...I. Introduction When conducting business in a country with a culture that is unknown to you, it is best to prepare and understand that country's traditions and culture as best as possible. In order to be successful in business in Japan, one must understand the dynamics of an intercultural relationship on a business level as well as a personal level to ensure that no offense is created . This report will focus on Japan; what differences we see between Japan and Canada culturally while studying abroad, and what helps create a strong successful business relationship. II. Determinants of Culture Culture is a system of values and normalities that are considered a way of life in society. Culture influences how we think, talk, pray, eat, dress, interact and, communicate. Our behaviour, attitude, personality and beliefs have been shaped by the culture we were raised in. “Culture is transmitted through language, material objects, ritual, institutions and art, from one generation to the next.” (n.d., Dictionary) Even with the effects of globalization, countries around the world are still distinct from one another. So how do we really set apart one culture from another? Here are the determinants of culture: * Social Structure - Consists of institutions, rules, and practices. Social structure assigns roles and powers to individuals in a society. It is the social relation of one person to another person where a stable arrangement of institutions by which the people in...
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...Compare the business culture of the UK with that of Japan. How would business negotiations between delegations from the two countries be affected, and how would you advise a UK team to prepare for the negotiations? *** [pic] From Eve to Izanami - How learning the Truth and the Way can help Westerners understand Japanese culture, as well as their own Introduction “Nihonjinron”, literally “the Theory of the Japanese”, has been of fascination for both Japanese and foreigners alike, and the industrialised world seems acutely aware that the Japanese are very different to Westerners, in ideology, religion, and business strategies. There are countless books, articles and websites which attempt to teach people how to communicate with the Japanese in business negotiations. However, these sources can cause further alienation, where the numerous rituals we have to memorise make the Japanese seem obsessively pernickety or just plain difficult. This may be because we naturally interpret these behaviours through the lens of a Western Christian culture and remain relatively unaware of the religion and history of the Japanese. This essay will examine how UK delegations can better understand and negotiate with the Japanese by learning about both the Japanese and their own national culture and history through literature, folktales and religion. Through this preparation a UK team can discover commonalties between the two cultures, which can help...
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...Compare the business culture of the UK with that of Japan. How would business negotiations between delegations from the two countries be affected, and how would you advise a UK team to prepare for the negotiations? *** [pic] From Eve to Izanami - How learning the Truth and the Way can help Westerners understand Japanese culture, as well as their own Introduction “Nihonjinron”, literally “the Theory of the Japanese”, has been of fascination for both Japanese and foreigners alike, and the industrialised world seems acutely aware that the Japanese are very different to Westerners, in ideology, religion, and business strategies. There are countless books, articles and websites which attempt to teach people how to communicate with the Japanese in business negotiations. However, these sources can cause further alienation, where the numerous rituals we have to memorise make the Japanese seem obsessively pernickety or just plain difficult. This may be because we naturally interpret these behaviours through the lens of a Western Christian culture and remain relatively unaware of the religion and history of the Japanese. This essay will examine how UK delegations can better understand and negotiate with the Japanese by learning about both the Japanese and their own national culture and history through literature, folktales and religion. Through this preparation a UK team can discover commonalties between the two cultures, which can help...
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...A culture can be considered a driving force behind human actions in any country of the world; it plays part in politics, economics, progression, and every aspect of a community. It is transmitted to generations and generations thereafter. I chose Japan because they appear distinctly different in business interactions than the United States, and as an accounting major, I have an interest in how various cultural traits may or may not determine a way a country conducts business in the global community. My research will include analysis of various dimensions of culture to include: communication, religion, ethics, values and attitudes, manners, customs, structures and organizations within Japan’s culture, and education. The analysis should reveal how the elements and dimensions of culture influence businesses conducted with locals of the region; how do the elements and dimensions as well as the local business interaction compare to the United States’ culture and local businesses; and, implications for United States’ businesses who wish to conduct business in Japan. Although the fore mentioned are the basis of the cultural analysis, I hope to unfold how past/ current political constraints limits Japan’s maturity within the global community, for example, the limitations imposed by the signing of Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. Over fifty years ago, Japan and the United States signed the “Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security,” to assist in the containment of Communism...
