Language learning | English » Rakovszky Gergely - What cultural differencies can cause communication problems between a Far-Eastern and a European partner

http://www.doksihu KÜLKERESKEDELMI FŐISKOLAI KAR Gazdasági Idegennyelvi Levelező Szak Felsőfokú Szakképzés What cultural differencies can cause communication problems between a Far-Eastern and a European partner? Készítette: Rakovszky Gergely Budapest, 2004. Introduction -3- http://www.doksihu Part 1 Communication and disturbances in communication - What is communication? - Function of communication - Disturbances Part 2 Business Communication - What is it and its functions? Intercultural Communication - What does it serve? - A few words about culture - Intercultural business communication - How culture influences international communication - Hofstede’s four dimensions Part 3 Far-Eastern companies culture Japan - A few facts about the country - Society, behaviour - Language (language curtain, translators) - Business culture (introduction, business contacts, negotiation, how to do business with Japanese) - Face losing - Japanese politeness - The sacred company

(Japanese success) Summary -4- http://www.doksihu Introduction “Gandalf said: ‘This is much to demand for the delivery of one servant: that your Master should receive in exchange what he must else fight many a war to gain! Or has the field of Gondor destroyed his hope in war, so that he falls to haggling? And if indeed we rated this prisoner so high, what surety have we that Sauron, the Base Master of Treachery, will keep his part? Where is this prisoner? Let him be brought forth and yielded to us, and then we will consider these demands.’ It seemed then to Gandalf, intent, watching him as a man engaged in fencing with a deadly foe, that for the taking of a breath the Messenger was loss; yet swiftly he laughed again. ‘Do not bandy words in your insolence with the Mouth of Sauron!’ he cried. ‘Surety you crave Sauron gives none. If you sue for his clemency you must first do his bidding These are his terms. Take them or leave them!’ ‘These we will take!’ said

Gandalf suddenly. He cast aside his cloak and a white light shone forth like a sword in that black place. Before his upraised hand the foul Messenger recoiled, and Gandalf coming seized and took form him the tokens: coat, cloak, and sword. ‘these we will take in memory of our friend,’ he cried ‘But as for your terms, we reject them utterly. Get you gone, for your embassy is over and death is near to you. We did not come here to waste words in treating with Sauron, faithless and accursed; still less with one of his slaves. Begone!” (Tolkien, J. R R :The lord of the Rings; The Return of the King; Book five; Chapter 10; The Black Gate opens, page 872;HarperCollinsPublisher, London 1993) The subject of my essay is the communication problem between oriental and occidental businesspeople what is caused by cultural differences. The reason why I chosen this to the subject of my study is that I am also very interested in the culture and language of oriental nations. The search for the

answers of this question makes everybody excited Why are they so different, and smile on us after asking this question? What do they know what we do not? I think that they have what is missing inside of us. Could it be so simple? Like Yin and Yang? Let us investigate the matter. In the first part of my essay I would like to explain communication, its functions and disturbances, in the second part I would like to have some words about communication -5- http://www.doksihu in business life, how does it work? Highlight what intercultural communication serves, explaining culture in few words, its influence together with Hofstede’s dimensions. Finally, I would like to focus on the Far-East, its culture and especially on Japan, mentioning few things about its history, society, language and business culture. PART 1 Communication Communication strategy, intercultural communication, metacommunication, communication training Our every day is full of these expressions, they must be

important if they play such a central role in our lives. But what is communication? “The word „communication” origins from the Latin „communicare” verb, which has the meaning: „to confer in common”. Everything is communication where information exchanges. Or we could say this another way With the help of communication everybody makes an effort to understand the information, emotions and thoughts of other people through symbols and symbol-systems.” (Bokor-Szabó; 2003:7) “Components of this process: - The emitter of the message - The receiver of the message - The Channels - The message (the information) The information must be coded in a way that the receiver understands it.” Emitter Encoding Message Decoding Channel Receiver Feedback (Falkné dr. Bánó Klára, 2001: 9,10) “Encoding: choosing the symbol-system of the message Decoding: the solution of the chosen code, which has two conditions: - The receiver must know the symbol-system, what the emitter has

