Introduction

Microsoft a software developed multinational company in United States of

America. Its headquarter is in Redmond. Bill Gates and Paul Allen jointly
founded the Microsoft on April 4, 1975. Microsoft is world leading PC
operating system and office suit manufacture in software marketing.
Moreover there key products in line are, windows (server, phone), office suit,
Bing search engine, Skype which they acquisition in 2011 at the price of $
8.5 billion, Xbox target for video gamer.
Until March 2013 Microsoft employed 97,000 employees. Microsoft is the
company which criticizes the US H1Bc cap visa. This visa allows companies
to employ certain foreign workers in US. Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates says
that there is a deficit of Americans with computer-science degrees, and he
wants the government to make it easier for Microsoft to hire foreign-born
workers. (Bill Gates Targets Visa Rules for Tech Workers, 2008).
According to (A Vision and Strategy for the Future, -) states that, their vision
is Global diversity and inclusion is an integral and inherent part of our
culture, fueling our business growth while allowing us to attract, develop,
and retain this best talent, to be more innovative in the products and
services we develop, in the way we solve problems, and in the way we serve
the needs of an increasingly global and diverse customer and partner base.
Moreover (A Vision and Strategy for the Future, -) The Microsoft mission
regarding global diversity and inclusion is to create an environment that
helps Microsoft capitalize on the diversity of its people and the inclusion of
ideas and solutions to meet the needs of its increasingly global and diverse
customer base. What they says about their mission.
Microsoft faces lot of criticisms regarding the hiring of Indian and Chinese
people for the work as outsource. These critics came due to poor working

condition of those two countries. According to (Microsoft Investigates 'Mass

Suicide Threat', 2012) says that, Microsoft is investigating working
conditions at a Chinese factory producing the Xbox games system after more
than 300 employees reportedly threatened to throw themselves off a
building.
The case in this question was Xbox in Japan. X Box is a product of US
multinational company. Japan is famous for high tech companies land. Many
high tech companies have their offices in Japan, and they have their own and
world famous high tech companies like Sony. Moreover, US too have the
largest tech companies.
Japan has mild hierarchical society, while US does not have hierarchical
society. They had hierarchy for the convenience and easy for supervision.
US culture is depending on individualist while, Japanese society shows that
they had collectivistic culture. In addition to this, Japan is the one of the
world masculine society. Whereas, US is consider as masculine society.

Analysis of Organizational culture and Characteristics,

culture of work place
Organizational culture
Organizational culture is defined as (S.Yaakub, CROSS-CULTURE
MANAGEMENT, 2011) states that, The set of beliefs, values, and norms,
together with symbols like dramatized events and personalities that
represents the unique character of an organization, and provides the context
for action in it and by it.
Though each organization has different organizational culture, but there will
be a set value, principles and norms that the organization follow to
understand the roles of member in the organization.

Culture of Work Place in Japan and US

Power distant
The higher in the score in power distant model will show that hierarchical
society. According to (What about Japan?) Power distance is defined as the
extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations
within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
According to (What about Japan?) Japan scores 54 in this dimension. This
means Japan has mild hierarchical society in their culture. (What about
Japan?) States that, Japanese always conscious of their hierarchical position
in any social setting and act accordingly. However, it is not as hierarchical as
most of the other Asian cultures. Some foreigners experience Japan as
extremely hierarchical because of their business experience of painstakingly
slow decision making process: all the decisions must be confirmed by each
hierarchical layer and finally by the top management in Tokyo.
In this dimension US scores of 40. Compared to Japan it is below score 14.
According to (What about USA?) Says that, Within American organizations,
hierarchy is established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and
managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both
managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared
frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and
participative.
Individualism
(S.Yaakub, Cross Culture Management, 2011) Defined individualism and
collectivism as, Individualism/collectivism reflects the extent to which
people prefer to take care of themselves and their immediate families only.
High in this dimension shows that, that country has individualism rather than
collectivism. In addition to that, low in this dimension says that, that country
has collectivism. When high in individualism the decision making process

involve individual and individual value will be high rather than collectivism.
Collectivism the decision making process will be made on group discussion
there is no individual participation.
US score 90 in individualism and collectivism dimension. This means US has
individualistic culture. (What about USA?) Defined this score as, A looselyknit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and
their immediate families. There is also a high degree of geographical
mobility in the United States and most Americans are accustomed to doing
business with, or interacting, with strangers. Consequently, Americans are
not shy about approaching their prospective counterparts in order to obtain
or seek information. In the business world, employees are expected to be
self-reliant and display initiative.
Individualism and collectivism dimension Japan score 46. This means Japan
has collectivistic society in their organizational culture. According to (What
about Japan?) States that, Japanese society shows many of the
characteristics of a collectivistic society: such as putting harmony of group
above the expression of individual opinions and people has a strong sense of
shame for losing face. However, it is not as collectivistic as most of her Asian
neighbors. The most popular explanation for this is that Japanese society
does not have extended family system which forms a base of more
collectivistic societies such as China and Korea. Japan has been a
paternalistic society and the family name and asset was inherited from
father to the eldest son. The younger siblings had to leave home and make
their own living with their core families.
Masculinity / Femininity
In this dimension scoring higher means that society has masculinity culture.
While as lower in score shows that it has femininity culture. This dimension is
what leads the influence in work place. Masculinity dominant the money and