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...BUSI604: International Business Global Cultural Analysis: Japan Liberty University June 24, 2013 Abstract 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? Japan has the third largest economy in the world. Having one of the largest economies comes with many rewards as well as challenges. Japan’s main reason for success is their culture. “Japan’s culture stems first from bushido, an ancient code that exalts loyalty to one’s superiors” (Emery, 2001, para.1). Japan has also been successful in part because of their superlative electronic and Information Technology industries as well as a very strong automotive industry. Imports and exports have been in instrumental in Japan’s success. “Japan is the 5th largest importer and exporter in the world,” (Japan Export, & Trade, 2013, para.1). Despite Japan’s prominent position, they have been experiencing major financial issues just like the rest of the world. Japan’s...
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...Running head: BUSINESS IN JAPAN The Cultural Aspects of Doing Business in Japan Jane Doe Saint Leo University TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………3 Introduction……………………………………………………….………………………….4 Why do businesses globalize?.....……………………………………………………………4 Doing Business in Japan……………………………………………………………………..5 Understanding Japan’s business culture……………………………..………………………5 Setting up in Japan…………………………………………………………………………..6 Meeting and Greeting……………………………………………………………………….7 Religious Considerations……………………………………………………………………8 Customs and Courtesies……………………………………………………………………..8 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………...9 References………………………………………………………………………………….10 Abstract Many business owners today have been making their way abroad in hopes to expand their production and keeping up with recent trends of globalization. The differed cultural aspects of a foreign country should be greatly considered when trying to build a strong professional relationship with business associates from the host country. Doing extensive research and understanding their different business cultures are the first step a company should take before taking a major leap in a foreign soil. Japan has recently been the country of choice for Western entrepreneurs to invest and expand their business ventures. The Japanese economy has become more diverse because of their size and structure of companies, producing a complex web of inter-locking relationships...
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...intrigued by the Japanese culture. As I grew up watching “Japan Hour” on TV, I remembered admiring their serene way of life, picking salmons in their back yard and cooking it fresh, always to the delight of the guests squealing “Oishi!” at the first bite. Nothing beats the scenery of their natural environment, and having seen the vast size and beauty of Japan in television, I told myself that one day, I would like to explore as many cities as I can over there. Looking into my household, I remembered how Japan made products are always favoured by my father as compared to China or even some US made products because of the attention to quality found in the Japanese workmanship. Growing up, I used to find their conservativeness & strict attitude highly admirable, and now at this stage of life, I’ve come to learn that beyond their personal life, their distinctive cultural characteristics also encompasses the way they lead their businesses and nation. Cultural analysis of Japan The Japanese population of 128 million people in Japan are mostly found in the coastal areas and urban regions due to the mountainous nature of the country. There are three main metropolitan areas – Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, with Tokyo having a population of 30 million. Tokyo is the largest city in the world. Every country has its own unique culture. There is no sense in saying that one country is more unique than the other. Except when it comes to Japan. In many ways Japan resembles Europe or even...
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...of Doing Business in America and Japan A manager or company has many factors to consider when deciding to conduct business internationally. Besides being sensitive and respectful to the foreign country’s culture, one must also be cognizant of how the culture influences the cost of doing business. To illustrate this point, consider the following scenario of countries A and B: Both countries [A and B] are characterized by low labor costs and good access to world markets. Both countries are of roughly the same size (in terms of population) and both are at a similar stage of economic development. In country A, the education system is undeveloped, the society is characterized by a marked stratification between the upper and lower classes, the dominant religion stresses the importance of reincarnation, and there are three major linguistic groups. In country B, the education system is well developed, there is a lack of social stratification, group identification is valued by the culture, the dominant religion stresses the virtue of hard work, and there is only one linguistic group. Which country makes the best investment site? Country B does. The culture of country B is supportive of the capitalist mode of production and social harmony, whereas the culture of country A is not. In country A, conflict between management and labor, and between different language groups, can be expected to lead to social and industrial disruption, thereby raising the costs of doing business. The lack...
