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Analysis of Japanese Business Culture Essay

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Analysis of Japanese Business Culture

Along with recent globalization, the business market is now diffused everywhere in the world. Consequently, mega-competition and international co-operation are promoted simultaneously in the field of business. Under this circumstance, learning and understanding the business culture each country has is important to succeed in global business. As business culture is indivisible from a country’s cultural uniqueness, American-style business is formed in the United States, and British-style business is adopted in England. Equally, Japan has developed its own unique business culture which has been practiced for a long time. This essay will analyze the characteristic Japanese business culture
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If this were an entirely
Japanese set-up, all that the manager would have do when he wants to step out of the office for a while is to say "Yoroshiku"* and the members of his staff would keep on working without him. There is no need for any written instructions. However, in our Washington office, only the manager is Japanese and all other staff members are
Americans. Therefore, the phrase "Yoroshiku" doesn’t mean anything to them. The manager cannot leave the office until he prepares job instructions for each member.” (Iwata, 1982: 24)

Lastly, "Familiarity Relationship," a typical Japanese-style family-like relationship, is also brought into the world of business
(Iwata, 1982). Although most people would think that the whole network of relations on businesses should be dry and detached, the concept of familiarity greatly affects the style of doing business in Japan. In
American and European companies, it is generally recognized that business is conducted on the basis of cool calculations supported by careful and rational analysis. In Japan, the start of business is often marked by the establishment of the familiarity relationship. For instance, in order to shift from a totally unknown relationship to a familiar relationship, most Japanese salesman tend to have many short visits with an exchange of only few words, without talking about their products and services. It is important for Japanese businessmen to
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