material is the success value of the society. In addition to that femininity

dominates caring and quality in life is the value of society.
Japan is the one of the country which has masculine society. They score 95 in
this dimension. According to (What about Japan?) Says that, an expression
of masculinity in Japan is driving for excellence, in perfection of production,
services, presentation in every aspect of life. Japanese work holism is
another expression of their masculinity. It is still hard for women to climb up
the corporate ladders in Japan with their masculine norm of hard and long
working hours.
US are also a masculine society. They score 64 in this dimension. But it is
rather lower than Japan. According to (What about USA?) States that,
Americans will tend to display and talk freely about their successes and
achievements in life, here again, another basis for hiring and promotion
decisions in the workplace. Americans live to work so that they can earn
monetary rewards and attain higher status based on how good one can be.
Conflicts are resolved at the individual level and the goal is to win.
Uncertainty Avoidance
(What about Japan?) Uncertainty avoidance defined as follows, The extent
to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown
situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is
reflected in the UAI score.
According to (What about Japan?) Define the uncertainty avoidance in Japan
as, At 92 Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries on earth.
This is often attributed to the fact that Japan is constantly threatened by
natural disasters from earthquakes, tsunamis (this is a Japanese word used
internationally), typhoons to volcano eruptions. Under these circumstances
Japanese learned to prepare themselves for any uncertain situation. This
goes not only for the emergency plan and precautions for sudden natural

disasters but also for every other aspects of society. You could say that in
Japan anything you do is prescribed for maximum predictability. From cradle
to grave, life is highly ritualized and you have a lot of ceremonies.
In addition to this (What about USA?) Says that, American society is what
one would describe as uncertainty accepting. Consequently, there is a
larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a
willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to
technology, business practices, or food stuffs. Americans tend to be more
tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of
expression. At the same time, Americans do not require a lot of rules and are
less emotionally expressive than higher-scoring cultures.

Managing Workforce Diversity, Organizational Process and

Transfer of best practice
Workforce diversity is to taking or employing different people from different
background. According to (S.Yaakub, WorkForce Diversity and Multicultural
Teams, 2011) defined Workforce diversity as follows, taking people from
different backgrounds, with different expectations and at different stages of
life and putting them into a force that will drive the companys profitability
and competitiveness.
According to Microsoft they employed 85% of employee from racial, women
and ethnical minority in US workforce at the end of 2050. Moreover, they are
trying to increase their market share in developing countries like, Brazil,
India, Africa and china. From that by the year 2050 they will account
approximately 88%.
Microsoft says that by diversifying and changing the market place they
increase their buying power and world gross domestic product. (The Business

Case for Global Diversity & Inclusion) States that, The following statements
highlight this diverse and changing consumer marketplace:

Worldwide, diverse populations account for 44 percent of the world's

Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Within the U.S., diverse populations generate over $9 trillion dollars in

buying power.

According to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of

Georgia, consumer buying power among people of color nearly doubled over
the past decade, growing at a much faster rate than overall U.S. buying
power.
Moreover, they said that, by having a diverse workforce it is easy to
recognize the need of customers of various markets. And also, it will help to
respond the customers feedback and changing the customers market
accordingly.
Transfer of best practice
Organizational culture transfer occur when the cultural difference and their
attitude and thinking of workforce differs. Researchers say that,
management be change in best practice, because any management in any
company anywhere in the world consider as universal. (S.Yaakub, CROSSCULTURE MANAGEMENT, 2011) Says that, Western societies are hurry in
change their companies management according to Japanese management
practice. Moreover western believe that collectivism is a fail culture, but
when Japanese shows that their belief is wrong and collectivism are a
successful way of organizational culture.
Managing the Cross Cultural Difference in Foreign Countries
According to (S.Yaakub, CROSS-CULTURE MANAGEMENT, 2011) States that,
there is seven skills that will need to manage the foreign countries manager

for cultural differences. They are, interpersonal skills, linguistic ability,

motivational ability to live abroad, tolerance for uncertainty, patience and
respect, cultural empathy and strong self-sense.
If a mother tongue is English language and American manager has to work in
Japan then he has to learn basic Japanese language to manage their staffs in
Japanese company. By learning second language may be a help of manage
and respond the customer of the host nation. This will be an important factor
to manage the cross culture in foreign country.
Moreover, patience and respect is also an important factor to be considering
when work in foreign company and country. Managers have tolerance level at
its maximum when face any difficult circumstance when living or working in
a foreign company. Managers also respect the host nation culture and their
belief, so that they can manage easily.
Living in an abroad is not an easy task for any one. No one wants to leave
their family and beloved ones. If working abroad managers have to sacrifice
these things. Managers have to live alone first days of their working life. If
they do not have a motivation in living abroad then it will be a difficult task
to manage others in foreign countries.

Conclusion
Managing a foreign company is a difficult task for managers, who do not
have any intention or want to sacrifice something in life. Japan and USA do
not have much difference in culture, so that it is very easy to work in
Japanese society. Both the country has little changes in culture when
considering the Greet hosted cultural difference.
Japanese is more in collectivism while US is considered as individualism
society. In addition to that, USA and Japan has same dimension in masculinity
and femininity. Both the country is masculinity.

By managing the cultural difference in foreign countries, managers have

seven skills and ability. They are interpersonal skills, linguistic ability,
motivational ability to live abroad, tolerance for uncertainty, patience and
respect, cultural empathy and strong self-sense.

Bibliography
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