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...Running head: GLOBAL BUSINESS CULTURAL ANALYSIS: JAPAN Global Business Cultural Analysis: Japan Albert G. Rodriguez Liberty University Abstract Japan is very similar and very unlike the US. It was amazing to research so many different aspects of one country. The major elements of this country are its culture and how these affect the country itself. How the people process these elements is very important and this is how the Japanese culture develops. From here we move on to see how this compares to US. We look to see how the US compares in their culture when brought next to Japan. Finally we will see how the US manager can be an international manager in Japan. This is mainly done through sensitivity to the other’s culture. This sometimes includes changing the way we act, and other times it is being sensitive to the other culture that is before us. Global Business Cultural Analysis: Japan Japan is an island cluster off the coasts of Russia, South Korea, and China. It is specifically located to the east of the Sea of Japan. It is composed of four major islands and over six-thousand minor ones. The four major islands are: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. It has thousands of shrines, national parks and even imperial palaces. The country of Japan is often called the Land of the Rising Sun. It has one of the largest populations in the world by country despite being such a small country. It has the highest life expectancy in the world (83.10). The islands are also...
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...policies, culture, and a recommendation with a supporting rational for the country selected. Global Financial Management Introduction Acme, a U.S. multinational enterprise, is planning the stages of establishing a Greenfield production facility overseas. Acme is expanding its international program. The two selected foreign countries for which the steering committee has proposed to start operations in are Germany and Japan. A comparative analysis between the two counties will include the currency of each country, trade policies, and cultural variables that can affect the operations and profitability of the production facility. This paper is meant to discuss which of the two countries are recommended to begin the production facility in. Germany Germany, a federal republic, has the largest population of all the European Union, or EU. Germany has the world’s third largest economy, and it produces automobiles, engineering products, electronic equipment, communications equipment, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The most widely spoken language in the EU is German (Germany, Europa, 2013). Currency / Trade Because Germany is a part of the EU, its currency is the euro. Germany has relatively few non-tariff barriers and has an intact three-tiered system of public, private, and cooperative banks. Germany has a heavily regulated labor relations and the launching a company with complete licensing requirements requires no minimum capital (Germany, 2013 Index, 2013). Culture Germany...
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...Different Social and Taboo Cultures and Business Etiquettes and How it Influences the Workplace When going to your workplace, DO NOT eat while on the streets or in public transportations. Breakfast and dinner is normally consumed at the person’s respective house or apartment. Men wear conservative business suits and women are encouraged to keep jewelry to a minimum. Women should not wear high heels if the result is towering over their male counterpart. Bow when meeting, thanking, apologizing or saying goodbye. The 45-Degree Saikeirei Bow is used for moments for sincere apology or to show the highest of respect. The 30-Degree Keirei Bow is used to show respect to superiors. The 15-Degree Eshaku Bow is used for Semi-formal and used for greetings when meeting with people for the first time Call people especially your co-employees with their last name especially when in the workplace and for formality purposes. Add “-san” as a suffix to their last name as a sign of respect. When meeting someone for the first time, especially in the workplace or in a gathering, it is important to give a business card using two hands (Avramova, 2015). It is also important to bring a business exchange gift (especially during a large gathering or informal meeting). It is improper to give flowers as they used in funeral services. Buying any in a set of four is deemed unlucky as well as the number 9. When in a meeting or large gathering, DO NOT introduce yourself. Wait for your superior or co-employee...
