Introduction When companies think of expanding their businesses to another culture, some do not think of culture and how it affects their success or lack thereof. Culture plays a quintessential role in a business, and it is important to be aware of differences in culture while conducting business operations in a foreign country. The awareness of cultural differences can reduce trade problems, reduce diplomatic tensions, and reduce misunderstandings (Hite, 1991). In this paper, I will discuss what changes at the company level, at the management level, and at the product level American companies have developed to accommodate differences between American and Japanese business cultures.
The Top Level
Japan has a unique business culture, to which …show more content…
For example, Jonathan Kushner, vice president in charge of communications in for McDonalds Japan and vice president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, stated in the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan Journal that many U.S. companies have adopted a “hybrid” model in which they combine practices of Japanese business culture with those of American business cultures to form a “blend of the global and the local” (Ryall, 2017). In order to bridge their cultural differences, these companies changed their business strategies to work with Japanese …show more content…
In Japan, companies often provide employees with an environment that is “almost a family” according to Keith Henry, president of Asia Strategy Inc.—a Tokyo-based business strategy and government policy consultancy, in an interview to the Journal (Ryall, 2017). Because of this custom, employees are loyal to their company and focus on the betterment of their company rather than their own personal gains. Japan tends to have a collectivist business mindset rather than an individualist mindset like that of the U.S., where employees seek their own benefits before that of the company. Because of this collectivism, Robert Hite and Jon Hawes in their article on understanding Japanese culture for business success explicate that the Japanese tend to think and act as a group, so Japanese business culture and practices focus on the development of “interpersonal relationships” that are maintained through social groupings (Hite, 1991). This importance of “ningen kankei,” establishment of social bonds, ties back into trust in Japanese culture (Lohtia, 2005). Most Japanese tend to be risk averse, so they are more likely to work with people they trust rather than strangers. With this in mind, Henry Marini spent time learning Japanese and living with a Japanese family before transferring what he learned from these experiences to his role as a manager for
The Top Level
Japan has a unique business culture, to which …show more content…
For example, Jonathan Kushner, vice president in charge of communications in for McDonalds Japan and vice president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, stated in the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan Journal that many U.S. companies have adopted a “hybrid” model in which they combine practices of Japanese business culture with those of American business cultures to form a “blend of the global and the local” (Ryall, 2017). In order to bridge their cultural differences, these companies changed their business strategies to work with Japanese …show more content…
In Japan, companies often provide employees with an environment that is “almost a family” according to Keith Henry, president of Asia Strategy Inc.—a Tokyo-based business strategy and government policy consultancy, in an interview to the Journal (Ryall, 2017). Because of this custom, employees are loyal to their company and focus on the betterment of their company rather than their own personal gains. Japan tends to have a collectivist business mindset rather than an individualist mindset like that of the U.S., where employees seek their own benefits before that of the company. Because of this collectivism, Robert Hite and Jon Hawes in their article on understanding Japanese culture for business success explicate that the Japanese tend to think and act as a group, so Japanese business culture and practices focus on the development of “interpersonal relationships” that are maintained through social groupings (Hite, 1991). This importance of “ningen kankei,” establishment of social bonds, ties back into trust in Japanese culture (Lohtia, 2005). Most Japanese tend to be risk averse, so they are more likely to work with people they trust rather than strangers. With this in mind, Henry Marini spent time learning Japanese and living with a Japanese family before transferring what he learned from these experiences to his role as a manager for