Group 4: Ekta Suri Anirban Chakraborty Vishal Mohla Sumit Swati Karki

COMMUNICATING ACROSS DIFFERENT CULTURES Japan and America

Flow Of Presentation
 Introduction  JAPAN
          About JAPAN The Japanese mindset Tatemae and Honne Workplace behavioral norms The concept of FACE Meetings Telephone and Email Negotiations Non Verbal Communication Nomunication

 USA
 About USA  American Society and Culture  Business Etiquette and protocol  Business dress  Greetings  Communication styles  Business Meetings

 JAPAN vs USA
A comparative study

 References

INTRODUCTION
About cross cultural communication
Ebsco host se matter lena hain is slide ke liye..

ABOUT JAPAN
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan Capital: Tokyo Population: (2010 est.) 127,320,000 Ethnic Make-up: Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean, Chinese, Brazilian, Filipino,etc) Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%) Japanese is the sixth most spoken language in the world, with over 99% percent of the country's population using it. The language is spoken in scarcely any region outside Japan

THE JAPANESE MINDSET

Japan has a strong group orientation
Identity from group affiliations Company first; individual second Consensus decision making

HARMONY
The group can achieve more than the individual

Tatemae and Honne

Forget it! Yes, we ll think it over ..

Japanese often make a distinction between their true feeling (honne) With what they know is the appropriate thing to say in public (tatemae).

The use of tatemae is simply to maintain harmony Tatemae or Honne? You need to read between the lines.

In the Workplace: INTRODUCTIONS

First impressions are important in Japan Most senior person introduced first Business card given (and received) with both hands English-side up if card is bilingual The business card is considered an extension of that person take good care of it.

In the Workplace: BOWING

There are two types of bows in Japan:
1. A formal, deeper bow 2. A more casual bow

In the Workplace: BOWING

Men Arms at your sides

Women Hands crossed below the stomach

Keep your back straight Break eye contact. Focus on the floor Pause. Don t bob up and down Bowing is the Japanese equivalent of a handshake. First impressions last

In the Workplace: HIERARCHY

Understanding hierarchical relationships is essential in Japanese business
Company Hierarchy Presidents, Managers, Subordinates Customer Hierarchy The customer is god

In the Workplace: BEING HUMBLE

Being humble is important in Japan Humility maintains group cohesion When someone belittles their own skills or possessions, you should never act as if you believe them A popular Japanese saying for those who break from tradition is:
The nail that stands out gets hammered down

The Concept of The Concept of FACE

Saving face is an important concept in Japan It involves the tendency to avoid embarrassing situations
Bringing up new information your manager is not aware of in a meeting Berating someone in public

Because of loss of face, public confrontation should be avoided at all costs in Japan

MEETINGS
Meetings in Japan occur frequently, and may appear to have little meaning or outcome Sometimes the real purpose of an internal meeting is about creating harmony in the office Further, topics discussed in meetings have often already been decided upon beforehand This is known as nemawashi where everyone informally discusses a proposal and gives their input before the meeting

Telephone and Email

Telephone and E-mail are widely accepted forms of communication in business Japan Politeness and correct form are essential for both Even with email, face-to-face communication is an essential part of Japanese business A business transaction can t be finalized unless there is trust This trust must be built over time

NEGOTIATION
The seating layout in a business meeting offers strong hints on seniority

Highest ranked(farthest from the door)

Lowest ranked(closest to the door)

NEGOTIATION
Talks in Japan usually proceed slowly. This is essential in relationship building At the first meeting and perhaps even the first few meetings, the Japanese will not be interested in talking much about business

They will be more concerned with getting to know you The best route to successful negotiations in Japan is to prepare, prepare, prepare!

