A. If I were to expand my business to another country especially in Asia, I would choose Japan. However there are some things I would definitely have to consider especially after researching the difference in Japan and U.S. Culture. Three major cross-cultural differences that I need to take into consideration would be:
1). Language/Body Language – Most people, especially in the Japanese Business world, can speak English. It is usually more important in other countries to be fluent in other languages. Touching in Japan is unthinkable. The American patting on the back or shoulder is definitely to be avoided. You can easily offend someone doing that. In Japan smiling is only used to express different emotions such as being disappointed, angry, sadness, and embarrassment. Silence is very important to the Japanese. It usually means that they are planning a strategy. A person who talks too much will turn them away very easily. It is not wise to make eye contact when dealing with someone in Japan. This is considered rude. So when doing business in Japan it would be wise not to stare or you can make their citizens lose interest in you very fast.
2). Communication – The decision making process in the Japanese Business world can be a long, frustrating and dueling process. Before Japanese firms can come to a final decision data have to be analyzed, the consensus needs to be contacted, and the seniority of the group needs to be totally convinced due to the fact that everybody looks to them for guidance. Japanese citizens are very punctual. They do not believe in being late for anything. The business meetings usually lasts the exact amount of time that it was planned for. When engaging in a conversation at a business meeting leave the humor o...
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... At a business meeting, in Japanese culture it is normal to give a gift especially the first meeting. This gift exchange usually takes place at the end of the meeting and if a suitable gift is not given, it can ruin a budding business relationship. When a Japanese citizen gives you a gift, the culture is to receive it with both hands and slightly bow.
b. Child labor laws – Japan has numerous laws to protect the right of children. A law called the Labor Standard Law fully protects the young people who work. Employers can not hire kids under the age of 15 if they had not completed nine years of education. If a child is under the age of 13 he or she can not perform labor unless they get permission from the Labor Standard Administration Office. Presently all the children in Japan have some type of Health Insurance.
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Interests: Shareholders hopes to see growth in SCE’s stock price and for the company to exceed Wall Street’s expectation.
Additionally, he should have refrained from saying that Mark and Al Roker are the same and are both chubby. This would have projected a benevolent image of Jerry and make him more likeable.
Reid, who knows Japanese and has studied things Asian for many years, lived in a Japanese community, sent his children to an excellent Japanese public school and learned to put up cheerfully with his Japanese neighbors' codified concerns. ''The Japanese,'' he happily notes, ''are people who love rules.'' Written with grace, knowledge and humor, his book is a sympathetic Baedeker to the Japanese way of life. It is well worth reading for that. Not many foreigners have been able to fit in so well with their neighbors. His explanations of modern Japan and its Confucian background ar...
Japan and the United States are both well-recognized nations in the business world. And both have been trade partners for several decades. However, there are many differences in business and social practices between these countries. Both countries do focus on excellence and competition in business. And social status and education also have a strong affect on probable success in the work world. But, there are a few differences in philosophy, cultural actions, and business practices.
The United States business culture is based on a direct and informal approach. This means that “rolling your sleeves up” and getting down to business is respected and expected when working in the United States. (Executive Planet) On the other hand, the Japanese culture is a complex and multi-layered system, which developed over thousands of years. This is very much apparent when analyzing the business culture. The Japanese put a lot of focus on having a hierarchical, group-oriented society, and aim to avoid direct confrontation, maintaining the workplace harmony on a high level.(Export.gov) The long-term focus on culture and tradition caused the business culture to be very formal and complex, a complete opposite of the American culture.
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.
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 and 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.
