Running Head: GLOBAL BUSINESS CULTURAL ANALYSIS: JAPAN 1
Global Business Cultural Analysis: Japan
Chernell Wright
Liberty University
GBCA: Japan 2
Abstract
This paper was conducted to show how the culture in Japan affects how the Japanese do
business. It will also show the difference between how the United States does business and how
Japan does business and then show how their differences and similarities affect how they do
business with each other. All research was conducted through Liberty University’s online library
and contains only peer reviewed and scholarly sources. In addition, a SWOT analysis and FDI
analysis have been conducted to show findings.
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Global Business Cultural Analysis: Japan
What are the major elements and dimensions of culture in this region?
Communication
The international language of Japan is Japanese. There are other smaller groups that
speak other languages, but primarily, Japanese, and deviations of Japanese, is the language
spoken by the majority. Japanese is a language much different from English. In English, we try
to be very specific when talking to others. It’s how we best communicate. In America, we want
details. But in Japan, people are vague and indirect. The Japanese believe that by being indirect
and tentative, they are preserving harmony. In fact, in order for an English sentence to be
translated perfectly into Japanese, that sentence in itself must be a vague sentence. It is believed
that the Japanese language developed this way because Japan developed a very long time ago
with very little outside influence. There is no need to be precise because the context of everyday
life is widely and deeply known. The Japanese also do not operate as individuals, but more so as
groups and their identity it tied to that group. Because of this, events and situations are more
important than the person who created them. (Kohl et al, 1993) It is important to note that the
Japanese language does not prevent the Japanese from being clear and concise. They simply do
not wish to be explicit for the reasons above.
Nonverbal. The Japanese have many nonverbal ways of communicating. One example
of this is the bow. When greeting a person from Japan, it is customary for the younger person to
bow first. The younger person must also bow deeper and longer than the elder. This shows as a
sign of respect.
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Religion
There is currently a shift happening in Japan when it comes to its primary religion.
Shintoism used to be the primary religion, but now Buddhism is taking its place. Shintoism was
a bureaucratic conspiracy that began long ago. Then, between the1920’s and 1930’s, Buddhism
was introduced. Currently, Japan is a blend of the two religions, primarily. Fascism was also a
big part of the 1930’s which may have helped with the transfer over to Buddhism. The author
mentions that history wasn’t really spoken to in the effect of the transfer of religions. World War
II ended in 1945 which caused the end of the Emperor which may have had much to do with the
transfer from Shintoism to Buddhism. The politics were not outlined very well in direct
correlation to the religious practices in Japan so hopefully I can find another article that more
directly relates the two. Currently, the religion in Japan is more closely a blend of both
Shintoism and Buddhism. (Maxey, 2013)
Abortion. A recent study connects Buddhism and abortions in Japanese culture. One
author, William LaFleur, defends a stance he took earlier in a book he wrote that was later
criticized by a man named George Tanabe. In Buddhism, all life is to be respected and protected
but there are many Japanese Buddhists having abortions. For many years, the Japanese used
abortions as a form of birth control. LaFleur makes mention that the abortion rate has decreased
recently with contraception being used more commonly. There was a gray line between abortion
being a sin and abortion being about suffering. Also the article talks about how some fishermen
were held accountable for killing fish as some believe you can be reincarnated as a fish and if
fishermen were killing fish then they were murdering but all while women were killing their
babies. The people of Japan try not to mix abortions with their religion and try to see them
separate from one another. (LaFleur, 1995)
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Ethics
In a study with over 300 Japanese executives, they found that religion plays a major role
in the ethical backbone of the Japanese executives, but if necessary, the average Japanese
executive will make an unethical business decision that goes against his personal beliefs in order
to do what’s best for the company. They generally believe that ethical decisions are what is best
for the company in the long run. They also believe that the best way to implement ethical
business is to model it first themselves. Business ethics are not necessarily an operating part of
business in Japan, nor are they written down as rules. They must be modeled. In order to
conduct this survey, over 900 mailers were sent out to major companies and their executives.
There were many short scenarios outlined in the questionnaires so that the feedback would be
specific to those certain scenarios. In this way, they could control what types of situations were
deemed ethical or unethical. (Lee & Yoshihara, 1997)
Crime. Crime in Japan has changed greatly over the last decade. While a general study
proves that the Japanese people believe crime has increased in Japan, studies show that some
types of crime have, in fact, increased, but other types of crime have actually decreased. In
1991, 19% of the Japanese population believed crime had increased over the last decade. In
2004 that number grew to 40%. Since 1964, the number of robbery cases have increased from
3,926 to 7,295 in 2004. That’s an increase of 86% in robbery cases. But in homicide cases, the
we’ve seen a decrease of 40% from 2,366 cases in 1964 to 1,419 cases in 2004. The thought
behind the increases in robbery cases is that Japan has become much more westernized in the last
60 years. Also, the unemployment numbers seem to directly correlate to the crime numbers.
(Halicioglu et al, 2012)
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Corruption. According to Jin-Wook Choi (2007), Japan is one of the least corrupt
societies. There is a belief that this is the case because there are very low corruption in the low
and middle levels of administration. Almost all of the corruption occurs in the higher levels
administration. Because of this fact, it is said that Japan has a “first-rate economy and third-rate
politics.” (Choi, 2007) It seems as though that the corruption that occurs stems from the good
natured customs the Japanese have been practicing for years. While it is customary to give gifts,
people that work within the government have started to use government funds to give gifts,
which turn into bribes. Japan’s culture runs on relationships and customs, so to the naked eye,
this may seem ok. But it’s been highly exploited and taken advantage of to use funds poorly and
tie hands.
Values and Attitudes
Work. In Japan, work is a way of life. Employers will hire someone right out of college
and it is not uncommon for that person to stay with that same company until they retire. The
Japanese do not take more than a week’s worth of vacation a year and never for a week at a time.
Women, for the most part, do not work as primary leaders in the work force. They are only
secondary workers to their families by being homemakers and babysitters, enabling their
husbands and sons to go out into the work force.
Gender. As stated above, women do not hold the same status as men in Japan. If women
are able to get jobs in the work force, they do not earn the same pay that a man would earn. The
Japanese want their women in the home. They believe that the relationships with the children
suffer if the woman goes to work and that raising children is a very important job and that it is
not to be overlooked. Post World War II, the Japanese have come a long way. Prior to World
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War II, Japanese women weren’t even allowed to vote. But ever since they received that right,
the perception of women has increased by 10%.
Manners
Driving. Driving in Japan can be intense. With overpopulation, driving can be quite the
task on its own, but when you incorporate manners along with driving in crowds, it can be even
more difficult. Therefore, the test for obtaining your license in Japan is difficult, as it should be.
They ask psychological questions like, “Do you get mad easily?” or “Do you wake up often in
the middle of the night?” The questions aren’t necessarily a pass or fail situation, but more for
self-reflection. Traffic fatalities used to be very high but, high cost ticketing for traffic
violations, mandatory safety belt laws and airbags in cars have contributed most to the
improvement of traffic fatalities. Author Joshua Roth (2012) says how people should be less like
