In a bid to understand how Japanese chiefs coped with the tsunami and ensuing nuclear catastrophe of March 11, 2011, Egon Zehnder International interviewed 45 country heads from multinational companies.

Physical presence on-site was identified by all leaders as a critical aspect of their role. Interviewees also cited confirming and ensuring the ongoing safety of their employees as another key priority. In most cases country heads were given full decision-making power during the crisis and attempted to base their decisions on hard facts to keep their staff fully informed. Frequent communications with employees, the global crisis management team, the CEO and with the markets/clients emerged as another key management strategy.

In the wake of the crisis, which has profoundly shaken Japanese business and society as a whole, issues of safety and preparedness remain top of the management agenda.

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