In order to understand a specific culture in relation to work ethics, one needs to first become familiar with that nations history. It is also important to look at the ideas of religion, traditional history and its evaluation into modern day business. This paper will examine the uniqueness of Japanese work ethics and how one should conduct business in Japan.
Throughout Japan?s 6,000 year history, the Japanese have proven their resilience, resourcefulness, and ability to adapt time and a time again. They have achieved one of world?s highest standards of living and are ranked second in world for having the largest economy. Japan exhibits its stability as a nation by having the longest unbroken imperial line in the world.
Japan is one of the most densely populated nations in the world, with some 330 person per square kilometer. Currently, Japan?s growth rate is approximately 0.25 percent. Ethnically, the Japanese are a Mongoloid people, closely related to the major groups of East Asia. The vast majority of Japan?s inhabitants are ethnically Japanese, making this country highly homogeneous in terms of ethnicity.
Japan is weak in natural resources. Due to its territorial constraints, Japan has relied a great deal on global trade to support its economy, and has done so successfully. Due to this reliance, Japanese executives have developed and maintained extreme sophistication and savvy in the international arena.
Religion has played a strong role in shaping Japanese history and culture. An important part in Japanese life, religion has strongly influenced fine arts, social institutions, and philosophy. Most Japanese consider themselves members of the major Buddhist sects.
Shintoism is an indigenous guiding belief system founded in myths, legends, and ritual practices of the early Japanese. During World War II, this ideology was taken up by the Japanese government and advocated as part of the fascist orientation. Shintoism is no longer explicitly aligned with fascism, but it continues to be nationalistic in nature. Today, neither Buddhism nor Shintoism are an integral part of Japan?s religion. As well as religion, Confucianism, primarily an ethical system, profoundly influences Japanese thought. Approximately 1.3 million people in Japan are Christians, sixty percent of which are Protestant and forty percent Roman Catholic. Over sixty percent of the wedding ceremonies in Japan today are done in Christian churches, as Buddhism does not forbid this.
As Japan strives to cast off its postwar business culture, one of the most difficult habits to break is the famous addiction to ?Marathon Hours? ( Sugawara). Around the country, when darkness falls, white-color workers keep right on working. Some work, some doze, and some sit around at their desks eating and talking about baseball. The one thing they do not do is go home.
Japanese companies are increasingly declaring ?no overtime? days, saying they want their employees to spend more time with their families or hobbies (Sugawara). At the same time, an increasing number of Japanese are concluding that camping out at the office may be in fact counterproductive, fostering an oppressive group-think that suppresses innovative thinking and encourages slow work. Nevertheless, at the same time, Japanese workers are expected to pitch in and work late, not for self-promotion but for the good of the group, as they might in a family group.
Masao Miyamoto, a former Health Ministry bureaucrat and critic of the system, stated during his the interview with Sandy Sugawara, Washington Post Staff Writer, that when he joined the ministry after living several years in the United States. He was surprised to learn that most of his colleagues left around midnight every day. He was particularly puzzled to discover many workers watching television or engaging in idle chatter. That was when he became familiar with the term ?Compassionate Overtime? (Sugawara). In other words, even if you have no work to do, if your colleagues are working late, you should stay and provide moral support.
The Japanese business culture and work ethic also demand a unique communication style. Aspects of the Japanese communication style, in dealing with verbal and non-verbal communication, consists of body, verbal and gestures. The ?uncommitted face? of the Japanese is very common (Ayako). ?It is considered rude to overtly express ones emotions in public? (Ayako). The ?Poker Face? is used to cover up negative emotions, as well as a shield to protect ones privacy (Ayako). A smile can often be an expression that conceals embarrassment, pain, or anguish.
In an uncomfortable situation, it is not uncommon for the Japanese to give a nervous laugh or awkward smile to conceal the true emotion. In many cases, the Japanese consider ?direct and constant eye contact a rude gesture that means defiance or challenge? (Olson). The Japanese may ?shift their eyes or look down to show respect to another? (Olson). Buddhism heavily influences this type of culture.
In Japan, one of the most important factors during communication is silence. Silence is just as important as speaking. It is a moment designed to understand what has just been communicated. It is a moment to think and an opportunity to respond in a well thought out manner. In the West, silence is considered an awkward moment and westerners try to mask this uncomfortable feeling with words.
The Japanese greatly value group harmony. They strive for this during the negotiation and agreement phases of meetings, in which the entire team is united behind any proposals or concessions that are made. Also, allowing them ample time to reach an agreement amongst themselves, they will build a harmonious consensus among all of their team members. This is a process that cannot be rushed and overlooked. With this in mind, it is wise to consider that Japanese are indirect and use polite, non-confrontational forms of expression in order to maintain the harmony of the group.
Body language also differs between cultures. It is best not to use hand or other gestures except in the west. For example, in Japan pointing to one?s nose or touching the nose is referring to ?me?. Another example is waving the hand in a back and forth motion with the fingers pointed downwards communicates ?come here?. In other cultures, these gestures may send the wrong signal at an inappropriate time.
In conclusion, one can see how a nation?s history, politics, and traditions, can be different in different cultures. The Japanese have a very different social and business communication style as compared to countries in the West. To fully appreciate and participate in business operations with the Japanese, it is important for one to gain an understanding of the nation?s history, religion and work culture.
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http://www.libfind.unl.edu/casetudy/456/traci.htm(July 6, 2000).
Sugawara, Sandy. ?Business Etiquette in Japan?.
http://www.japan-magazine.com/1998/sep/zashi/dm13.html (July 9, 2000).
?Topic 1- Japan at a Glance?. http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/resarch/japan/pointers/part1.html (July 9, 2000).