Forthcoming Event
Forthcoming ManGeo Study Group Meeting at the JGA Autumn Conference 2026
Our Research Group（国際経済・経営地理学研究グループ） will hold a study group meeting during the Autumn 2026 Conference of the Japanese Geography Association (JGA) held on September 11-13, 2026 at Kyushu University, Ito Campus, Fukuoka. Our meeting will be held at September 12 (from 1 pm or 3pm; time and room will be announced later!) and explore how places, communication practices, cognitive differences, and local relationships shape organizational and entrepreneurial activities. Researchers, students, and other interested conference participants are warmly invited to join the discussion.
Presentations:
近藤歩夢 (Ayumu Kondo), Graduate School, Kagawa University
The Importance of Local Fans in the Creation and Sustainability of Anime Pilgrimage Sites: The Case of Kan’onji City, Kagawa Prefecture
ZHANG Quyang (Emily), Graduate School, Ritsumeikan University
Enacted Communication and Relationship-Building Practices in Multicultural Organizational Spaces: A Qualitative Case Study
HUANG Shizhan, Graduate School, Ritsumeikan University
From Organizational Intent to Coordinated Action: A Management Geography Perspective on Cognitive Differences and Cross-Functional Communication in Innovation Projects
Previous Events
Last Lecture of Rolf D. Schlunze
8 January 2026 | Ritsumeikan University, Osaka Ibaraki Campus
Prof. Dr. Rolf D. Schlunze delivered his final lecture at Ritsumeikan University in a hybrid format. Drawing on his academic career in Japan and Europe, he reflected on the development of Management Geography, constructive intercultural management, and the importance of managers who bridge cultural, organizational, and geographical boundaries.
Understanding Cultures through the Three-Level Model
30 October 2025 | Ritsumeikan University, Osaka Ibaraki Campus
Prof. Dr. Christoph Barmeyer introduced the three-level model as a framework for understanding cultures and intercultural interactions. Using practical examples, the lecture demonstrated how individual, organizational, and societal contexts shape behaviour and how a constructive approach can turn cultural differences into complementarities and synergies.
Learning from the Hybrid Manager
29 October 2025 | Ritsumeikan University, Osaka Ibaraki Campus
This international symposium examined the role of hybrid managers and boundary spanners in multinational organizations. Contributions by Christoph Barmeyer, Ulrike Haupt, Will Baber, Rolf Schlunze, and Balazs Fazekas highlighted how cultural awareness, creativity, language skills, and relationship-building can help organizations overcome misunderstandings and create intercultural synergies.
Workshop on Case Study Research and Social Network Analysis
27 June 2025 | Ritsumeikan University and University of Łódź
This hybrid workshop connected students and researchers from Ritsumeikan University and the University of Łódź. Sessions introduced contextual management appraisal, the ManGeo Three-Level Model, Corporate Spatial Responsibility and MNE embeddedness, the Gioia method for qualitative research, and online social-network mapping. The workshop supported students preparing case studies and encouraged methodological development in Management Geography.
