCI
Communication
-.1144
.0558
-2.0489
.0412
-.2242
-.0046
Innovation
-.4268
.0624
-6.8369
.0000
-.5495
-.3040
Teamwork
-.2883
.0617
-4.6728
.0000
-.4096
-.1670
Decision
Making
-.2464
.0566
-4.3544
.0000
-.3576
-.1351
The level of employees’ adaptability
The information from Table 3 shows the contributing elements at a high level and provides the mean and SD for
each factor (Moidunny, 2009) that affects employees' adaptability. According to the result, the most significant
factor influencing the employee’s adaptability (𝑥 = 4.580), which was in the first range, was “I can adapt well
by having good teams” (item 9). However, item 5 (I found it is easy to adapt to different cultures at one time)
was in the tenth range and had the lowest level (𝑥 = 3.836). Regarding the other range of the elements influencing
the employee’s adaptability, item 7, “I can adjust well with colleagues from different races” (𝑥 = 4.438), was
found to be the second range. Next, item 10, “I can adapt well with workplace culture by having management
support”, falls into the third range (𝑥 = 4.433). Meanwhile, item 3, “I can accept the new knowledge from others
well” (𝑥= 4.230); item 8, “I have my own approach in adapting the task” (𝑥= 4.203); item 6, “I am a fast learner”
(𝑥= 4.172); item 4, “I have the ability to adapt to different situations” (𝑥= 4.025); item 2, “I can adapt to new
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changes easily” (𝑥= 4.011); and item 1, “I can adapt to my working environment” (𝑥= 3.905), were in the fourth
to ninth range, respectively
Communication cultures and employee adaptability
Based on Table 4, the findings have shown a positive relationship between the communication cultures and the
employee’s adaptability. This is supported by Kiyomiya (2000), where the communication culture in Japanese-
based organisations is based on knowledge and truth. Japanese-based organisations apply clean information
delivery in conveying the information or instructions to the employees (Yukl & Mahsud, 2010). Goodman (2005)
also mentioned that multinational organisations use their national style of communication to reflect the
company’s identity in representing their national culture to the world. Organisations may choose not to adopt
certain local cultures, particularly in Japanese organisations, because they believe that their home country culture
plays a crucial role in shaping employees and strengthening organisational development. They embed this home
culture into workplace practices, including daily communication. They also incorporate specific cultural terms
into everyday conversations within the organisation to reinforce these values and norms.
Innovation cultures and employee adaptability
There is a significant relationship between the innovation cultures and employee adaptability. According to
McLean (2005), the adaptability in innovation can be enhanced through good support by the organisation. An
innovative environment will allow the mobilisation of knowledge, learning sessions, and sharing of experience,
as well as concentration on research and development for the employees to explore (Chich-Jen and I.-Ming,
2010). Lam (2010) also added that Japanese organisations will always provide the employees with learning
opportunities to enhance their skills to adapt. Therefore, it shows that innovation culture plays an important role
in contributing towards employees’ adaptability.
Teamwork cultures and employee adaptability
Based on Table 4, there is a significant relationship between teamwork cultures and employees’ adaptability.
This is consistent with the study by Hickman (2010), where organisations that have a good teamwork culture
can determine the retention rate and level of adaptability of the employees. Moreover, this also supports the
study by Manzoor et al. (2011), whereby teamwork culture can help attract employees to remain in the
organisation based on good relationships among everyone in the organisation, which can lead to the employee’s
good performance and adaptability. Through this study, the researcher has adopted the viewpoint of Salas et al.
(2014) and Jacob (2005) in measuring teamwork and employees’ adaptability by looking at the effective
teamwork and team development components.
The employees must be able to adapt with the team members in ensuring adaptation to teamwork culture (Chang,
2013). Meanwhile, as per the actual results derived from this study, 255 respondents over 360 employees have
answered that they can adapt well with the team members, which reflects their adaptation level in a teamwork
culture. Moreover, Japan's attitude of avoiding uncertainty also makes it less likely that people will attempt new
things, which means that adaptation is more of a social outcome than an individual one (Hofstede, 2001).