selected (or they have to use an intermediary) - The semantic content of the message must have the same meaning for both of the emitter and receiver. Channel: the transmitting medium of the signs -6- http://www.doksihu „Noise”: disturbing or obstructive circumstances in the channel Communication can be full, partial or one-sided depending on „noise” if there is any in the channel and if there is some, in what measure does it obstruct the message? There are two main types of communication, verbal and non-verbal communication. Separately they do not exist. When non-verbal signs are used together with the verbal message, they may greatly enhance the effectiveness of the message but may also have unwelcome and unwanted effects: distract the receiver’s attention, disort the sender’s intentional message, or reveal what the sender has no intention of communication. The verbal part is what we say. The non-verbal part includes the gestures, mimicries, body language (which tell

us the things that are unexpressed), intonation, volume, pitch and tone. Functions of communication: - Information function: The participants of the communication process are giving information about facts and their explanation. - Emotional function: By expressing feelings we exempt the inner stress. - Motivation function: Most of the times the transmitting person wants to induce the receiver to do something. This function is principally persuasion - Checking function: With another contact we can check if the original message achieved one’s purpose. Communication problems In our days the public significance and role of communication has grown incredibly. Hence psychologists, sociologists, linguists and communication specialists are interested more and more in symptoms that are obstructing the efficiency of communication. Disturbances can origin from one person’s: - Psychic capability - Skills - Deficiency of knowledge Most of the disturbances are caused by the improper or

deficient usage of the code. It is clear that our partner must know the language in that we want to communicate. It -7- http://www.doksihu happens every other day that people get in touch without having a mutual language. Unfortunately, it happens more often that we do not know our own mother language sufficiently. The other reason for disturbances arises from the nature of language The ambiguity depending on the context and the situation can lead to misunderstandings. It is more dangerous than not to understand the message because it creates the illusion that we have understood the message. Different natured but also a source of communicational disturbance is the growth of international contacts. In the budgets of international conferences and international organizations impersonation and translation costs are setting out a considerable proportion. More than 100 years ago Zamenhof developed the language, Esperanto, which is the most viable and prevalent artificial language. Against

all efforts, the several million Esperantists do not even total up to half percent of the world’s population. There is little likelihood that Esperanto will be the common language of humanity within a reasonable time.” (Bokor-Szabó; 2003:10, 11, 12, 22) PART 2 Business Communication Business communication is a type of communication what we have to explain in order to understand how culture influences the person’s communication. “It is a process that can be planned consciously, its channels can be established, its defaults can be eliminated and the person’s communication skills can be well improved. One must know what we can reach with undisturbed communication. It is very important to identify the disturbances of the communication process and when we have some, know how to handle them in order to clear them away or at least to reduce the obstacles. Communication is one of the most complex elements of business activity. In our world, precise and fast information could mean

millions on the money-market, which can change the future of whole regions. Information is revalued and became a main economic factor. We are living in a society of information Business communication is the circulation of information for business purposes in the economic and business environment. This communication can go on on different levels of the economy, in macro- and/or in micro economy or between the spheres of the economy.” (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996:19, 22, 24, 25) -8- http://www.doksihu “Direct communication is when a company or one of its representatives negotiates, enters into contracts and indirect one is when information circulates through computers, companies advertise their products and services in newspapers and on television. The most important communication of information is made verbally: negotiation, report, interview, telephone call, ballyhoo, presentation and so on. Communication can also be established through written texts: brief, fax, telegram,

contract, account, advertisement. In our days the electronic network is used more often to transfer written information. “(Borgulya Istvánné, 1996:25, 26) We have to say some words about the participants of business communication and the disturbances within the company. “When only two people or a small group communicates we talk about interpersonal communication. This is the most common communication of economic leaders as this is the most efficient way to influence opinions, personal equation and behavior. Nuanced emotion can be expressed, information can be gathered, provided and exchanged. Group communication is when more people are involved in the exchange of information. The preconditions of efficient communication are the well established channels. Still, even if they exist it is uncertain that communication will be undisturbed. Strained information is one of the most common disturbances. It has many reasons from misunderstanding to the direct manipulation of information.

