You are to prepare a formal analytical essay on Japanese Business Etiquette and steps that Emily can use to make a favourable first impression when she visits Japan to meet with Mr. Hamasaki.
Communication and understanding the ways to build a cross-cultural communication is an important weapon that benefits an individual or a business (Kinloch & Metge, 2014). This is very important at workplace as well as at the socially gathered places. Nevertheless, communication is very important to make other understand the personal or the business requirement. In the given case study, Emily is a passionate businessperson who has string beliefs in food business. Her family had long connection to the various food preparation related works. This is why Emily has some interesting recipes as well using which she had already earned a good reputation in Australia. However, Emily wanted to move to Japan for expanding her existing business. Emily is very sure that her plan would work. However, it is very necessary that Emily have adequate information on the cultural beliefs of the Japanese people. Additionally, Emily needs to impress Mr. Hamasaki on her first meeting as this would build up a good rapport between them and would open up ways for future relations. The main purpose of this assignment is to recommend some ways to Emily, which she could use to impress Mr. Hamasaki and could, establish a desired business.
It is necessary to first understand the culture of Japan, as Japanese people are very specific to their cultural beliefs. Emily on the other hand has decided to have talks with Mr. Hamasaki for her proposed business. It is necessary for Emily that she takes care of all the cultural beliefs, which is common to Japanese people. Japanese are very specific to their dressing attires. They used to be in full formal when they are in office. They do not respect wearing casual attires at the workplaces. However, it does not mean that they do not allow wearing casuals; however, this indeed means that they have high respect to formals at the workplace. Emily needs to be in complete formal before her meeting with Mr. Hamasaki (Sugimoto & Swain, 2016). This would help Emily reach easily to Mr. Hamasaki and start up her meeting. Another important matter is to bow the heads down while meeting with Mr. Hamasaki as it is the cultural style of meeting of the Japanese people (Cavusgil et al., 2014). Additionally, Emily should give high respect to Mr. Hamasaki while going close to seats. In Japan, the headperson used to seat at the centre position while its subordinates at both sides of the table (MacWilliams, 2014). Emily should proactively ask Mr. Hamasaki to seat at the centre position. This would reflect her respect to the man, which is very important to initiate and successfully carry out the business meeting.
Apart from all the basic information that has been provided on the business culture of Japanese people, it is necessary as well, that Emily makes a note of few adjustments that are important for a successful meeting. Those important notes are on the cultural differences that exist in between the Australian and the Japanese people. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension in this regard is very helpful as this provide a comparative study of cultures in both the countries based on the scores of different cultural factors in Hofstede’s model. Hofstede has given six dimensions to compare the cultural differences in two countries or more. Those six dimensions are Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long Term Orientation and Indulgence (Taras, Steel & Kirkman, 2012). All the dimensions are checked based on High vs. Low factors in which high factor would define different meaning whereas the low factor would define the otherwise meaning (Obeidat et al., 2012). Hofstede’s cultural dimension is extremely important for conducting a cross-cultural business. Emily has decided to expand her food business to Japan, which is why it is necessary that Emily take care of the cultural beliefs of Japan. Nevertheless, Hofstede’s model is a good way to understand the cross-cultural differences in between two countries. This is very necessary because it helps to connect with people having different cultural beliefs. It also teaches on the cultural adjustments that one needs to implement while moving to a culturally different country.
The facts on Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension on Australia and Japan illustrate that organizational structure in Australia is more flat than Japan, which means that employees and supervisors would have equal values at the workplace. Japan is close to Australia but considerably below to the country. Therefore, Emily should prepare herself for a fact that supervisors in Japan have higher values to their employees at the workplace. Emily should adjust on the gaps and try to behave more politely with Mr. Hamasaki to establish a good business relationship. Emily can offer some gifts to Mr. Hamasaki in her first meeting with the person. This would help her leave a good impression on Mr. Hamasaki (Shively, 2015). Australia scores high on individualism whereas Japan scores low. This means that Australians have high values to their individual goals. They have high respect to privacy of others. On contrary to this, Japanese have partial feeling towards common goal. They work more for their benefits. In such circumstances, it is necessary for Emily that she takes advantage of such cultural beliefs of Japanese people. Emily needs to show the benefits of the proposed business to Mr. Hamasaki (Shively, 2015). This would help her get good support of Mr. Hamasaki on her proposed food business. The masculinity rate is very high in Japan than to Australia. It simply means that Japanese have high egos and such culture would give birth to gender biasness at the workplace. In such circumstances, it is necessary that Emily prepare herself for precise targets (Shively, 2015). This is because Japanese work for targets and are keen to get rewards & benefits. Emily needs to show the benefits of business to Mr. Hamasaki in order to get a better assistance.