Decision-making culture and employee adaptability
The findings have shown there is no significant and negative relationship between decision-making culture and
employee adaptability. This result is inconsistent with the study made by Bik (2010) and Cullen and Parboteeah
(2011), where employees’ adaptability in the organisation can be reflected from an effective decision-making
culture. Friendly relationships between employer and employees will enhance good identification of problem-
solving ability when similar interests are shared (Kolman et al., 2003). However, findings from Nanoka and
Takeuchi (1995) explained that the insignificant correlation is due to the highly institutionalised and
collaborative characteristics of management decisions that stress following the procedures and getting group
approval, which make it harder for an employee to adapt on their own. Japan's attitude of avoiding uncertainty
also makes it less likely that people will attempt new things, which means that adaptation is more of a social
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outcome than an individual one (Hofstede, 2001). Moreover, in the Malaysian context, according to Abdullah
(1996), Malaysian employees generally operate under a top-down framework where decisions are expected to
be handed down from the top. Meanwhile, the Japanese require subordinates to initiate proposals and secure
consensus across multiple departments, creating a negative relationship where there is a signal of lack of local
empowerment and a passive role in decision-making.
The Best Predictor Between Communication, Innovation, Teamwork and Decision-Making Cultures in
Determining Employees’ Adaptability
Based on Table 5, the multiple regression analysis revealed that teamwork emerged as the strongest predictor of
employee adaptability. Teamwork recorded the highest standardised coefficient, (β = .346, t = 5.524, p < .001),
indicating a strong and positive influence on employee adaptability. In contrast, decision-making showed a
significant but negative effect on adaptability (β = –.285, t = –4.147, p < .001). Communication (β = .099, p =
.119) and innovation (β = .113, p = .072) did not significantly predict employee adaptability. Collinearity
diagnostics indicated no multicollinearity issues, as tolerance values exceeded .50 and VIF values were below
2.0. Therefore, the results suggest that collective-orientated practices, particularly teamwork, are more influential
in enhancing employee adaptability than individual-level factors such as communication and innovation.
The cultural differences affect the communication and adaptability. According to Pinto and Ramalheira (2017),
in Japanese management, "adapting" does not mean using your own communication skills to solve problems,
but it means following the existing system perfectly regardless of any situation. Meanwhile, a Malaysian
employee understands a "great communicator" as being friendly and persuasive in conversation or discussion
(Asma & Pederson, 2003). In addition, based on Furusawa and Brewster (2015), innovation fails to predict
employability in Japanese organisations since the manager often prefers employees who value stability and
following the rules over individual creativity, unlike Western companies, which look for people who think
outside the box and change the system.
The moderating effect of years of experience on communication, innovation, teamwork and decision-
making culture towards employee’s adaptability
The objective of this study is the moderating effect of years of experience between communication, innovation,
teamwork and decision-making culture towards employees’ adaptability. As depicted in Table 6, it was found
that years of experience moderate the employees’ adaptability in the workplace culture.
The results of the moderation analysis reveal that years of experience significantly moderate the relationships
between Japanese workplace culture dimensions and employees’ adaptability. Specifically, the interaction terms
for communication (β = −0.114, p = .041), innovation (β = −0.427, p < .001), teamwork (β = −0.288, p < .001),
and decision-making (β = −0.246, p < .001) are statistically significant, with all confidence intervals excluding
zero. The negative coefficients indicate that the strength of the relationships between these cultural dimensions
and employees’ adaptability decreases as years of experience increase. Among the four dimensions, innovation
shows the strongest moderating effect, followed by teamwork, decision-making, and communication.
These findings indicate that employees with fewer years of experience need longer and are more dependent on
workplace culture practices to adapt to the surroundings compared to more experienced employees. This is
agreed by Hunter (2017), where the organisations prefer to hire employees based on years of working experience
as compared to academic qualification, whereby they believe that adaptability can be obtained well when
employees have past working experience in other organisations.