Information omission originates also from many reasons. The sender of the message strains the information to hold back something or transmits it fragmental because he understood the message just more or less. Too much information can disturb communication also, the processing of word flow distracts the manager from valuable time so high posted leaders only selects the information which suits their action level. Timing also causes disturbance The message which is too early sent will be forgotten before it will become a topic. The message which arrives already late, makes the task unexecutable. Reception skills can be missing also. For example when the addressee feels that he is incompetent in the matter or the information arrives in a way that he is not used to. How communication fulfills its functions depends on what has been noticed and understood. It depends on memory and the skill of changing” (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996:27, 44, 45, 46) -9- http://www.doksihu Intercultural

Communication If we want to understand intercultural business communication first we must highlight intercultural communication which plays a significant role in the communication of companies from different countries. “If communication is established between people from different cultures so cultures meet each other in communication, the situation will be even more complex, because this time different cultures come up against one other. Thanks to revived international tourism, studies abroad, study tours, the opportunity to work abroad and international trade it became an ordinary thing that people from different countries and continents get in touch. Either their contact is verbal or written it is completed with tools which belong to the category of communication. The necessity to make contact, steps over geographical and ethnical borders.” (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996: 47, 49) Culture First let us explain culture through some examples: “A culture is the configuration of

learned behavior and results of behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society.” (Linton) “Culture is the way in which a group of people solve problems.” (Trompenaars) “It is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another.” (Hofstede) “A culture is a set of beliefs or standards, shared by a group of people, which helps the individual decide what is, what can be, how to feel, what to do and how to go about doing it.” (Goodenough) (Polyák Ildikó, 1999:9) “As a culture is extremely complex, the differences of different cultures can be described from many aspects. It is also reflected in the language and in the usage: metaphors, sayings but also advertisements are capable of comparing cultures. - 10 - http://www.doksihu It is a precondition for intercultural communication that the parties should be able to use a mutual language. In the

communication between cultures this mutual language is likely to be a learned language for one of the parties. No doubt the knowledge and proper use of the language makes communication efficient between cultures, but the correctly chosen content of the conversation, the style and the intention of speaking is not less important. Usually the emphatic- and custom systems of different cultures are not the same. Moreover, a good command of a language gives the impression to the partner that the user of the language knows the differing cultural background also, and adjusts his elements of communication to this background. According to Oksaar the misunderstandings which are originating from the dissimilarity of cultures are affecting human relationships even more negatively than pure lingual, because the effect of the mentality which is evolved through the influence of culture affects the partner’s personality directly.” (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996:56, 70, 71, 72) Intercultural Business

Communication If we talk about communication between companies it is very common that the parties do not belong to the same nation. That is why we have to investigate intercultural business communication. “Intercultural business communication is a circulation of information which is realized in an economic environment with business purpose between the representatives of different cultures. It has three essential criterions: - The participants are defined individuals by culture - The parties are defined by a given society and economy - The participants are the representatives of a specific corporation culture As the economy is regulated by the country’s legal system, and controlled by the goals and opportunities of the national economy we have to approach it in relation to the country. That is why we understand by cultural community the community of the same country’s residents, one nation’s culture the culture of this community. We must observe the two effects of national

culture, one which forms the personality directly and the other which influences the business culture. - 11 - http://www.doksihu From the cultural effects which are shaping the person directly those are primary which are determining one person’s relation to work. What is the usual value judgement, the risk and responsibility taking?” (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996: 85, 86, 87, 88) National culture Economic culture Corporate culture The persons communication (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996: 88) “Hierarchy, prestige, public spirit and solidarity plays also a main role in a nation’s culture. What is typical of a person in the given country? Does it strive for power, does it follow individual goals or is it collective by thinking? The effect of culture which shapes the economy can be measured on the governing philosophy of the management in the country. On the other hand economy can change the person’s personality, attitude, motivation and behavior. Work and economy related effects