Japan scores high on uncertainty avoidance, which means that they have rigid and conservative mind. They are very expressive as well. They are allowed express their emotions as well. They are highly energetic as well. Emily should use a clear and concise approach to make Mr. Hamasaki understand the goal of the proposed business relationships (Mathews & White, 2012). This would also help Emily get required assistance from Mr. Hamasaki. Japan scores high in long-term orientation, which means that they believe in long-term goal. They see any business from the perspectives of long-term goal. It is necessary for Emily that she makes Mr. Hamasaki understand the long-term benefits of the proposed business (Sugimoto, 2014). This would help Mr. Hamasaki relate his interest with the proposed business of Emily. Japan scores comparatively lower to Australia in terms of indulgence, which means that they have less inclination to enjoyment while working. They have comparatively less passion for work life balance. It is then necessary for Emily to adapt the working behaviour of Japanese people (Dore & Sako, 2012). Moreover, this would help Emily adjust with the working beliefs of the Japanese people. It is indeed difficult for someone who is from Australia and willing to work with Japanese people. Adapting the work nature is indeed difficult because it requires a scuffling from one culture to another. In case of Emily, it is indeed challenging because the work culture of Japan is largely different to Australia.
Conclusion
The above discussion on Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension have made this clear that Emily had to adjust on some cultural beliefs, which she had while working in Australia. There are notable differences in the cultural beliefs of the Australian and the Japanese people. Emily is required to adjust on her working nature. She needs to adapt to the working nature of Japanese people. She is from Australia and she loves to enjoy her work, which means that she has high values to work life balance. However, Japanese do not have high passion for work life balance. They rather adore a highly energetic commitment to their works, which means Emily would need to adjust on her attitude for work life balance and try to adapt the working nature of the country. This is indeed difficult for Emily to work according to the working culture of Japan. Japanese people have less passion for work life balance whereas Australian people are highly addicted to work life balance. Emily is required to work energetically without showing any sign of tiredness, as she would be operating in such an environment where people prefer hard works without any sign of needs for entertaining job nature. They understand success and they try to achieve so for any cost whereas Australians adore work life balance more. Emily needs to avoid making jokes while being in any session as Japanese people are very specific to their work and does not like any kind of interferences. Emily needs to be highly job oriented, which means she would get less time to make fun. She cannot go for entertaining means while being at the workplace. Emily indeed needs to follow the cultural beliefs of Japanese people, as they are hugely strict with their culture
References
Bergiel, E. B., Bergiel, B. J., & Upson, J. W. (2012). Revisiting Hofstede’s Dimensions: Examining the Cultural Convergence of the United States and Japan. American Journal of Management, 12(1), 69.
Cavusgil, S. T., Knight, G., Riesenberger, J. R., Rammal, H. G., & Rose, E. L. (2014). International business. Pearson Australia.
Chhokar, J. S., Brodbeck, F. C., & House, R. J. (Eds.). (2013). Culture and leadership across the world: The GLOBE book of in-depth studies of 25 societies. Routledge.
Dore, R. P., & Sako, M. (2012). How the Japanese learn to work. Routledge.
Kinloch, P., & Metge, J. (2014). Talking past each other: problems of cross cultural communication. Victoria University Press.
MacWilliams, M. W. (2014). Japanese visual culture: explorations in the world of manga and anime. Routledge.
Mathews, G., & White, B. (Eds.). (2012). Japan’s changing generations: are young people creating a new society?. Routledge.
Obeidat, B., Shannak, R., Masa’deh, R. E. M. D. T., & Al-Jarrah, I. (2012). Toward better understanding for Arabian culture: Implications based on Hofstede’s cultural model. European Journal of Social Sciences, 28(4), 512-522.
Shively, D. H. (Ed.). (2015). Tradition and modernization in Japanese culture. Princeton University Press.
Sugimoto, M., & Swain, D. L. (2016). Science and culture in traditional Japan. Tuttle Publishing.
Sugimoto, Y. (2014). An introduction to Japanese society. Cambridge University Press.
Taras, V., Steel, P., & Kirkman, B. L. (2012). Improving national cultural indices using a longitudinal meta-analysis of Hofstede’s dimensions. Journal of World Business, 47(3), 329-341.
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