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Noel Fuller
Professor Malcolm Campbell
Uwrite UWRT 1103
April 27March 30, 2015
Break down Japanese culture Barriers in Business
In business, America has built a reputation of being a leading economical empire through
globalization. America has forged many relationships with foreign countries that speak a variety
of language and cultural values. Because of Americas strong influence internationally it has
become somewhat accustomed to other countries accommodating them in order to get business
done rather than accommodating other countries they want to do business with. One country that
struggles to do business according to western customs is Japan. The Japanese have a culture built
around a completely different set of values in which western culture expresses while conducting
business. Besides the difficulty of diverging values between these two nations, the Japanese
struggle to learn English as well as other countries have been able to. Perhaps because of the
difference in values of Japanese a culture which dictates language by grammar but also by the
words available to use and how a conversation is conducted. Instead of expecting everyone to
accommodate western culture, why should America not try to accommodate other countries we
do business with, especially Japan? Should America and other countries try to do business
according to Japanese customs sSince Japan is a country known for globalizing products? Japan
and has such a poor time learning English because of differences in culture, but what if Western
culture tried to learn Japanese? Western culture is more open to change in customs. It is a

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compilation of many cultures and therefore could easily adapt Japans. , should America and
other countries not try to do business according to Japanese customs? It is more difficult for
Japan to adapt western culture. It would help if oOthers wshould take the time to learn Japanese
language and culture instead of expecting them to change how they operate to accommodate
everyone else.
Not only does Japan have different cultural values that guide their language and
communication, their values also guide their work ethic. Florida and Kenney, professors at
University of Toronto and University of California, Davis respectively, have observed that Japan
has a system that encompasses a well-rounded worker and good notable leadership. The
globalization of Japanese culture and longevity of employment in Japan insists that we should
take a page from their book. Should we follow Japan and internalize some of their values,
making them our own?
Naoki Kameda, a professor of the graduate school of commerce at Doshisha University,
argues that if properly coordinated with English, the way Japanese culture dictates
communication can be integrated into international business communication this century. James
Stanlaw argues that Japanese language could not exist without English today. By using the Asahi
Shimbun Japan Almanac, Stanlaw found that 95 percent of Japan uses English. While they can
understand it now, it has not always been so easy. Japanese culture opposes western culture in
communication and therefore comprehension of each others language is difficult. When tested
by the Educational Testing service in the USA, Japan came in eighteenth out of twenty-one
participating Asian nations and regions for the English as a foreign language test. The
differences in culture make it difficult for tThe Japanese

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people to understand how English works. Students learning English as a second language
struggle with English classes according to Thorp, due to differences in the meaning underlying
students classroom interaction patterns and what the teacher perceives, likely [making]
inappropriate negative assessments of the students (qtd. in Ebsworth and Saito). Japanese
students are taught by their culture not to question classmates or teachers but English teachers
leave time for questions and encourage discussions with conflicting views. The students do not
participate because their culture dictates that they not challenge others directly. Teachers take
this as students being disinterested and passive.
In western culture, people conduct business and have conversations that are direct and to

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the point. Japan has multiple alphabets used for different facets of communication and they
speak in a more indirect fashion rather than the direct route familiar to western culture
(KamedaNaoki 145). For example, the Japanese language does not have a word equivalent to the
English word , no. They have sixteen ways of avoiding saying no, making it difficult to
distinguish when they actually mean yes. It can sound as though they are considering the
possibility but in reality they really meanare saying it is unlikely to occur. Say Suppose you ask
them to see a movie Saturday night instead of saying no, they will respond Muzukashii desu,
it is difficult., instead of saying no. To avoid being pushy tThey always tack on I think to
their statements. so as to avoid being pushy. While Japanese culture holds honesty to awith high
regards, it is looked down upon to speak forcefully to convey your opinion (Lampkin and Takada
23). Motokawa explains why the Japanese communicate in an indirect style. He says that
Japanese people think like this: if we state a conclusion, it means that our statement is the truth.
Such a statement is definitely false, because our words can never be absolutely true (qtd. in
KamedaNaoki 146). Their cultural belief is that we can never be completely truthful when we