of culture are also important. These effects can form the person directly and through the economy also. Culture pervades the economy and the companies also The company is the medium in which cultures meet each one other because the negotiators represent companies. By company culture we understand the complexity of norms, values, thinking and behavior methods, which determines the behaviour of every employee and through it the appearance of the company. The founders and the first leaders have a main role in the development of a firm. The norms and base attitudes which provide the body of a business cannot be changed as easily as the appearance.” (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996: 89, 90, 97, 98, 100, 101) - 12 - http://www.doksihu The Dutch Geert Hofstede compared different countries employees values and behaviour in terms of four dimensions, which gives a great help if one wants to do business with somebody from another culture. It facilitates the situation how to behave and to identify

the reasons of the behaviour in the background: ­ Power distance ­ Uncertainty avoidance ­ Individualism or Collectivism ­ Masculinity or Femininity “In an organization power distance measures the distribution of power and status between people at different ‘levels’ in the organization. In a high power distance culture less powerful members of organizations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. Hofstede defines a masculine culture as one in which ambition, drive for and recognition of achievement concern for high earnings are important. He defines a feminine culture as one in which interpersonal relations, cooperation, a search for consensus and concerns for the environment are more important. A strong uncertainty avoidance culture is one in which people feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations and have a need for written and unwritten rules. People in these cultures prefer to avoid ambiguous situations. In a collective culture people see things in

terms of the group and tend to value the importance of commitment to/from organizations, friends and family. Much emphasis is placed on group harmony and personal relationships tend to prevail over the task. In an individualist culture ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her family. In an individualist society the task tends to prevail over any personal relationship.” (Hofstede, 1994) “There are concepts of high and low context cultures. According to Edward T Hall, an American anthropologist, Germany is an example of a low context culture. The assumption underlying a low context culture is that the expression of concepts and ideas in written and spoken form is extremely important. This type of communication is usually realized by means of literal language, explicit detail, written agreements and so on. Its style will tend to be direct and logical Japan is the classic example of high context culture. The underlying

assumption in this kind of culture is that a lot of meaning is carried by contextual factors such as hierarchy, setting and location. This - 13 - http://www.doksihu type of communication is realized by means of implicit messages, unspoken topics, figurative language and hints. Its style will tend to be indirect and subtle” Far-Eastern Corporate Culture So far we dealt with communication to intercultural business communication. Now, we must focus on the culture of Far-Eastern companies if we want to know why they are different from ours and how this influences negotiation between an oriental and occidental. “If one says that the culture of the Europe is not unified one could say the same also about the far eastern countries. Different religions, ancient cultural heritage left behind. Seeing it from Europe the differences are merging into one another and we notice those special signs which are different from the Western civilizations. That is why standard language speaks about

oriental mentality, oriental philosophy. When we compare European and Japanese businesspeople the greatest differences are in the way of thinking, decision-making and in the behaviour. European culture is masculine; the Asian one is feminine like Yin and Yang, the two sides of the cosmos. They cannot exist without the other. The union of the two cultures gives birth to a new energy which improves the innovative skills. For example if we put the Japanese production experience with the American marketing know-how, the European analytic skill with the Asian general-aspect seeing together, or the Japanese service and kindliness complemented with the European rationalism the economy has much more added value. The Western European and the American businessman (the latter especially) attaches an important role to law regulations instead of building their business on unwritten ethical rules. On the other hand Asian people are ethical or socially guided, and not law sanction dictated. The

