The work ethic of Japan could not be more different to the work ethic of Canada. Japanese culture is very different from the Canadian. All aspects of Japanese life, especially business relations, are governed by strict rules of etiquette. A foreign business person who is either ignorant of, or insensitive to, Japanese customs and etiquette needlessly jeopardizes his company's prospects in this country. It goes without saying that the Japanese work ethic and culture greatly affect doing business with other nations in this way. In the following, the most important features of Japanese culture and work ethic will be discussed, and the consequences of neglecting those features as a Canadian business person will be analyzed. A very important …show more content…
And the fact that it has nothing to do with your Japanese ability or the effort you are making as a successful businessperson to respect the other country¡¦s culture. To the Japanese, they are not consciously looking down on you, but rather trying to establish rapport through bombarding you with things they think you like to hear. It's important not to get upset about this and just play humble by denying the praise over and over as they would. All of that is relatively benign. The real problem is dealing with the occasional ¡¥Neanderthal¡¦ where even if you've attained near native fluency they still have a "See-White-Face, Hear-Japanese, Does-Not-Compute" mentality, or the elitist complaining how foreigners never bother to learn Japanese, and then you come along speaking proper Japanese and they insist in doing all communication in English. The reason being that more conservative types see language as race, and race as language, and when there is someone not part of the group suddenly among "us", they unconsciously feel a threat. Dealing with such groupthink is a challenge for every business men entering the Japanese market, but while you never have to like it you're going to have to deal with it. Many Japanese view westerners on two levels -- if you are taken as a temporary visitor, they nearly always treat you extremely warmly and helpfully; even lavishly (Japanese Culture ¡V A primer for
It is initially hard to distinguish which of these tangible or intangible factors are more important. Based on the cultural dimensions and values identified further in the report, it is clear that each has its own importance and merit. Understanding the cultural norms and expectations at play in the case study are critical to resolving the conflict at hand. Whilst Kelly believed she had adequate prior knowledge of the Japanese culture, it is clear that she is not as well versed as she thinks.
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 industrial revolution is the biggest milestone of human history. Factories and machines greatly improved productivity of manufacturing. Japan and England are countries with similar geography, both being islands around the same size of the coast of large countries (doc 1). England was technologically ahead of Japan, due to Japan’s foreign policy which limited contact with other countries in order to preserve culture. The Industrial Revolution started around 1760 in England, and 1868 in Japan (background). There were now a plethora of job opportunities, with many people going to work at factories. These jobs gave little money and lasted long hours. One of the biggest industries was the textile industry; people in England and Japan both worked in this industry with many parallels. Female English and Japanese mill workers had similar experiences with their work hours, similar work conditions, and gender equality within the job.
The cultural behaviors of the “American” or “Japanese” in the video do not accurately reflect business behaviors in these countries so please do not generalize based on the video. The video is meant as a classroom exercise to analyze a specific cultural encounter. Total 20 points.
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates an international chain of membership warehouses, which carries quality, brand name
Though I identify as African American, I have a grandmother who lives in Japan. When we go visit her, I am often met with judgement before I introduce myself. In the usual case, friends of my mother or grandmother are simply surprised when I speak Japanese, although it is one of the main tongues we use within the house alongside with English. It is a almost a natural occurrence for the Japanese people who approach us to slow down their speech; although I am able to dismiss these inconveniences, my sister would also show her aggravation as they slowed their speech as if speaking to a preschooler. From these many encounters, I have learned that, just because the person speaking to me already has a set opinion about me, doesn’t mean I have to
In Japan, for all its business and technological skills, social values take priority over purely economic ones. Reid's interesting description of a new-employee ceremony at a large Japanese corporation, in this case the electronic giant NEC, highlights his celebration of how Confucian ritual dignifies life in the Japanese workplace.
The fundamentals of Japanese and American social hierarchy are different. In Japan the social structure is based off of a hierarchy, and older people are treated with more respect than younger people. On the other hand, in the USA social status is derived from multiple factors; age not being one of them. In addition to the way social status is decided in Japan, the way people treat each other is also vastly different than in the USA. In Japan people treat each other with much more respect and curtsy than in the USA. furthermore the hierarchal nature of Japanese society even extends into the business world. An excerpt from the textbook, Global Business Language, shows this: “ They want to know who has the higher social status and where they themselves need to fit in among the people involved in the
There are many factors impacting work and learning specifically in Canada. How workers are involved or participate can affect outcomes for the employee and employer. Social and economic are two factors that influence education, learning, training and work. In this essay, I will provide examples of why social and economic context must be considered when understanding work and learning. I will also examine assumptions frequently made by Human Resources Management (HRM) and their perspective on the purpose and outcomes of learning and the critiques that challenge these perspectives.
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.
Hierarchy and status are considered highly important in both Japan and Mexico in addition to a strong separation between the work and home life. Both Mexico and Japan rely on strong work relationships and loyalty in addition to having top down style of commination and information flow. Both countries have a belief in collectivism over individualism, according to Hofstede’s Value Dimensions, with Japan slightly higher on the index, similarly for the masculinity index. The implications of these characteristics can be viewed in each countries’ management approach. These societal values and characteristics influence each countries’ business behavior and methodologies. (Deresky, 2014)
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?
One of the most important facets for a successful business in the twenty-first century is how it communicates with their customers, partners, suppliers and governments from different countries and cultures from around the world. For a business to operate with any modicum of success in Japan, you must possess a basic understand of how their society functions. As a result of learning about the geography, climate, history, religion, cultural rituals, politics, education system, and the role of the family; it will allow a business or business person the insight needed to understand how society functions and the method in which business is conducted.
The culture of a place is an integral part of its society whether that place is a remote Indian village in Brazil or a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. The culture of Japan fascinates people in the United States because, at first glance, it seems so different. Everything that characterizes the United States--newness, racial heterogeneity, vast territory, informality, and an ethic of individualism-- is absent in Japan. There, one finds an ancient and homogeneous society, an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups, and a tradition of formal behavior governing every aspect of daily living, from drinking tea to saying hello. On the surface at least, U.S. and Japanese
This report has been prepared for Fonterra which recommends the most appropriate entry mode, international strategy and human resources approach to enter the Japanese market, with an assessment of ethical issues they should be aware of.