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speak and therefore saying anything definitive is a lie. To avoid lying they speak in indirect
patterns keeping their honor intact. Speaking Japanese but in an English manner would be
difficult since they do not even have the words to accommodate western communication styles.
Even though they have learned to answer direct questions and accommodate English in small
ways, they still find it difficult to communicate because of the difference in values.It would be
asking them to change their values.
Changing values to more closely resemble western culture would affect work ethic in
Japan. Stuart Picken, a former professor of philosophy, observes that Japanese business values
are effective in maintaining good work ethics; they know that a worker who understands why
they are doing something is more motivated than one that simply does the job in order to receive
pay (Picken). Florida and Kenney, Carnegie Mellon University and Ohio State University
professors add to the thought that tThe worker that can put meaning to his task and see past the
perceived purpose that their task only serves to be a short fixture will be a more active employer
giving feedback and ideas of improvement (Florida and Kenney). By being a more active
employer, they are more satisfied with their work, therefore, they keep their jobs longer. The sole
motivation for work moves from receiving a paycheck to accomplishing the job to see that the
goal as a whole is accomplished. Production is increased due to job satisfaction. In western
culture, management is based upon skill or authority scales and the pay difference between
manager and employee are substantial (Picken). Japan uses a system that English workers
believe to be determined by paternalism , however, instead of being generous because you feel
like it, the system is more about managers doing their part to guarantee that the company will
maintain its success, a system based upon duty due to emotional connections (Picken).
According to Picken, what paternalism means for the structure of management, in this case, is

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that promotions to managerial positions are based upon a workers emotional connection to the
work. The managers are personally invested in the functioning of their team working towards the
goal and coming up with ideas of their own to improve the project. According to Hashi, Japan
has one of the highest life expectancies in the world and a low unemployment rate.
The organization of labor has changed throughout history. It went from everyone doing
what they needed in order to survive, --fishing and hunting--, to specialized jobs for people,
based on skills a person haspeople have. Bernard Bass, a former professor at Binghamton
University, argues that mManagers rewarding a person for the work they accomplish has become
expected through socialization and the expectations of society became a persons motivation to
work (Bass 5). As we learned from Florida and Kenney already, Japanese production lines
encourage floor workers to be creative, share ideas and be involved in the whole production
process rather than limit themselves to one skill on the floor (Florida and Kenney). Bass suggests
that tThey Japanese are boarrowing the ideas from the Paleolithic era that an employee should of
being able to preformperform any task instead of just one skill. Of course during the Paleolithic
era, people had no choice but to do everything for themselves in order to survive but . Nnow we
use the concept of being able to do a little bit of everything in order to maintain workers that will
stay with their job longer. Keeping an employee on is beneficial to the production process
because it keeps the employer for constantly looking to fill positions. It also keeps the production
line going instead slowing down the process due to training new employees constantly.
Japanese culture is being taken all over the world. Japan is marketing their unique
culture, appealing to the consumers today that celebrate different cultures rather than revile them
(Glodstein-Gidoni 156). Since Japanese values differ from others, they have different art and
ceremonies that can intrigue people who are unfamiliar with the values and traditions behind

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these customs. Marketing these different performances is done using Japanese values that the art
cannot be vulgar in nature because that would detract from its uniqueness. In this day and age it
is hard to come by art that is high culture among other countries (Goldstein-Gidoni). Japanese
culture can be criticized by foreign countries because the values that are intrinsic to the country
become meaningless to others (Picken).
Values and customs can have a drastic effect on how a business runs. While we live in
America and grew up here, accustomed to how we operate, why shouldnt we consider to move
in a different direction? We can learn from Japan. They have difficulty with English because
western culture has a way with being brusque and direct. While, Japan struggles with directness
in turning someone down or just saying no, in reverse we have no problem talking in round about
ways. Western culture simply chooses not to. At least we have the words readily available to
speak in a different way if we choose, but Japanese language does not allow for them to be more
direct. Western culture should accommodate Japanese language and customs into their business
deals. They should take the time to learn the language and how to communicate the way they are
accustomed to, in an indirect way. It would show respect for the people they are dealing with if
they let them down gently instead of being direct and harsh when uninterested.
Besides language and communication, values effect the production lines of companies.
The Japanese production workers have a little bit of knowledge about every step that goes on in
order to make the final product and therefore feel more connected and invested to the work and
contributing ideas to improve the work and the process. As we learned from Florida and Kenney,
mManagement is not separated in Japanese businesses the way western culture separates them.
They are not merely above other workers to oversee them, they interact in order to communicate
problems and solutions. Japanese business culture differs from western culture in how coworkers