Eastern-Asians are uncertain and inexperienced in law regulations so they are usually very cautious when they enter into a contract with a European partner.” (Borgulya Istvánné, 1996:154, 155) PART 3 Japan The reason why I choose Japan is that this country is the world’s most successful industrial nation. Hence we all know that each nation’s culture is unique, Japan’s - 14 - http://www.doksihu culture is unique among unique. The culture and history of this nation is amusing Although Japan developed isolated and is not influenced by other cultures, still we can identify other nation’s marks and under their suits, they are still the “samurais” of the middle ages in a new appearance, carrying mobile phones and laptops instead of Katanas. I have collected a lot of information on Japan from various sources to illustrate the culture clash between oriental and occidental cultures. But first let us see some things about Japan. Japan forms an archipelago in the Pacific

comprising four main islands Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu, and over 3000 smaller, mostly uninhabited ones. Most people live on the coastal plains and 80% of Japanese are living in cities. “The fact of this isolation was determining, because Japan had the opportunity to choose which foreign culture could penetrate or influence theirs. In practice there are three main cultural effects that hit Japan. The first one is the Chinese from the 6th-9th centuries which brought along the Buddhism, arts, science and handicraft. The second wave reached Japan after 1868 in the Meiji-restoration; they took almost everything from the contemporary European societies that they could, including art of war, medicine, jurisprudence and education. The third great cultural shock hit Japan after World War II., together with the American occupation For the Japanese the defeat suffered meant a strong psychological shock that they could not overcome up to this day.” (Judit Hidasi;1998:135)

“Japanese pine for the old values – a strong ethic married with a quiet conformism – that served them brilliantly during its postwar recovery. But the current system, which relies too much on rote memorization and good behaviour, is not going to serve Japan well in an era of nonstop global competition of rapid technology shifts.” (BusinessWeek: Brian Bremmer: April 29th 2002) “Japan always housed foreign effect, which are processed and adopted. In Japan the “new” does not push the “old” out, the two lives side by side in harmony. They are always ready to learn something from somebody if that somebody is better than they are, but making it perfect in an inimitable Japanese way.” (Hidasi Judit, 1998:136) The Japanese are therefore conditioned by exceptional historical and geographical constraints as well as by their thought process in a language very different from any other. How does this affect foreign businesspeople dealing with them? - 15 - http://www.doksihu

Society In order to understand Japan we have to take a closer look into its society, language and behaviour. These three can helps us to find the key to their culture “The society of Japan is conservative and very group-oriented. Loyalty to the group and to your superiors takes precedence over personal feelings. A popular saying in Japan which illustrates this point is: “The nail that sticks out gets hit with the hammer”. (Doing Business Internationally, 1995) “Traditional values are still the same: respecting older, honouring prestige and rank and the principle of seniority. Men are in a socially privileged position. In general women’s role is to hold the family together, to bring children up, and to run the household. Their work at a workplace is only desirable until the birth of the first child.” (Judit Hidasi, 1998:137) “In general Japanese people are afraid of getting involved with foreigners; people seem to be less communicative and talkative with outsiders, and

especially foreigners: ‘At Narita airport two gentlemen met me and politely guided me to a big car. They showed me the back seat. I sat in and expected one of them to sit next to me But both sat at the front and we drove off. The two of them were engaged in a lively conversation but no word was uttered to me. We were driving for long, but I did not even know whether we would go to the hotel or straight to the exhibition-hall. So after about 20 minutes, during which they paid not the least attention to me, I asked where we were going. <Tokyo> - was the short answer We were driving at least 70 minutes, and neither of them addressed a word to me. <They cannot possibly speak English> I thought to myself. When we arrived at the hotel, I was shown to my room and told to be in the lobby in 30 minutes. When I descended, the organizer of the exhibition was waiting for me in the company of one of my escorts. To my great astonishment I realized that he was actually the interpreter.