Julie says they have a very different views on work; they have a much greater worth work ethic. The Japanese she works with will be at work before anyone else is in the office, which is about 8 o'clock in the morning, and leave later than everyone else, which is about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. They really socialize while at work and then you show socializing at work as a bad thing, the American culture doesn’t view this as strictly as the Japanese culture does. When Julie first started working there she was started when she reached out to shake someone’s hand and they bowed toward her, and never extended their hand for a hand shake. She later learned that when Japanese meet someone new or come in contact with someone of higher power or that person is seen as someone to respect they bow to them; in America we would just shake their hand. Julie stayed that many of them smoke, " like a freight train", smoking is still common in the US however not like in Japan. Their eating habits are very different from ours, they don't overindulge in food, like we do. Also they don't eat a lot of sweets, they view sweets as a luxury. Julie says that they have a very professional culture; they communicate with everyone in a very professional/ formal way. As for America we communicate very causally majority of the time. She says they have a similar clothing style as we do with some slight
Denison (2002) stated that “Japanese strive to meet the expectations of others, especially those in power. As well as Behavioral skills in the work place are more important to success than analytical skills” Another good example of how you are seen by your peers, co workers, or anyone with a position of power is important because It effects their standing and it helps their important sense of conformity. I personally find the culture interesting because it is all so different from my own culture, as well as what I've learned from my acculturation to the american culture.
Thousands of years worth of events has shaped one of the worlds most fascinating cultures, which is still today filled with essences from the past. The Japanese culture as seen today, still holds features from centuries ago. Geishas and the distinct Japanese tradition are still today as valuable to the Japanese culture, if not even more. Japan’s unique history and culture has created a place where many dream to go. This essay will identify the characteristics of Japanese culture and provide a brief overview on the cultural traits that makes Japan so significantly different from other cultures. In addition, the communication aspects and implications that these may have on business practices will be identified and explained.
The Japanese mind is very pragmatic. They emphasize on immediate experience as opposed to the westernized analytical thinking. We see this through the character of Ryuji when he proposed to Fusako as he told her very bluntly without giving extra thought. We also see this through Noboru as he reacts to the actions of Ryuji very impulsively through his charges. We also establish that the Japanese are very introverted which is depicted through the characters of Ryuji, Noboru and Fusako as they keep very isolated and to themselves.
In past experience, through travels outside of the country for business relations it was discovered very early on that most cultures will respect fairness and tolerance, but each to a different degree. American women in managerial positions have had to struggle to find ways to be effective in cultures where their authority and credibility are not traditionally the norm. Perhaps it was the value of fairness that clashed with tolerance or respect for diversity on this particular business trip to Japan over 10 years ago. However, even if there was an underlying agreement on such values, in this particular scenario these values were prioritized differently among the two different cultures and might have been expressed different for that reason.
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). The social hierarchy important and members of the society are expected to conform. One way is showing respect for one’s elders, for example the oldest member of a group is served first and their drinks are poured for them (AngloINFO, 2014). This mentality is common in the business world as well. Promotions are usually based on seniority and people often work at one company their entire lives. This way of life brings satisfaction and pride to the people (Aliasis, 2013). When greeting others it is customary to bow, although the Japanese are familiar with our ways and would expect us to want to shake hands rather than bow (Bazzel, 2013; Angloinfo, 2014). Also, being too direct about what one is really thinking is not socially acceptable. The Japanese use subtle language and rely heavily on non-verbal forms of communication (Aliasis, 2013).
During the 1990s, Japan has been exposed to one of the most difficult structural transition periods in its post-war history, in terms of social and economic conditions. There have been two major changes: one is a substantial decline in economic growth in real terms, and the other is a changing social structure characterized by the declining birth rate and the ageing population. Under the pressure of changes in the economic environment caused by globalization and innovations in information technology, Japanese business corporations are forced to adapt to the new situation. While companies faced with fierce international competition, it became more critical to understand the basic knowledge of complicated legal, cultural, economic, and social issues. Engaging in international trade also requires attention to international regulations, international business planning, international market research, funding, distribution and other areas that must be considered separately from domestic business issues. The paper suggests some of the basic tools that can apply to solve the problem or to bring the business opportunity to fruition in today's Japanese business environment
This dedication of Japanese employees to their work contributes greatly to the strength of the economy of Japan. They feel like they are part of a big family (the company). Employees work together for the benefit of the company as a whole. They truly feel that their hard work and success contribute to the company's success and growth. Companies also have special programs and classes for the employees, who are the children, to make them feel at home. There are company athletic clubs and cultural classes, such as flower arrangement and the tea ceremony. Since everyone is a member of the "family" in Japan, decisions that the company must make are circulated among the lower echelons of the work force for their opinio...