The country I chose to study is Japan. I figured their culture and society is vastly different than the one that we have here in America. I discovered that it is very different to our culture. It is interesting to learn about other countries, especially high context cultures like Japan. Japan is a high context culture society, meaning that communication is less reliant on only verbal communication. They rely on close relationships and making bonds with people. In a business setting it is important in their culture to have a close relationship with people whom they conduct business with. Greetings are an important part of Japanese culture. Bowing is the equivalent to shaking hands with someone here in America. In a more casual setting a …show more content…
It’s acceptable to talk business right after meeting someone. Business cards play an important role in greeting someone in a business meeting. You should bow and offer them your business card with the Japanese translated side pointing up. Knowledge and learning is important in Japan especially when doing business. If given a business card, you should show that you are interested in it. Taking time to read it and ask questions like how to pronounce the person’s name correctly and what the person does in his or her position. You should treat the business card with respect by putting it in your wallet or shirt pocket. You want to look professional and respectful, showing interest in a person and trying to make a sort of bond is very important.
Body language plays a big role when communicating. Nodding helps let the speaker know that you are listening and comprehending what he or she is saying. You want to avoid being too close to the person you are speaking too, and avoid touching them it’s considered disrespectful. Also prolonged eye contact is considered rude. You should try to make quick eye contact as you communicate, never stare. Hand gestures also can mean different things so avoid talking with your hands and pointing. Silence is a natural form of communication, its normal and you should not feel uncomfortable if you are in that situation. Japanese people tend to use silence when they communicate in a
Watch the person as they talk. After speaking, allow them plenty of time to respond. If they feel rushed or pressured to speak, they may become anxious, which can affect their ability to communicate. Avoid finishing their sentences or correcting any errors in their language as this may cause resentment and frustration. Ask what the person prefers. If you do not understand what they are trying to communicate, do not pretend you understand. They may find this patronising and upsetting. It's always best to be honest about your lack of understanding. You could ask for clarification by asking yes/no questions or paraphrasing.
Answer: There are many aspects of communication that are similar no matter who you are speaking with. This can include maintaining eye contact, responding to what people are saying, and showing respect and courtesy.
In communication there are rules of engagement and many of these rules are learned through culture. Specifically, in my family my wife and I work with our kids to understand the regulative rule of not interrupting their siblings when they are sharing a story. The rule of not interrupting another person when speaking is a regulative rule because it specifies, “when, where, and with whom to talk about certain things” (Wood 110). The same is true in every face-to-face situation. There are certain ways to speak to one another that creates dialog. In addition, we have been teaching our kids to make eye contact when speaking with others to show their attentiveness and respect for those they are communicating with. This constitutive rule is important
In the film, we also observed that bowing is an important part of Japanese tradition. Kids learned to bow from a very young age and they are taught the different kinds of bows. In Chihiro, we see that her bowing varies according to the person she is meeting. For instance, when she meets Kamaji, Zeniba and Yubaba her bows are deep and long. On the other hand, her bows towards No face and the stick lamp are shorter and less deep. In this film, we can appreciate the references made for new generations to appreciate and respect the culture they learned from years. Even though this illustrated film shows fictional characters we can see how it connects to modern Japan. The historical aspect of Japanese people is starting to fade like in the ending of the movie when Haku learned by Chihiro that where he used to live people destroy the river to construct apartment. Many of this Japanese tradition is being lost, according to Rachel Tackett in an online article, “spring of 2008 that number dropped to a mere 4,343, and it continues to decrease at a rate of almost one a day. There simply aren’t enough customers to support the industry, not to mention that there are few young people prepared to take over the business” if traditions are lost and we are becoming a more globalized world how can we differentiate one from another.
Resist the urge to jump into conversation if your associate is silent for a minute. Many Asian cultures have silence as a form of communication. (Hong Kong - Language 2014)
When interacting with people of Japanese decent it is very important to respect their personal space. Standing too close or touching someone is considered rude and will make them very uncomfortable. Avoid making eye contact as
Culture shock occurs because most Japanese cannot easily escape from the formula "politeness= indirectness." Compared to the American way of speaking, Japanese speak much more indirectly. Directness is considered a form of impoliteness in Japan. Therefore, when we want to be polite, we speak and act very indirectly. For example, we seldom say, "I'll go to a bathroom," except when we are with close friends. Usually, we
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.