How could he behave so impolitely in the car by completely ignoring me?’ This is quite a common situation, and may happen even to those who speak Japanese. On meeting for the first time, before the official part of the appointment begins, Japanese participants often tend to behave as complete outsiders. As outsiders they are not expected to pay attention to others. So, to avoid the embarrassment inevitably connected with the first meeting they pretend not to acknowledge the existence of the - 16 - http://www.doksihu other person. This is often done in a way that no communication is established with him. Silence in the presence of others is perceived as impolite in Euro-American culture, whereas in Japanese communication it may be a sign of respect or consideration. In the example above the interpreter has probably felt himself too inferior to begin a conversation with the guest. So he kept silence towards him, which in turn, is interpreted as rude behaviour towards a guest in the

Euro-American cultural tradition.” (Judit Hidasi; 1995:51) “Periods of silence may occur during a business meeting. Silence may indicate that the Japanese have not come to a decision and are thinking. Or it may mean that something has been done that displeases them. Be patient and allow them to speak first A Japanese person may show concentration by closing their eyes and nodding the head slightly, up and down.” (Doing Business Internationally, 1995) Religious tolerance and Greeting “Traditionally, most Japanese have practiced a combination of Buddhism and Shinto. Shinto has been important in ordering Japanese social values along with Confucian thought. Japanese people tend to be more restrained than Americans, and customarily adhere to traditional rituals. When formally introduced it is proper to bow The depth and length of your bow will indicate the amount of respect. The Japanese refrain from any physical contact when greeting others in public, no matter how close the

relationship. Younger people often shake hands with Westerners, while more cosmopolitan Japanese may combine a bow and a handshake. You have to take your cue from the Japanese on whether to bow or shake hands also in business relations. Although the Japanese study English in school, their knowledge of the language is often more academic than conversational. If you are having trouble communicating you may find it helpful to write down your question, since it is often easier to understand written English than spoken English.” (Doing Business Internationally, 1995) The Japanese language “Japanese behavior is also strongly affected by the nature of the language. According to the Benjamin Whorf-theory, the language we speak largely determines our way of thinking. The Japanese themselves use language in a completely different way from the - 17 - http://www.doksihu rest of us. Japanese is often described as a vague or ambiguous language For instance, the verbs are impersonal, so

often you do not know who is being referred to. This vagueness is frequently used on purpose by Japanese conversants who wish to absolve anyone of possible blame and demonstrate politeness. The well-known honorific terms in Japanese enhance this politeness, while often adding to the vagueness. Long indirect clauses precede the main statement. Everything must be placed in context in Japan, therefore, blunt language is too brief and out of piece. No Japanese boss would say ‘Tidy up the office.’ They are obliged to say to their subordinates, ‘As we have some important visitors coming at 12 o’clock and since we wish them to get the best impression of our company, perhaps we could improve the orderliness around here’. Another way in which the language reflects the society is that there is no reported speech mechanism in Japanese. Japanese people do not like to report other people’s statements, as failure to be accurate could result in embarrassment or injustice.” (Richard D

Lewis, Nicholas Brealey: 1995/258) Language curtain “Japan exists behind a language curtain and is unfortunately unaware of her intellectual isolation. While millions of Japanese attempt to learn English, results are generally poor and consequently Japan’s voice in the world is not heard to the extent which her economic might justifies. Few Japanese politicians have understood this problem, although business leaders are beginning to realize more and more the disadvantage they are at. One great barrier is the Chinese script, unfortunately adopted by the Japanese early in their history. This makes it extremely difficult for foreigners to learn Japanese and Japanese schoolchildren lose valuable time mastering two or three thousand complex characters, when they could be learning English. Than why do not the Japanese simply switch to Roman alphabet? First, they would cut themselves off from their literature and calligraphic art. More important still, Japanese people are bound up

emotionally with the visual aspect of the written characters. They have a kind of magic and aesthetic value. Where westerners often imagine things in words, Japanese can imagine them visually. This is difficult to explain to anyone who has not studied written Japanese. ” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey: 1995, 266) Giving presents and language I would like to highlight some other factors in order to make the differences of the Japanese language clear. “To take the distance between semantic and pragmatic - 18 - http://www.doksihu meaning is also important. The semantic meaning is the one obtained from a word-byword translation, the one normally found in a dictionary The pragmatic meaning, however, is the one which expresses the intention of the speaker by using certain verbal elements. For example if you want to give a present, then in Eastern and Southern Europe you have to mention its merits. You say what you think of it, or what you want your partner to think about of it:

