Cultural Analysis – Japan
In order to do business in Japan we must first understand the Japanese culture. The Japanese culture has a deep history and is very complex. When analyzing and trying to understand the Japanese culture we must look at various aspects such as: communication, languages, manners and customs, values and attitudes, ethics, and religion, and social structures. We must also consider how these aspects of culture play into doing business in Japan and how they compare to Canada’s way of culture and business
("Global Businesses Cultural Analysis In Japan Cultural Studies Essay." 2015).
There are many differences in the way Japanese culture affects business, and the slightest misstep can inadvertently offend and/or lead to a
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collapse in the business relationship. Because Japan is a high context country, when communicating it is very important to be aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages as both spoken words along with body language are used to convey and interpret messages and can be mistaken easily if you are not cautious and aware of both.
An example of this is facial expressions, “a smile can have double meaning in that it can express either joy or displeasure” ("Japan Business Etiquette, Culture, & Manners." 2012). Also, with the Japanese culture being considered high context, what may seem to be small gestures can have a large impact. Such an example is eye contact, in Japan making direct eye contact can be considered as a sign of disrespect while lowering your eyes is considered a sign of respect. In addition, one should “avoid using large hand gestures, unusual facial expressions and any dramatic movements. The Japanese do not talk with their hands and to do so could distract your host” ("Japan Business Etiquette, Culture, & Manners." …show more content…
2012). The predominate language spoken in Japan is obviously Japanese, with English being the secondary language, and mostly only spoken by business men/women, the educated, and the wealthy, but of note, there are several other languages and dialects spoken within Japan which include: Ainu, Ryukyuan, Chinese, and Korean ("Global Businesses Cultural Analysis In Japan Cultural Studies Essay." 2015). Ethics in Japan can be considered to be influenced by the predominate religion of Buddhism.
As evidenced by figure ?? in appendices’ ?? the Japanese emphasize importance of the group above individuals and respect loyal hard workers. Loyalty and mutually beneficial relationships are very important for the Japanese because they feel it creates a harmonious society where people work together for the betterment of society and help out their fellow countrymen. According to Japanese culture “Harmony is the key value in Japanese society… it is the guiding philosophy for the Japanese in family and business settings and in society as a whole” ("Japan - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette." 2016)., this behaviour and attitude has been passed along for many generations and has become ingrained in Japanese values and culture. Japanese children learn at an early age the importance of group consciousness and continue the practice throughout their lives. Even at the highest levels, the Japanese value group harmony and are taught to forgo personal gain for the benefit of the group. “The form of character building that instill these values is call seishin shuyo” ("People and Society, Social Structure."
2016). Some other customs and manners of note include: Dressing appropriately to your status and occasion, in other words, one should dress to impress. Also, women should not wear pants or high heeled shows which may lead them to tower over men, this may make Japanese men feel inferior and be considered as offensive. In addition, you should always be on time, blowing your nose in public is considered offensive, avoid dramatic gestures, personal space is valued, the number 14 is bad luck, and gift giving is very important in both business and personal gifts and should be given and accepted with both hands. Lastly, gifts are never to be given in odd numbers which is considered bad luck, or the number 4 which sounds like the word death in Japanese ("Japan - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette.", 2016). The Japanese social structure is largely homogeneous and does not reflect the ethnic, religious, and class divisions that characterize many other countries. Also, the gaps between the rich and poor are not as glaring as other countries as “90 percent or more of Japanese people consider themselves middle class” ("People and Society, Social Structure.", 2016). See figure ?? Japanese Social Hierarchy in Appendices ?? Even though the majority of Japanese people consider themselves as middle class there are some significant social differences such as “discrimination in employment, education, and marriage faced by the country’s Korean minority” ("People and Society, Social Structure.", 2016). In recent years though Japan has been moving more toward individual empowerment but society as a whole still remains group oriented when compared to that of western societies. As mentioned earlier, the Japanese place a heavy importance on creating a harmonious society, they respect the people who work hard to better society as a whole and hold them in high regard. With that, the Japanese attitude is that it is every individual’s duty to work hard ("Global Businesses Cultural Analysis In Japan Cultural Studies Essay.", 2015). So when dealing in Japan it becomes crucial that “the need for the clear and precise use of language is never greater than in such situations” (Ogasawara).
... be set at fair prices and therefore successful trading. Also, through commercialization, the Japanese were able to expand on their own lives and embellish their lives more.
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
I did not know that much about this culture until this paper. The Japanese people are very polite and respectful. The Japanese take education very serious and nature. Their langue is a lot different they have different styles of speaking even for different social status there is a certain way of thinking. In Japan there is a mixture of the Buddha religion and the Shinto. Both beliefs have the same influence on the Japan culture. Buddhism was brought o Japan in the early 6th century from China. There are five precepts that they go by which are no killing, no stealing, no lying, no sexual misconduct, and no use of intoxication.
However, entering into a market as different as Japan is not without its risks, and must be ensured to be successful, with the help of market research, marketing, and operational theories, lest the new venture become a very costly mistake. Target Consumer Market When moving to a market with a consumer culture so different from the home market, a company must be careful to analyse its target audience in detail, to avoid costly cultural faux pas. To get a good feel for the Japanese culture, a good place to start would be the experts in the cultural studies field. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, created during his in-depth GLOBE study of the cultures of the world, gives a good comparison between the priority differences between Japanese and English culture. A detailed analysis of the cultural differences will be given in the ‘Marketing Issues’ section of the report.
