Are Americans bad at organizing data?
Japanese executives often complain that their American colleagues are “bad at organizing data.” According to one Japanese manager who is a key decision-maker in his company’s operations in Japan,...
Free Resources
Review of “With Respect to the Japanese: Going to Work in Japan” by John C Condon and Tomoko Matsumoto
This book has tried, and largely succeeded, in pinning down the elusive undercurrents of Japanese corporate life. If you are looking for a practical “top negotiating tips and etiquette” type...
Are Japanese secretive? Why American employees think they are
Although Japanese seldom intentionally try to hide things from American colleagues, they often inadvertently create that impression through various habits and communication style differences. By adopting practices and techniques...
Achieving more productive meetings with Japanese and American participants
Meetings are becoming the most hated part of everyone’s workday at the company — they take up time, and nothing ever seems to get done. Japanese feel like they...
A tale of three Japanese Presidents
In Japanese companies, the periodic rotation of the President presents a constant challenge. Successfully managing these transitions is one of the most challenging activities for Japanese-affiliated firms....
What do American engineers want?
High turnover among the engineering staff is becoming a headache. Other than just money, it seems that American engineers want something else that their Japanese employers may not be...
Effective meetings with Japanese
By expecting a Japanese participant in the meeting to commit to a decision, you put them in a difficult position… clarify beforehand the purpose of the meeting, and whether decisions...
“Career woman” and “feminine” — mutually exclusive for Japanese?
The idea in Japan that successful businesswomen can’t be feminine seems to go beyond clothes. There is a traditional notion in Japan that aggressive behavior is unattractive, and that...
Strategic alliances with Japanese firms: making them work
There are any number of reasons why a strategic alliance may be unsuccessful....
Why do Japanese take so long to make decisions?
Japanese are conscious of time and particularly deadlines, but tend not to feel the need to rush things unnecessarily…The traditional Japanese approach to change and decision-making is increasingly out of...