“This is a bottle of very fine old wine; I hope you will like it.” In England you would use some light understatement: “I wonder whether you will like this; most people think it is quite good.” A Japanese speaker however, is expected – according to Japanese language usage etiquette – to belittle the present he wishes to give: “This is a poor quality wine, I am afraid you will not like it; still, please accept it.” In all three cases the pragmatic intention is the same. The gap is the smallest in the first sentence, where the semantic formulation almost covers the pragmatic meaning completely; the British usage is more sophisticated one; whereas the Japanese goes so far that it produces the gap-effect, for example, the semantic formulation is almost the opposite of the pragmatic meaning.” (Hidasi Judit; 1995:15) Japanese translators “Their attitude to foreigners, even educated people and high-ranking businesspeople, is clear. You are always an outsider Your efforts

to speak Japanese will be smiled on, but seldom taken seriously. As many senior Japanese do not speak English, Japanese translators are often used. They cab be unbelievably bad and seldom give real translations when Americans or Europeans wish to be blunt. Often the message, lost in an endless labyrinth of polite vagueness will not get cross at all. The translator in Japan has an unhappy lot. Usually they will be abused by westerners for not translating properly and criticized by their superiors for being unclear. They are not really trusted anyway, as they speak two languages.” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995: 265) Introduction in business life If we would like to approach a Japanese firm it would be not as “easy” as it sounds, and therefore I would like to illustrate the importance of traditions and strict routines by giving an insight into the introduction in business life in Japanese quarters. “The only - 19 - http://www.doksihu acceptable way to approach a

Japanese firm is by introduction from a third party, preferably someone who knows you, your background, your company, and the Japanese company with which you want to deal. This introduction could be either via letter or in person. In Japan, a business relationship is based more on personal relations than on the cost of the product. The Japanese first want to know you, and vital facts about you, including your age, the university you attended and your firm. Business comes latter Your colleagues will appreciate you showing the same interest in their background. Business cards are exchanged before bowing or shaking hands. Present the card with both hands an take a moment to study it before shaking hands. Place the card in front of you on the table or desk for reference and as an additional sign of respect. Do not quickly stuff into a pocket. Do not write on business cards you receive” (Doing Business Internationally, 1995) “One of the world’s most famous financial organizations went

in Tokyo recently for a road show. Mingling after the main presentation, the top speaker was approached by a high Japanese official who happened to be in the audience, The speaker, a forthright American, politely proferred his business card in the fashion recommended by all the how-to-do-business-in-Japan-primers. It turned out the Japanese official asked something that stumped the speaker. “I will have to get back to you on that,” said the American. “ I will fax you from New York Here, I will tear off the corner of your card – that is my reminder to myself to get back to you. So much for a wonderful first impression. The Japanese official only blinked –but, by Japanese standards, the American could hardly have committed a worse gaffe if he had dropped cigar ash in the sushi.” For to the Japanese way of thinking the honorable client’s business card is a revered extension of the client himself. Even to write on it is an unforgivable insolence: the Japanese would no more

write on someone’s business card than they would borrow their starched shirt sleeve to doodle on. Japanese etiquette is famously complicated Luckily, foreigners are not expected to know most of it. But with a few first principles, such as understanding the Japanese mindset about Japanese cards, you will not go far wrong.” (Western Commerce, Ian Badger: 1993, 29th July) - 20 - http://www.doksihu Business contacts “In the Euro-American cultural context the first thing to be agreed in a meetingarrangement is the time, if possible, the exact time. All other details to be agreed come after that, for example where to meet. So the arrangements start from the final destination, and proceed in a backward direction. In the Japanese communication pattern it starts with the consideration of minor details and nothing is fixed before the co-ordination of all possible details, moving slowly in ever diminishing circles towards the final point of destination. For example when listening to a

