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Honne and Tatemae
My biggest concern about including honne and tatemae when explaining Japanese culture to non-Japanese is that it makes it sound like Japanese have a unique propensity to be liars...
Power harassment – Japanese workplace bullying
For many Japanese, the only kind of management style they have ever experienced is one in which subordinates are treated harshly and no complaints are tolerated. . This...
What’s OK in Japan can be sexual harassment in the U.S.
Frequently, behavior that is tolerated in Japan is considered inappropriate in the U.S. Although only a small minority of Japanese businessmen engage in such behavior, when problems do happen...
Sexual Harassment — What Japanese firms in the U.S. need to be careful about
Comments which are overlooked in Japan can be extremely inappropriate in the U.S. context, causing Japanese employees to stumble into sexual harassment. Also, Japanese managers may not know how...
What some consider criticism may be a nudge in the right direction in Japan
In Japan, a subordinate would not consider his supervisor making changes to his work to be insulting at all. There is not the same sense of personal ownership of...
Waiting Around in Japan
For Japanese, waiting is active. For Americans, waiting is passive and feels like a loss of control. Knowing about the differences in time perception and attitudes Japanese and Americans hold...
Dedication to Principle — Japanese Company Philosophies
“Recognizing our responsibilities as industrialists, we will devote ourselves to the progress and development of society and the well- being of people through our business activities, thereby enhancing the quality...