I chose to compare and contrast the United States culture with the culture of Japan. There are a few similarities between the two, such as a love of the arts, fashion and baseball. However, they are culturally different than similar in very major aspects. Japan is a very homogenous society made up of about 98% ethnic Japanese. They tend to put a lot of emphasis on family and communities, and value the group more than the individual (Aliasis, 2013).
Confucian ideals had a prominently drastic impact and influence in Japanese society. The Confucian ethical system stressed the utopian idea of a society in which a hierarchal structure is maintained. The hierarchal structure’s foundation is based upon the subservient and submissive idea of subordinates’ obedience to superiors and male dominance over women and children (Yoko and Katsurada, 2002).... ... middle of paper ...
The establishment of the caste system during their feudal development insured unity and lack of diversity would be a theme through the rest of their history. During the Nara period the Japanese society was separated into classes which were based on the position of each family. Whether the position was of a court official, samurai, or peasant farmer, each class carefully blended together. The appearance of unity was paramount. Individual rights were non-existent. It became common place to respect and even worship the ancestral heritage. Wisdom was thought to be a combination of knowledge and a practical application of that knowledge. Therefor, the older family members were thought to have to most wisdom from the lives they spent applying their knowledge. They were revered and respected by the younger generations in the family. Another way in which the traditional family structure in Japan supports the conformity of its’ member is through the Bushido influence. This "way of warrior" has permanently established in the Japanese culture during to Tokogawa Era. The warrior code dictated that loyalty, respect, and honor were the most important personal ideals one could have. These ideals filtered out of the samurai class and eventually rooted deeply into the national character of Japan. Conformity is required through this ideal because an individual mentality would not consider loyalty to be as important as society viewed it. In addition, by behaving out of the norm, shame would be brought to a family. The individualistic mentality runs contradictory to the traditional fam...
Steve Kafka, an American of Czech origin and a franchisor for Chicago Style Pizza, has decided to expand his business into the Czech Republic. He knows it is a risky decision; when he became a franchisor, he had to overcome a lot of difficulties. Steve anticipates he will face some of these difficulties again at the new location in Prague, Czech Republic. Although he was born in the United States, he has family and friends in the Czech Republic, speaks Czech fluently, and has visited the country of his origin several times. He knows the people and the culture. In this paper, I will analyze the cross-cultural differences between the United States and Czech Republic, determine comparative advantages in this country, and recommend ways to minimize the risks of establishing a franchise overseas.
Our economic development will forever be defined as our ability to succeed internationally. PwC forecasts India’s real annual GDP growth until 2050 at 8.9 percent, Vietnam’s at 8.8 percent, and China’s at 5.9 percent. The list of fast-growing emerging markets goes on and on. The U.S. forecast is a meager 2.4 percent, comparable with most Western economies. The domestic companies that are likely to see incremental growth in the coming decades are those that are not only doing business internationally, but that are developing the strategic skill set to master doing business across cultures. Cross-cultural core competence is at the crux of today’s sustainable competitive advantage. For example, political environment will tell us, as to how and why political leaders control, whether and how of international business. Legal environment, both national and international will tell us about many kinds of laws by which business firms must work. The cultural environment will tell us about attitudes, beliefs and opinions important to business people. Economic environment will tell us about the economic system being followed by the host country, which may or may not be different from home country. It will also explain the variables such as level of development, human resources, Gross Domestic Per Capita and consumption patterns that determine a firm’s ability to do business. Geography will tell us about location, quantity, and quality of the world’s resources.
Japan has lived five main stages until 1990’s, in which the definition of business ethics has changed radically. We will be stating the five main periods and describing how Japanese companies dealt with their social and legal responsibilities:
The differences in other cultures vary from beliefs to ways of life, or norms, of the different societies. The importance of understanding and sensitivity to other countries’ differences is crucial to a business’ success. “Lack of familiarity with the business practices, social customs, and etiquette of a country can weaken a co...
The Japanese culture is quite harmonious, respectful, and hardworking. Their culture is made up highly of being respectful of others, family, and nature. They value their elders, history, tradition, religion, family, government, nature, education, and work.
Axtell, E. R. (1993). The dos and taboos of body language around the world. In Social interaction in everyday life (chapter 22). Retrieved from http://www.sheltonstate.edu/Uploads/files/faculty/Angela%20Gibson/Sph%20106/taboos0001.pdf.
Japan is a fascinating multifaceted culture, on one hand it is filled with many traditions dating back thousands of years and yet is a society with continually changing fads,
...tention to how people react to one another’s comments, guessing the relationship between the people and guessing how each feels about what is being said. This can inform individuals to better understand the use of body language when conversing with other people. It is also important to take into account individual differences. Different cultures use different non-verbal gestures. Frequently, when observing these gestures alone the observer can get the wrong impression, for instance, the listener can subconsciously cross their arms. This does not mean that they are bored or annoyed with the speaker; it can be a gesture that they are comfortable with. Viewing gestures as a whole will prevent these misunderstandings. Non-verbal gestures are not only physical, for example; the tone of voice addressing a child will be different from the way it is addressed to an adult.