Welcome back to the podcast 💼🐒, where Harvard Business School cases come alive with sharp storytelling, bold insights, and business drama.
In this episode, we dive into Rakuten: Englishnization, a case that asks a daring question:
Can changing your company’s language transform its future?
Join us as we explore:
Why CEO Hiroshi Mikitani bet on English as a strategy for global growth
How language intersects with power, identity, and culture
What it takes to lead—and survive—radical organizational change
Whether you're a leader scaling globally, a change management nerd, or just curious how a Japanese e-commerce giant took on the English-speaking world, this one’s for you.
🎓 Case:
Neeley, Tsedal. "Language and Globalization: 'Englishnization' at Rakuten (A)." Harvard Business School Case 412-002, August 2011. (Revised April 2013.)
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