Essay about Japanese Culture

Essay about Japanese Culture Essay about Japanese Culture Japanese Culture Compared with European and American businessmen, Japanese businessmen pay more attention to establishing interpersonal relationships. In negotiations, Japanese believe that if one is going to carry out in cooperation with Japanese between friends, mutual trust is very important. The Japanese do not like to bargaining, with particular emphasis on whether they can trust each other to establish relations with foreign partners. If one can successfully establish a relationship of mutual trust, one will conclude and sign the deal pretty efficiently. Once this relationship established, these two sides work to maintain a long-term relationship. If foreign investors have never made contact with Japanese, they must first get trust before they negotiate. Therefore, trust is an important medium for a successful cooperation when with Japanese. Hofstede's framework Power distance: Japanese people are known to be told what is expected of them. They feel that the decisions of their employers are correct because of the power an individual encompasses. Power players prefer their subordinates to avoid eye contact with them. Japanese citizens view role and status hierarchy. Children are expected to respect parents. The United States is relatively small power distance country, American employees tend not to accept administrative privileges, generally the superiors and subordinates are the same. So in America, employees and managers are quite equal. Relationships are more harmonious, employees are more adept in learning, improving themselves, and achieving personal values. In India, employees expect to be directed clearly as to their functions and what is expected of them. Communication is top down and directive in its style, and often negative feedback is never offered up the ladder. Individualism vs collectivism: Japanese are collectivist, however there is less individualism present in their private life. They prefer to live by themselves rather than share a flat or apartment with a friend. Americans are more individualistic, it does not mean that all Americans are individualists, rather, it means that Americans are more likely to think and act in individual ways than people in collectivistic cultures are. But India is a society with both collectivistic and individualistic traits. â€Å"The collectivist side means that there is a high preference for belonging to a larger social framework in which individuals are expected to act in accordance to the greater good of one’s defined in-group(s).†(Hofstede Center) Masculinity vs femininity Japan has the highest masculine society. Men are considered dominant and tough, while women emotional. The Japanese’s masculinity index proves to the rest of the world that even though they are a small country with these traits, they have very efficient productivity. This is due to the strict rules of the business culture to achieve their goals and make their mark in the business world. America can be explained by the combination of a high Masculinity drive. Together with the most individualistic drive in the world. And India is actually very masculine in terms of visual display of success and power. Uncertainty avoidance index: Japanese seeks for harmony. It is a peaceful orientation which emphasizes the tendency to avoid ambiguity. Their decision making is direct with simple solutions. They are detail oriented which is another example of uncertainty avoidance. There social rules and rituals are designated in the appropriate behavior for particular situations so that there is rarely ambiguity about how to proceed. Long term orientation: Japan has high long term orientation. This means that they believe that family is the basis of society and must be respected. They have strong work ethic and believe