According to Uppal et al. (2014), they argued that experienced employees can help the organisation produce
adaptable staff who are skilled and quicker in adapting to the changes made by the organisation. Therefore, all
variables moderate well with years of experience. This has answered the question in this study that examines the
years of experience as a moderator in the relationship between workplace culture (communication, innovation,
teamwork and decision-making) and employees’ adaptability.
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Implication
This study provides a very significant contribution that can be divided into the following perspectives:
Theoretical perspectives
This study extends the application of the I-ADAPT theory by demonstrating that employees’ adaptability in
Japanese-based organisations operating in Malaysia is shaped not only by their own ability to adapt but also by
the way they are treated at work. While the I-ADAPT theory conceptualises adaptability as a multidimensional
construct encompassing cognitive, interpersonal, and behavioural adjustment. However, the results show that
Japanese workplace culture, which is based on collectivism, hierarchical structures, and standardised work
processes, encourages structured and compliance-oriented forms of adaptation. In addition, the research
contributes to the Big Five Teamwork theory by emphasising that adaptability is primarily achieved through
team-based rather than individual autonomy. This study also contributes to new knowledge in establishing the
relationship framework between Japanese workplace culture and employees’ adaptability with years of
experience as the moderator.
Practical perspectives
Through practical perspectives, the organisation must find ways on how to ensure the culture is applied
effectively amongst local employees. This is to ensure that the culture applied can be adapted well by the
employees and at the same time remain longer in the organisation. The organisation should improve the cultural
environment so that it can establish a conducive environment that increases the satisfaction of the employees.
This study will surely help the local employees in understanding more about workplace culture and at the same
time increase their knowledge on how to adapt well within the culture.
Limitation
Several limitations should be acknowledged. First, the study focuses only on local employees working in
Japanese-based organisations. This narrow context limits the generalisability of the findings to the local
workforce. The results may not apply to foreign employees, who often constitute an important segment of the
organisational workforce. Foreign employees may differ from local employees in terms of cultural background,
working conditions, adaptation strategies, and familiarity with Japanese workplace practices. These differences
may shape how they perceive and respond to organisational culture. Second, the researcher faced challenges in
gaining access to Japanese-based organisations due to their strict and discreet organisational culture. This
difficulty prolonged the process of identifying organisations willing to participate in the survey. The restricted
access reduced the number of participating organisations and respondents. It also limited the range of
organisational contexts represented in the sample, which may have introduced selection bias and reduced the
generalisability of the findings.
RECOMMENDATION AND SUGGESTIONS
Researchers should consider several recommendations when conducting similar studies in the future. Based on
the present findings, future researchers can improve or expand the research model by integrating additional
variables identified in the literature. This study limits its independent variables to the components presented in
the conceptual framework. However, other factors may also influence organisational image, such as learning
culture, standard operating procedures, and related organisational practices.
This study can also guide researchers who intend to conduct a more in-depth examination of adaptability among
local employees working in foreign-based organisations. Researchers can extend the framework beyond
Japanese-based organisations and apply it to organisations from other cultural backgrounds, including Western,
Korean, or Chinese multinational companies. By applying the same theoretical lenses, researchers can
systematically examine how organisational culture, teamwork processes, and employee experience shape
adaptability across different national contexts.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)
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CONCLUSION
This chapter addressed four research objectives. First, the study achieved the initial objective by demonstrating
a high level of employees’ adaptability among Malaysian employees working in Japanese-based organisations.
Second, the findings revealed that three workplace cultures, namely communication, innovation, and teamwork,
show positive relationships with employees’ adaptability, while decision-making culture shows a negative
relationship. Third, the results identified teamwork culture as the strongest predictor of employees’ adaptability
in Japanese-based organisations in Malaysia, thereby fulfilling the third objective. Finally, the analysis
confirmed that years of experience act as a moderator in the relationship between workplace culture and
employees’ adaptability.
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