Nonverbal Communication
In Japan,expressing oneself nonverbally is considered more subtle and considerate
Shall we eat? Come here Wait a moment

NOMUNICATION
Nomunication ( nomu being to drink; mixed with the English communication ) is an important social & business activity in Japan

Done with both colleagues and clients (but not together), the idea is to get to know each other outside of the office, establish trust and form some personal ties

Nomunication will reveal volumes about your colleagues, and forge stronger relationships

ABOUT USA
Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico Capital: Washington, DC Population: 301,139,947 (July 2007 est.) Ethnic Make-up: white 81.7%, African Americans 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.2% (2003 est.) Religions: Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.) Government: Constitution-based federal republic The United States does not have an official language, but English is spoken by about 82% of the population as a native language. The variety of English spoken in the United States is known as American English; together with Canadian English it makes up the group of dialects known as North American English. Spanish is the second-most common language in the country, spoken by almost 30 million people (or 12% of the population)

AMERICAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Diversity
All Americans in one way or another trace their ancestry back to another culture, whether Irish, German, Italian or Scottish

Informal and Friendly

People tend to not wait to be introduced, will begin to speak with strangers as they stand in a queue, sit next to each other at an event, etc People are informal to the point of being very direct or even rude

Time is Money
People who are on-time are considered to be good people, reliable people who others can count on

The Family
The family unit is generally considered the nuclear family, and is typically small

Business Etiquette and Protocol Business Dress

What is considered appropriate business attire varies by geographic region, day of the week and industry People in the East dress more formally, while people in the West are known for being a bit more casual Executives usually dress formally regardless of which part of the country they are in Casual Friday is common in many companies Women can wear business suits, dresses or pantsuits. Men should wear a business suit unless you know the firm to be quite casual.

Business Etiquette and Protocol Greetings

The hand shake is the common greeting Handshakes are firm, brief and confident In most situations, you can begin calling people by their first names Most people will insist that you call them by their nickname, if they have one Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual It is quite common for the recipient to put your card in their wallet, which may then go in the back pocket of their trousers. This is not an insult

Business Etiquette and Protocol Communication Styles

Americans value logic and linear thinking and expect people to speak clearly and in a straightforward manner To them if you don t tell it how it is you simply waste time, and time is money Americans will use the telephone to conduct business that would require a face-to-face meeting in most other countries They do not insist upon seeing or getting to know the people with whom they do business

Business Meetings
Time and punctuality are important to Americans. They are extremely punctual and view it as a sign of disrespect for someone to be late for a meeting or appointment Meetings may appear relaxed, but they are taken quite seriously. If there is an agenda, it will be followed If you make a presentation, it should be direct and to the point. Visual aids should further enhance your case. Use statistics to back up your claims, since Americans are impressed by hard data and evidence Very little small talk is carried out before getting down to business. It is common to attempt to reach an oral agreement at the first meeting The emphasis is on getting a contract signed rather than building a relationship. The relationship may develop once the first contract has been signed.

JAPAN vs USA
- A Comparative Study

HOW JAPAN AND AMERICA DIFFER?

JAPAN USA

BASIS OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

Part of some LARGER GROUP INDIVIDUAL Then, as a GROUP

NATURE OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

These differences are acknowledged Differences in AGE, SEX, ROLE, RANK, etc. should not be emphasized

HOW JAPAN AND AMERICA DIFFER?

JAPAN USA VALUED QUALITIES IN WORK RELATIONS Ability to get along with others Evoke and respond to trust Talent Experience Specialists are sought after

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION CHANNEL

Intermediaries No direct contact With subordinates: Direct and frequent contact Directness with people of comparable status Indirect with subordinates

HOW JAPAN AND AMERICA DIFFER?

JAPAN COMMUNICATION STYLES Implicit Non verbal Vagueness & ambiguity = positive!
Explicit Verbal presentation of information Vagueness & ambiguity = irritating

USA

DECISION MAKING
Upward: from middle or bottom Top-down Relatively slow Relatively fast Consensus through lengthy Where necessary decision by discussions is expected vote Consensus desirable BUT not expected

HOW JAPAN AND AMERICA DIFFER?

JAPAN SOCIAL INTERACTION Predictability and ritualized interactions prevailed Repartee, sarcasm can be embarrassing Disagreements in public can cause discomfort Humility & politeness Spontaneity and novelty are desired Repartee may be enjoyed Disagreements can basis for desired social conversation and stimulation USA

HOW JAPAN AND AMERICA DIFFER?

JAPAN USA

TIME ORIENTATION
Past, present and future all viable Depends on age Present and immediate future Past serves as reference point RATHER THAN as guide to action Future serves as an attraction but too uncertain for basis of much planning

References
Ebscohost waali like daalni hain yahan