Japanese participants in JCO seminars very often give following complaint: “Staff in Europe/the US seldom apologize but are always looking for excuses instead.” Let’s take a closer look at the cultural background of this rather unflattering perception of Western staff and colleagues. As Japan is very densely populated it is a necessity to defuse potential…
Cross-cultural misunderstandings often are based on differing cultural values. These differences can very often be seen in the workplace where they manifest in behavior that does not seem to make sense from the viewpoint of the other culture. When we’re speaking about Western business culture, one trait that is very highly regarded is reliability because…
In this article, we want to touch on a phenomenon that everybody working with the Japanese has likely experienced and is invariably raised in JCO’s seminars. Namely the fact that in response to your questions, the Japanese will reply with multiple questions of their own. Why does this confusing behavior make perfect sense from a…
Sometimes when Westerners work with Japanese they can be frustrated by the lack of feedback from their Japanese managers. Why is it sometimes difficult to get feedback from Japanese managers? There can be many reasons why there is no feedback. A Japanese boss may be simply not conscious of the need to give feedback. The…
In the English language, a common expression is “the elephant in the room”. This of course refers to a major problem or issue that people are aware of but avoid discussing or acknowledging. In the context of cross-cultural communication between Japan and the West such an elephant also can be found in language itself. Even…
When you work with Japanese, whether colleagues or clients, there is an important cultural aspect that many Westerners overlook in their enthusiasm to “get the job done”. Specifically, this is the importance that the Japanese place on reporting. Because Japan is very hierarchical, Westerners naturally expect decisions to be taken at the top of the…
