Japanese Business Culture And Practices

Japanese Business Culture and Practices presents detailed insights and descriptions on the proper ways to conduct business with contemporary Japanese. It focuses on the traditional and nontraditional business-related practices, including the internal mechanisms of promotion and decision-making in Japanese corporations. From advice on how to avoid cultural misunderstandings and how to develop trust with Japanese colleagues, readers will gain insights on how to communicate, negotiate, entertain, and socialize with Japanese as well as the minutiae of correct behavior. Using linguistic examples to facilitate how Japanese themselves view their work environment, authors Isao Takei and Jon P. Alston describe the social etiquette and protocols Japanese expect all foreigners to adopt in order to successfully conduct business. With a glossary of terms and practical real-life experiences, this is an essential guide for anyone who wants to forge deeper business relationships with Japanese.

This collection of readings is intended to serve as a foundation for those expecting to have commercial interaction with the Japanese. The selections--from sources not limited to mainstream business journals--address various aspects of the cultural environment of Japanese business and discuss communication and interpersonal relationships, the institutional and legal environment, management and marketing, and the Japanese approach to manufacturing. Some specific topics: the influence of Confucianism and Zen on the Japanese organization, gift-giving, the ethnography of dinner entertainment, spiritual education in a Japanese bank, women managers.

Japanese Business Culture and Practices: A Guide to Twenty-first Century Japanese Business presents valuable insight on the proper ways to conduct business in Japan. It focuses on the principles of Japanese culture that influence business-related behavior, including the ways Japanese executives develop loyalty among workers. Drawing on their practical real-life experiences, authors Jon P. Alston and Isao Takei describe not only how Japanese work, entertain, make decisions, and use language in unique ways, but they also offer practical advice on how to work for and with Japanese. The combination of cultural facts and extensive descriptions of behavior provide an easy-to-understand guide to conducting business in contemporary Japan. Because the Japanese are loyal to those they trust and respect, foreigners will gain respect and facilitate success by knowing and adhering to the minutiae of Japanese social etiquette and business protocols. From advice on how to avoid cultural misunderstandings to the proper techniques for negotiations, Japanese Business Culture and Practices is your guide to forming productive work relationships the -Japanese way.-

Business people around the world conduct business in different ways. Understanding these differences can be the key to building better business relationships. BUSINESS JAPAN offers a smooth and problem-free transition between the American and Japanese business cultures. Its concise, at-a-glance comparison of business styles, practices, and social customs will help you succeed in the Japanese business community.

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3, Stuttgart Media University, course: Interkulturelles Management, language: English, abstract: From the moment we are born, our environment influences us in the way we think, act, and feel. Our parents and siblings, friends and superiors, even acquaintances and strangers teach us what is socially acceptable and expected behavior so that we are able to fit in with our peers, colleagues and fellow citizens. This “mental software” usually stays with us and evolves throughout our whole life, coloring our every word, thought, and action. It differs from our human nature and our personality in the way that it is neither genetically programmed into us, nor uniquely ours. We usually refer to it as ‘culture’. According to Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede, culture is “the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another.” Of course, we usually are part of many different groups at once – maybe we belong to a sports team or company, a confraternity or a club, a family or a special circle of friends – all of which have different values, rituals and expectations. This leads to “people usually carry[ing] several layers of mental programming within themselves, corresponding to different levels of culture.” However, while we join some groups voluntarily, we are born into others – like our family and nationality – and therefore cannot revoke our membership and the expectations that go with it. So while we voluntarily accept one culture’s rules and idiosyncrasies because we want to, we might accept another’s merely because they were drilled into us since we were children. By name, these differing dynamics can be referred to as national and organizational culture. An extensive research project conducted by Hofstede in the 1970s, during which employees of a large multinational corporation in 64 countries were questioned, was supposed to reveal the intricacies of national culture. The following paper will first take a closer look at Hofstede’s 5D-model as a basis for understanding the cultural intricacies foreigners need to be aware of when dealing with other nations, in particular with the state of Japan. After shining light on the dimensions defined by Hofstede, those peculiarities of the Japanese culture that are of special importance when doing business with the nation, with an emphasis on major concepts of thinking and acting, as well as everyday behavioral tips, will be presented.

Navigating Japan's Business Culture: A Practical Guide to Succeeding in the Japanese Market delivers clear, specific information to help executives understand and successfully navigate the numerous obstacles that confronted when foreign companies do business in Japan. Unlike "cultural intelligence" books that describe Japanese social etiquette, this book goes straight to the cultural values and social customs entwined in Japanese capitalism that make their capitalism so different from Western capitalism--and therefore can become stumbling blocks for gaining success in the Japanese market. Readers will come away with specific guidance on how to negotiate successfully with your Japanese partner ensure your business will endure for the long term in that market know your Japanese counterpart is telling you "no" when it sounds very much like "yes" capitalize on deeply held Japanese cultural traits in a way to benefit both your company and your partner's company create good business practices that will strengthen your business by drawing on the strong values of Japanese management styles and employee work ethic and much more This book is filled with page-turning practical wisdom from communication goals to negotiating, from product selection for the Japanese market to distribution services, and from management to sales. Azar provides valuable direction by Identifying Japan's culture-based differences in management and business practices to alert Western businesses of these differences Explaining and linking these practices to their cultural roots so that they may be understood in their correct cultural context Delivering guidance for dealing with these differences to create strong, successful, long-term partnerships with their Japanese counterparts. Ignore the important cultural differences highlighted in this book at your own business risk if you are working in or plan to enter the Japanese market. The case studies the author includes underscores the wisdom shared throughout the book. This book will be of interest to and benefit three groups of readers: individuals with professional interests in Japan, such as those in business and government those with an academic interest in Japan, such as teachers and students of both Japanese business and culture the culturally curious and globally minded who are interested in the many diverse cultures that enrich our world

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject Communications - Intercultural Communication, grade: 1,0, University of Applied Sciences Dortmund (Wirtschaft), language: English, abstract: This thesis deals with the adequate preparation when planning business endeavours with Japanese Companies. As Japan is the second largest market in Asia and one of the strongest markets worldwide, it is an important trading partner for Western countries. Many companies, when attempting to move into the Japanese market, run into difficulties that derive from wrong expectations and misunderstandings. These difficulties can be managed with decent preparation. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is the elaboration of a training program based on an analysis of the Japanese business culture. To achieve this goal, we combined a profound categorization of the Japanese culture with interviews we conducted with people who have gained experience with the Japanese business culture in order to identify possible obstacles on the one hand and determine best practice preparations and to derive an exemplary training program on the other. The results of the different parts of the thesis provide the foundation of an exemplary training program designed to simplify the transition for businesses intending to expand in the Japanese market. This training program combines extensive general culture and language orientation that help easing the transition with a focus on Japanese idiosyncrasies in business. The key elements include the unique characteristics of communication in Japanese business. This training program will improve cross-cultural communication and thus mutual business relations.

This book outlines the particulars of Japanese management and how modern Japanese management employs many practices which are very successful and worth adopting. The main objective of this book is to illustrate the many teachings that Japanese management practice can offer the rest of the world. The book thus targets managers who deal with Japanese business partners, or work in Japan, students of Japanese Studies, Asian Studies or International Business.