All companies and cultures have their own rigidities and bureaucracies. Recognize them and loosen them up.
Example: The ringi system is a much cited example of Japanese-style consensus decision making, but it is very time consuming, stifles new ideas and spreads responsibility too thin. Steelmaker Nippon Kokan (NKK) addressed this by setting up small (3-5 person), cross-functional business development groups that report directly to the research manager.
Source: Tatsuno, S. (1990). Created in Japan: from imitators to world-class innovators.