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socialize after work. Miller reports for Japan Today that while western culture views drinks with
some coworkers as something to be done with only close associates the Japanese view it as a
collaboration of ideas. As you start drinking, you loosen up. Going out and drinking with
coworkers allows them people who were hesitant to speak up during a meeting to share ideas and
thoughts outside of the work zone. Sharing ideas with coworkers after work will not hurt
anyones reputation or anger anyone. JapanThey uses their values in art and performances which
attracts foreigners and enables them to market their culture with ease. The key to marketing their
unique culture is to be classy and not give in to new traditions that are common around the world
today.

Values and customs can have a drastic effect on how a business runs. While we live in
America and grew up here, accustomed to how we operate, why shouldnt we consider to move
in a different direction? We can learn from Japan. They have difficulty with English because
western culture has a way with being brusque and direct. While, Japan struggles with directness
in turning someone down or just saying no, in reverse we have no problem talking in round about
ways. Western culture simply chooses not to. At least we have the words readily available to
speak in a different way if we choose, but Japanese language does not allow for them to be more
direct. Western culture should accommodate Japanese language and customs into their business
deals. They should take the time to learn the language and how to communicate the way they are
accustomed to, in an indirect way. It would show respect for the people they are dealing with if
they let them down gently instead of being direct and harsh when uninterested. Western culture
could take some of Japans values and integrate them into their own businesses. Socializing with
all coworkers after you clock out instead of just the ones you like could be beneficial to

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strengthen the relationships of coworkers. By encouraging workers to be skillful in all areas of

the production process western culture can grow their businesses with competent employees to
fill the work load. Making employees feel as though their work is meaningful and that they are
useful could keep people in a job, decreasing unemployment rates in the west. If the Japanese are
making an effort to accommodate other western culture during business interactions then could
western businesses not do the same? Western businesses could make an effort to socialize with
Japanese businessmen outside of brokering deals. Japanese business negotiations take time
because they evaluate each offer. By socializing outside of negotiations, western businesses
could strengthen their relationship with the Japanese. If they build a relationship outside of the
office and can convince them that they have the companys best interest at heart in the long run
of a project then they can beat out competitors. By accommodating Japanese culture western
culture could expand to bigger and better accomplishments within business.

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Works Cited
Bass, Bernard M. Continuity and Change in the Evolution of Work and Human Resource
Management Human Resource Management. 33.1 (1991): 3-31. Wiley Online Library.
Web. 4, Mar. 2015
Ebsworth, Mariam Eisenstein and Hiromi Saito. Seeing English Language Teaching and
Learning through the Eyes of Japanese EFL and ESL Students Foreign Language
Annals. 37.1 (2004): 111-124. Wiley Online Library. Web. 27, Mar. 2015
Florida, Ricshard and, Martin Kenney. Organisation vs. Culture: Japanese automotive
transplants in the US Industrial Relations Journal. 22.3 (1991): 181-196. Web. 20 Mar.
2015
Goldstein-Gidoni, Ofra. The Production and Consumption of Japanese Culture in the Global

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Cultural Market Journal of Consumer Culture. 5.2 Sage Publication (2005): 155-179.

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ArticleFirst. Web. 3 Mar. 2015

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Hashi. Failure? What Failure? The Truth of Japans Success Tofugu, 13 Jan. 2012. Web. 28
Mar. 2015

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Kameda, Naoki. The Implication of Language Style in Business Communication: Focus on

English versus Japanese Corporate Communications: An International Journal. 6.3
(2001): 144-149. Emerald Publishing Group Limited. Web. 4, Mar. 2015
Lampkin, Rita L, and Noriko Takada. The Japanese Way: Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and
Customs of the Japanese. Lincolnwood: Passport Books, 1997. Print.

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Miller, Andrew. Differences in business culture between Japan and West Japan Today 2 April
2013: n.p. Web.
Picken, Stuart D.B. Values and Value Related Strategies in Japanese Corporate Culture

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Journal of Business Ethics. 6.2 (1987): 137-143. SpringerLinks. Web. 3 Mar. 2015
Stanlaw, James. Japanese English: language and culture contact. Hong Kong: Hong Kong
University Press, 2004. E-book.

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