For Americans who are used to a more straightforward style, kishotenketsu can be very confusing…It can be hard to follow what Japanese have to say as they go on and...
Ho-ren-so is quite different from this typical American working style. The initial instruction given to the subordinate tends to be vaguer and more general, particularly if the subordinate is...
Human resource management practices in Japan seem to place great emphasis on putting employees into categories. From an American perspective, the strict distinction between different categories is difficult to...
The typical Japanese urban denizen takes trains nearly everywhere, and may not even own a car. This means that anything they carry around with them needs to be light...
Traditionally, the consumption of alcohol has been the Japanese cultural signal that it’s ok to be frank and open. After-work bonding over alcohol thus creates the perfect atmosphere for...
Making sure problems don't happen again is a good thing, and the Japanese have developed a structured process for doing this. Many non-Japanese are not comfortable being forthright about...
An ideal salesperson drops everything and rushes to be at the customer’s side no matter what time it is or where they are. An ideal salesperson exceeds customer expectations,...
It’s the job of the company to provide the employee with all skills and explanations and information that they need to do their jobs well. So why should anyone...
Looking at the root causes of a problem is a typical Japanese approach to business. However, in other cultures the work environment may not necessarily be conducive to open...