The country I chose is Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has always been interesting to me along aside Rwanda since 7th grade. The country of Zimbabwe is of course located in Africa. It has a population of nearly 2 million in its capital of Harare. The city is most known for its manufacturing of goods such as gold, steel, textiles, and chemicals.
One thing a person might do is make eye-contact with a stranger to see if the stranger is aware of this interval. Now imagine you are conducting a meeting and you come across some interval in your way. An instinctive reaction is to seek help. However, in an important business meeting, this is a devastating episode in which you may bring down a friend if he is unaware of this interval as well. The best thing to do, in Japanese customs, is to own up and not throw your best friend under the bus with you. How should you do it? Perhaps avoid eye contact and stay calm with your best manners at hand.
If I was assigned a position in Hong Kong, the first step would be to learn or improve in the native language. English and Mandarin are considered to be the two official languages in Hong Kong, therefore, I will be at a great advantage since business in Hong Kong is preferably conducted in English. Still, I feel that it would be appropriate for me to be familiar with basic phrases and words in Cantonese, which is widely spoken by residents. In business, communication is crucial and being that I am from a different culture and country, it’s obvious that misunderstandings can take place, which as a result can make my assignment dreadful. This is why I would also make it my priority to do extensive research on Hong Kong and Asia, to learn and understand the cultural differences and customs that take place in Asian businesses, which can include authority, office relationships, privacy, uniform or dress code and even the personal status of employees... For example, in Hong Kong, and many other Asian countries, greetings are made by bowing or with a handshake. Elders and those in high positions are usually greeted first and tend to not bow in return. Some may deem this disrespectful, but in many Asian countries, it’s the norm. On the other hand, bowing in America is unheard of (unless the businesses involved have an Asian background) and a firm handshake is enough. Although people tend to first shake hands with those in higher power, regardless of status or age, everyone is
In Japan and China, it is understood that the culture of business communication is to always to show respect and be polite when negotiating business, however despite the similarities due to the different historical experience of both countries they have differences in the way the handle business communication. For example, one distinct characteristic of Japanese firms is " mono ieba kuchibiru samushi aki no kaze" which mean it is better to keep many things unsaid. Japanese believe that every individual have a public self image or "Face" that should not be embarrass or humiliated. By the notion of saying "No" or showing signs of displeasure it risk offending the opposite party therefore it must be avoided at all cost. In business discussion even when there is disagreement over certain issue, Japanese would often come out with various ways to indirectly reject the opposite party, such as redirecting the question to another topic or stating that they hold no authority to answer the question in a polite way. However this pose a threat to Japanese firms as due to its indirectness it might cause cultural misunderstanding of being insincere in which could damage business relation between Japanese firms and other western firms.
The country that I choose is Iceland. Iceland is very unique and interesting not only because of its clean air and amazing scenery but also its natural beauty and landscapes. Nature is a big force of Iceland but the volcano’s, waterfalls, and glaciers seem to attract most tourist. There landforms are probably the most unique. The Northern Lights is also something that people find very interesting because how it is created and the view you can see. It is something that everyone should see at some point in their life. The sources that I choose to use to research the Physical Geography, Economics, History, Cultural, and Political
In Japan, culture and manners are highly regarded. The Japanese are concerned about manners, and they like to follow very strict rituals with all manners of communication. Many of these rituals are hard for foreigners to understand, but it is important to know that not one culture is right. If you are traveling to another country you should be respectful of the different customs, and do your best to follow them. It is especially important in business. If you want to do business with the Japanese then you need to show respect, and the only way to do that is to follow their traditions. Japanese rituals are embedded in the Japanese culture and cannot be changed. It is very easy to disrespect the Japanese. If you are not careful you could ruin your chances of doing business with them.
Nowadays, most Lebanese citizens agree that the best universities in the world are found abroad. Those universities have higher levels of education than the one's found in Lebanon. This reason has encouraged many students to continue their studies abroad. Therefore, the number of students who are learning in a foreign country is increasing every year. They are choosing to study in a developed country where they can get advanced educational programs and higher degree levels. No doubt that studying abroad might be difficult at times, but it helps students to discover new cultures, have more responsibilities, and get their PhD.