Cross-Cultural Communication: A Japanese Case

Cross-Cultural communication: A Japanese case study

Imagine this scenario: a businessman from Japan and a businessman from America sit down at a table. The American presses and presses the Japanese man to agree to his terms, often vigorously pounding the table. The American feels confident in his mastery over the situation, as he has been regaled with hospitality since entering the country. But all he can extract is a polite and indifferent 'maybe' from his Japanese colleague. When he speaks to his supervisor over the phone later in the evening, the American 'boss' back in America, laughs and says little was accomplished -- when the Japanese say 'maybe,' they mean no.

In less individualistic Japan, no one would be bold enough to say 'no' and cause the other person to lose face. Moreover, in this particular instance, the Japanese person sent to negotiate with the American was from a lower stratum of the company, and therefore had no authority to agree to anything, without the approval of his supervisor. Obviously, the decision had already been made not to agree to the American's proposed venture, and the meeting had been staged simply as a sign of perfunctory respect for the American.

The American businessman is livid, and does not understand what transpired. The concepts behind the Japanese company's behavior are anathema to someone from a nation with a relatively low power index like the United States, which disdains hierarchy in favor of individual creativity, and sees no value in an elaborate pretence of politeness. The American's body language, his spatial proximity to the Japanese man, and even his 'sensorics' of presentation in terms of his smell and demeanor may also have been off-putting. His haptics of touching the Japanese man during his presentation, and shaking hands too firmly further indicated the businessman failed to do his 'homework' about a nation that prefers bowing. Furthermore he America's directness, his statement of 'let's get down to business' as is typical of the uni-directional, linear, monochromatic style of the U.S. clashed with the polychromatic Japanese style that seeks to balance negotiation with sensitivity and awareness of others (Hall & Hall 1990). Not only was this deal bungled, but the Japanese company would likely feel as if the American's style was not harmonious with their own, no matter how favorable the terms.

According to the vocabulary defined Geert Hofstede, America and Japan do not merely speak different languages; they also speak in different cultures. America is a low-context culture, which values someone who is plain-spoken. 'What you see is what you get' is a compliment in America: according to one interview subject, Mr. B, who had done extensive travel back and forth from America to Japan on business, such an ideal is antithetical to Japan. "Japan is a much smaller nation, geographically. Respect for one another, rather than respect for the individual is emphasized in its highly interconnected, bureaucratic government and economy, and simply because people have to get along with one another -- there are few places one can get away and be alone!" He remarked that succeeding in encouraging his Japanese clients to innovate or to take a risk in business was rare, given that until recently there was a strong sense of the value of routine and social welfare, not just in government, but even in private enterprise.