One of our undergraduate students is doing a brief study to ascertain whether teaching entrepreneurship as we teach it in the U.S. (
i.e., the lean startup method) would be effective in Japan with Japanese students. We have some thoughts about whether cultural issues would interfere with some of the activities we ask our students to do during customer discovery--talking to humans, getting out of the building, etc. I've personally observed some Japanese students in the U.S. who find the methods very uncomfortable and occasionally terrifying. Similar issues have been observed with other Asian students in the U.S.
If anyone has taught in Japan, knows of any literature on this topic, or is Japanese and might have a perspective to offer, I'd be grateful if our student could speak to you. If you can lend a hand, please reply to me and I'll put you in touch.
Sincerely,
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Neil Kane
Director of Undergraduate Entrepreneurship
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI
https://entrepreneurship.msu.edu/------------------------------