Version to be published at: Asian Business Management Journal, Palgrave, Sept. 2008 Executive Staffing Practice Patterns in Foreign MNC Affiliates Based in Japan Ralf Bebenroth Kobe University Donghao Li Wakayama University Tomoki Sekiguchi Osaka University Abstract Our empirical study provides insights of executive staffing practice patterns in foreign MNC affiliates based in Japan. Using a sample of 3,241 foreign companies in Japan, our results show that affiliate size and a high ownership ratio are associated with more parent country nationals (PCN) in top management positions and board membership. However, contrary to the past research in other countries, affiliate age was not related to the likelihood of sending a PCN. Next, two cultural variables of the parent countries, Uncertainty Avoidance and Power Distance, were found to be associated with the likelihood that MNC send PCN to the executive positions of their affiliates. Furthermore, in the two big centers in Japan (Kanto and Kansai) there are more PCN top managers and PCN board members than in the rest of Japan. Finally, we found that while Asian countries are the most likely to send PCN as top managers and board members, English- speaking countries are the least, with European countries found somewhere in between. Keywords: PCN (Parent country nationals), foreign-owned MNC based in Japan, ownership, size, Corresponding Author: Ralf Bebenroth Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration (RIEB) Kobe University 2-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan E-mail: rbeben@rieb.kobe-u.ac.jp Phone /Fax: 81-78-803-7021 Acknowledgement We would like to thank Professor Dr. Werner Pascha from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany in the process of data collection.