ered a significant drawback to KFC's success in Japan.
From this standpoint then, KFC Japan can be considered more of an export business, particularly in its earliest stages. The "product" being exported was not merely the end product, but the entire American store operating procedure. Store design, logo, products, procedures and even location were "exported" directly, without any accommodation to the differences that might exist in Japan.
From the standpoint of implementation, the KFC export strategy was implemented quite well; the joint venture implementation, which was the stated implementation, was handled quite poorly. KFC assumed that its product and procedures could be exported without modification, and failed to use the expertise of its joint venture partner to determine differences and modifications which might required. Although Weston brought in Ohkawara who brought knowledge of the Japanese workplace in general to the organization, Ohkawara had no food experience and no contacts in the industry. In addition, he was an outsider to Mitsubishi and did not have corporate relationships on which to help KFC Japan build.
As KFC Japan began to adapt its products and marketing strategy to the local market, it found itself in increased conflict with its American parent. As the "product" underwent modifications in order to become more acceptable to the Japanese market, decisions were made without corporate's knowledge; as corporate tried to impose strategic planning processes throughout the organization, resistance grew in KFC Japan since the organization felt that it was performing well without what it perceived as unnecessary interference.
In order to make the venture more successful and successful earlier in its development, KFC needed to establish the relationship between KFC Japan and its American parent from the beginning. At the same time, it should have included Mitsubishi in a more prominent role to take adv...