Japanese: Socio-Cultural Concepts, Essay Example

When negotiating with the Japanese, it is important to know that they tend to have a monochronic approach to time. This means that they usually focus on one area at a time and tend to utilize a systematic process or approach. Accordingly, people from monochromic cultures have the following tendencies:

1. Prefer promptness
2. Schedule regular breaks
3. Attends to issues or identified needs one at a time
4. Utilize a direct and specific manner when communicating
5. Sees lateness as a sign of disregard or lack of respect

The Japanese people also place a lot of value on emotional sensitivity and they tend to hide their emotions behind a calm façade. They focus on the group objectives, and have the tendency to observe hierarchical orientations such as deferring to those who have a higher status. The Japanese are very polite in their dealings and they place great importance on establishing relationships. They are very concerned with their reputations and how other people view them, thus explaining their avoidance to any form of confrontation and their ability to project a calm exterior. Certainly, this behavior can be explained by the Japanese’s firm belief to maintain Wa, which means harmony. The Japanese strongly believe on enforcing something for the greater good rather than just thinking of themselves.

The Japanese are also very strict when it comes to foreign relations and accepting foreign workers. People who wish to work in the country must pass stringent examinations or assessment and must be able to speak the Japanese language although the Japanese has started to use English more frequently nowadays. Meanwhile, the Japanese have become more open to foreign trade today compared to the past years as they realize the economic problems they are facing and now give more importance to getting the best deals.

References

Brett et al. From Adair et al. Negotiating Behavior When Cultures Collide: The United States and Japan. Journal of Applied Psychology. Vol 86(3), June 2001.

Nakanishi, Masayuki and Kenneth M. Johnson. Implications of Self-Disclosure on Conversational Logics, Perceived Communication, Communication Competence, and Social Attraction. A Comparison of Japanese and American Cultures. In Wiseman, Richard L. and Jolene Koester. Intercultural Communication Competence. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1993, p. 207.