A Guide for Conducting Business in Japan
Abstract
This paper analyses the various aspects of Japanese culture. It describes the differences and distinctiveness of Japanese culture. The main objective of this paper is to understand how Japanese conduct their business. Then the culture of Japan is analyzed according to the models suggested by Edward Hall, Hofstede.In the end there is a cultural profile which guides an American while dealing with Japanese during any business. Due to the technical advancement in Japan many countries are willing to conduct their business in Japan. This paper tries to guide an American during intercultural communication with Japanese. The definition of intercultural communication by Samovar and Porter (2004) emphasizes that a person 's perception of the world around him/her is deeply entrenched in the system of symbols that his or her culture uses to make sense of the world.
Introduction
"I think that the Japanese culture is one of the very few cultures left that is its own entity. They 're just so traditional and so specific in their ways. It 's kind of untouched, it 's not Americanized."-Toni Collette
Due to the development in science and technology we find Japan to be a place much sought out while conducting business. As quoted by Toni Collette the Japanese culture is very unique and has many differences with other nations. So it is important for a person who wants to conduct any kind of business with Japanese to understand their culture.
This essay aims to provide more information in regards to the differences between the Australian and Japanese cultures, as well as fundamental insights into Japanese business etiquette and highlight important steps for effective communication when making business in a foreign country. As the Australian entrepreneur and owner of ‘The Aromatic Condiment Shop’ Emily is looking to expand her business deals in Japan it is paramount to make a favourable first impression and understand key points to better navigate cultural differences and grow her business.
The provision and use of personal protective equipment could include using gloves, glasses, earmuffs, aprons, safety footwear, dust masks.
This paper explores about the cultural differences between Japanese culture and Indian culture and how Reliance industries deal with Japanese cultural values while doing business in Japan. This study also reveals company’s market, pricing and positioning strategies.
There are significant cultural differences between Japan and the United Kingdom that need to be taken into account when doing international business. There are also a number of methods and systems by which these differences have been described. These include the Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions, Trompenaars seven dimensions of culture and the Globe Project's cultural dimensions. This paper will discuss these differences and similarities, and shed light as to the best approach to international business in these countries.
It’s everywhere; foreign culture is all around us. It is almost insane to believe that just a little less than two hundred years ago, the Japanese
If I were ever in a position where I would need to interact with a different culture, I think the two most difficult aspects of communicating would be adjusting to an overall slower-paced lifestyle of the Japanese people and their decision-making process techniques. My objective would be to successfully secure
This paper provided an opportunity to take a deeper look into the country of Japan by conducting a Global Cultural Analysis. Throughout this paper the following four research areas were explored: 1.What is the major elements and dimensions of culture in Japan? 2. How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals conducting business in Japan? 3. How does U.S. culture and business compare with the elements and dimensions of culture integrated by the locals conducting business in Japan? 4. What are the implications for U.S. businesses that wish to conduct business with Japan?
The Japanese culture does not accept other cultures easily. For instance, David Aldwinckle was required to demonstrate that he was culturally Japanese in order to become a Japanese citizen. Inspectors actually scrutinized his refrigerator for Japanese contents.
Every country has their own set of cultures. But the most unique Japanese cultures have to be:
Both societies, moreover, have developed the art of business and commerce, of buying and selling, of advertising and mass producing, to the highest levels. Few sights are more reassuring to people from the United States than the tens of thousands of busy stores in Japan,
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.org) 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.
Cultures can be differentiated on the basis of the relationship between communication in that culture and the interactants’ depending on the context in which it is presented (Adair et al, 2009). This essay will evaluate USA and Japanese business culture and the resulting behaviours. Using the set of bipolar scales by Hofstede (1993) and Trompenaars and Turners (1998) it will observe to varying degrees how business culture is closely tied to national culture using a set of bipolar scales, while Hofstede and Hall (Adair 2009) begin to consider historical and religious implications. Japan and USA are one of the largest economies in the world. Recently the United states- Japan alliance continues to be based on shared vital and interest and
When moving into the Japanese market, the company will have to be very aware of formalities and cultural variables. Japan has a long history of tradition that carries over even to business dealings, so the American way of marketing business
Another relevant cultural model which may offer insight to businesses interested in expanding operations in different countries is the “Lewis Model” (Figure 6). Richard Lewis is a linguist cultural consultant who is best known as the founder of the “Berlitz School of Languages” (“Richard D. Lewis”, n.d.). Notably, Mr. Lewis has a unique understanding of Japanese Culture having spent several years living in Japan, where he was the personal tutor to Empress Michiko and five other members of the Japanese Imperial family (“Richard Lewis”, 2015). “Cultural behavior is the end product of collected wisdom, filtered and passed down through hundreds of generations as shared core beliefs, value assumptions, notions and persistent action patterns. In other words, culture is a collective programming of the mind, that distinguishes the members of one human group from another (Lewis, 2006).” However, there is an inherent danger of stereotyping associated with each of these cultural models. As Lewis wrote, "Determining national characteristics is treading a minefield of inaccurate assessment and surprising exception.” "There is, however, such a thing as a national norm (Lewis)." The “Lewis Model” suggests the culture, national norm, of every country falls into one of three distinct categories: Linear Active, Multi-active or Reactive. In this model, the Japanese culture is categorized as reactive, which suggests they are a listening culture. Reactive cultures are those who
Visiting another country can be an eye-opening experience, but taking the time to research the culture before visiting can be somewhat eye-opening as well. Many of us do not understand that it is vital for a successful business trip to learn the ideals, traits, principles, and customs of another country’s culture, as they are often at times very different from our own. If a job required me to move to Japan for two years, it would be crucial for me to understand the five key dimensions of culture, which include context, individualism/collectivism, time orientation, power distance, and communication style, and research these dimensions in Japan’s culture in order to increase the odds of the business trip being a successful one.