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Are Turkey and Japan culturally similar?
Japanese prime minister Abe has visited Turkey twice in less than six months to promote Japan's energy and infrastructure business. Will Japanese and Turkish business partners be able to...
In Japan…Perfectionism or Standard?
The Japanese point out ugly weld seams on the machines, saying their customers are not happy with the way the machines look. The Americans point out some new innovation...
Communication Kaizen
If we approached the communication between the Japanese and Americans in our organizations with the same open spirit and common sense, we could increase our communication productivity and avoid misunderstandings....
Otsukaresama deshita: A simple two word phrase in Japanese can say volumes in English
Japanese can compact lots of meaning into a short phrase, whereas it takes a lot more words in English to say the same thing. And that depending on the...
High brand recognition for Japanese companies does not necessarily mean they are well known
There is a generally favourable view of Japanese companies in Europe, but nobody is quite sure what they do, and therefore there is a doubt as to whether becoming an...
Try treating foreign acquisitions not as lodgers but adopted sons
One way Japanese executives could do a better job of acquiring overseas companies is to be conscious of the fact that Japanese companies behave like traditional Japanese families - and...
Famous in Japan but utterly unknown in Europe
The need for more than press release PR for Japanese companies...
Predictability in Japan
Predictability is often what is most lacking when dealing with people from overseas or spending time in other countries...
Confidentiality and Information Exchange
Information exchange and confidentiality are highly influenced by cultural factors. Understanding these cultural differences can prevent misunderstanding and suspicion....