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...An Investigation of Japanese Corporate Culture, Its Trends And Changes Japanese Business & Culture bus 258.1 Table of Contents1.0 Introduction 2.0 Procedure 3.0 Findings 3.1 Changing social culture. 3.2 Business Culture in Japan 3.3 Why change is needed 3.4 What is Japan and her corporations doing to develop and change 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Bibliography Japanese Business & CultureAn investigation Japanese corporate culture, its trends and changes.1.0 IntroductionThis report is based around the following quote: "Japan's corporate culture is the product of uniquely Japanese social and historical influences, so deeply rooted as to easily repel outside influences. Bur Japanese corporations need to change their basic goals...." This report will discuss nature of corporate culture in Japan, and why change is needed. The maximum length is 2,000 words 2.0 Procedure The report was produced using library based research because of the time scale and cost. The sources used include text books, journals and newspapers.. The references have been made 'Harvard Style' and can be found in the Bibliography. 3.0 Findings The Japanese business culture has been described by Beedham as a culture that acts like a clan, in that there is a large amount of authority given to the man at the top, and in the commitment that is shown by the people around him, Beedham points out that this can be evident in the way that their car factories, investment banks and government ministries...
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...I. OVERVIEW Modern Japan has long captured the attention of economics and researchers around the world. The island-country provides a fascinating example of immense successes against all odds, from its isolated geolocation, lack of natural resources to the total economic collapse post World War II. With a GDP that ranks third worldwide in 2014 only after the United States and China, and a population that is a fraction of the former two, Japan owns a great deal of its achievement to various homegrown aspects (World Bank, 2014). This essay analyzes keys aspects of Japan to get a broad overview of Japanese business culture, using the Hofstede's Model and key social institutions. II. HOFSTEDE’S MODEL OF JAPANESE CULTURE: Figure 1. Japan on the Hofstede's Model (The Hofstede Centre, 2016). Figure 1 shows Japan's scores on six dimensions of the Hofstede's Model. Based on these scores, Japanese culture is characterised by low power distance, high masculinity, high context, medium individualism, very high uncertainty avoidance, and high long-term orientation. 1. Power Distance Japan is ranked at an immediate score of 54 in power distance index. It shows that the extent between the powerful and the less powerful within institutions and organizations is neither very far nor showing immense inequality. Japan almost reaches the balance. Confucianism makes a deep impact on Japanese culture. The main effect of Confucian philosophy on Japanese business is in the development of a...
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...(1998). The impact of culture on management: A comparison of Japanese versus United States management. Advances in competitiveness Research , 6 (1), 39-57. Faramarz Damanpour is a Professor of Finance and International Business at James Madison University. He is an author of several business articles and has been featured in many business journals. His main purpose of this article is to get the reader to understand the differences between the cultures, decision-making, and employment strategies of Japan and the United States. This topic is suitable for my research paper because it helps me answer the first research question, which deals with the elements and dimensions of culture of Japan. Fukuda, J. (1992). The internationalization of Japanese business: different approaches, similar problems. The International Executive , 34 (1), 27-41. John Fukuda is a professor in the department of the International Business at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has written peer reviewed articles for the International Executive. His main purpose for this article is to get the reader to understand the Japanese's approach to business versus the other countries. This article is suitable for my research paper because it helps me to answer question numbers 1 and 2 of the Business cultural analysis. Fukukawa, K., & Teramoto, Y. (2008). Understanding Japanese CSR: the reflections of managers in the field of global operations. Journal of Business Ethics , 85 (1)...
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...Culture Culture Culture is defined many different ways. Edward Taylor defines culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, laws, custom, and other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society” (Hill, 2011, p. 89). Another definition of culture comes from Geert Hofstede, expert on cross-cultural differences and management; he defines culture as “the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the member of one human group from another… Culture, in this sense, includes systems of values; and values are among the building blocks of culture” (Hill, 2011, p. 89). Sociologists Zvi Namenwirth and Robert Weber view culture as a system of ideas that constitute a design for living (Hill, 2011, p. 89). Ultimately all the above definitions combine to show culture is made up of values, “ideas about what a group believes to be good, right, and desirable”, and norms, “social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate behavior in particular situations” (Hill, 2011, p. 89). Culture Components and Business Business Etiquette Business Etiquette from culture to culture differs, for example between the United States and Japan. Business cards are a big deal in Japan and how you present it can be the difference in how you are perceived. In a meeting in the United States if you pass your business card around the table or just leave it for the person it is acceptable and it will normally only be printed on one side. However, when in...
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