A3 reports – secret to Japanese productivity
Once one has become familiar with reading and writing A3 reports, they can certainly increase efficiency…any employee can pick up a report from anywhere else in the company and immediately...
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Homegoroshi – Japanese don’t always like positive feedback
Japanese tend to not want praise for things that they think are not perfect and still need work…Given this negative meaning of compliments, it makes sense that Japanese might feel...
Omoiyari? or Overkill
I don’t happen to have children, but I imagine that if I did I wouldn’t need a recorded voice to tell me that I needed to hold their hands on...
Non-verbal communication in Japanese business
Western communication style relies heavily on words. In contrast, Japanese communication relies less on verbal manipulation, and more heavily on non-verbals. Japanese are able to rely more on...
Japanese firms moving towards global HR practices
Recently there are more examples of Japanese firms that are creating global databases of all their employees, not just the ones hired in Japan, for purposes of targeting development activities...
Low-tech can sometimes be best when presenting to Japanese
Japanese can be turned off by slick presentations…handwritten things more clearly show the effort of the person who was making it, and thus have more power to pull on the...
Jinji Ido – The Japanese organizational “refresh” button
The HR department is given a degree of power that is beyond what is typical in most western companies, creating a special kind of rhythm to life in a Japanese...
How can Japanese multinationals effectively manage non-Japanese staff
While compensation can certainly be an important motivator for non-Japanese employees, other factors like recognition, involvement, challenge, and opportunities for growth, can also play key roles in job satisfaction....
In Japanese corporate culture, you play the cards you’re dealt
It is in the Japanese employee's interest to make as few waves as possible, because he has few alternatives other than to stay with his firm...
Omoiyari — key to success with Japanese customers
Japanese customers tend to not ask for what they want, they believe that they shouldn't have to explain...