scientific presentation by a Japanese speaker for instance, many foreign participants are baffled: ‘What is he talking about?’ Japanese speakers begin not with the point they wish to discuss but somewhere so remote as to seem irrelevant to many Euro-American participants, who are used to a different way of presentation and argumentation. According to the Japanese way of communication, the first one has to give all details, all seemingly irrelevant, but nevertheless somehow connected with each other, before coming to the essence of what one wants to say. In books written for foreigners on how to communicate with the Japanese this is very often simplified as ‘Be patient’. If we extend this difference in communication patterns to the level of negotiations, then we can better perceive the difficulties experienced in Euro-American versus Japanese negotiations on any topic. In contrast to the linear argumentation of Euro-American negotiators, Japanese partners tend to follow a spiral

approach in their communication style. This non-linearity is good guarantee for the negotiators involved that at any point in the conversation an escape route is available either by rechanelling or by reformulating the topic. By this method risk of conflict is reduced to a minimum, a precondition for the satisfaction of the Japanese striving for harmony.” (Judit Hidasi; 1995: 45) Line of argumentation Euro-American style Japanese style ---->---->---->---->----> or <----<----<----<----<---(Judit Hidasi;1995:45) - 21 - http://www.doksihu “The Japanese go over the same information many times to avoid later misunderstandings and achieve clarity, although the ambiguities of their own speech style often leave westerners far from clear on their intentions. The Japanese are cautious, skilled in stalling tactics and will not be rushed. They need time to reach their consensus. Their decisions are long term, for example, ‘Do we ant these people as

partners in the future? Do we trust them? Is this the right decision for the company to be heading?’ Big decisions take time. They see American negotiators as technicians making series of small decisions speedily to expedite one (perhaps relatively unimportant) ‘deal’. Once the Japanese company has made its decision, the negotiating team then expects quick action and many criticize the partner if there is a delay. If the other side is too blunt, impatient or fails to observe protocol, they will break off negotiations. If great respect and very reasonable demands are shown, they are capable of modifying their own demands greatly. The repeatedly mentioned harmony is very important to them; they strive to bring the two ‘respectable’ companies closer together and are happy to socialize in between meetings. They never say ‘no’, never refuse entirely another’s argument, and never break off negotiations as long as harmony prevails. This leaves them room for renegotiation some

time in the future if circumstances change. Their negotiating style will be nonindividualistic; impersonal and unemotional, but emotion is important (it is just under the surface). Logic and intellectual argument alone cannot sway Japanese They must like you and trust you wholeheartedly, otherwise no deal.” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995: 263) “No business deal is sealed without dinner in a restaurant or a drink at a bar. The lengthy business lunch is rare and lunchtime drinking is unusual Let the Japanese issue the first invitation to a dinner. Always reciprocate hospitality by inviting the most important members of the Japanese team to dinner. It is best to invite your Japanese business colleagues to a Chinese or Western-style restaurant, preferably in a large hotel. You should not entertain in a Japanese restaurant because Westerners do not understand the subtleties of Japanese dining well enough to act as hosts. Wives rarely accompany their husbands on

business-oriented social occasions.” (Doing Business Internationally: 1995) - 22 - http://www.doksihu Negotiation “At the beginning there is the first meeting. Japanese, unlike westerners, do not like first encounters. In their own web society Japanese executives know exactly the manner they should use to address a superior, an inferior or an equal person. Americans who stride across the room and pump their hand are a source of great embarrassment to them. First, unless they have been properly introduced, they are unable to define their stance. Secondly, it is likely that westerners will initiate a person-to-person exchange of views, which poses an even greater danger to the Japanese. Their represent their group, therefore cannot pronounce on any matters there and then without consultation.” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995: 259) “Traditionally business negotiations can be divided into three functional phases. First, the ‘small talk’ then the merits of the

business, thirdly the deductive phase of the conversation. In spite of Euro-Americans, Japanese spend conspicuously too much time and foresight on the ‘warm-up’ phase. With this, they establish harmony between the parties, and without it, they do not take on into any business. What is interesting in the second phase is that they process the gathered information many times, asking again and again, rechecking it until finally they come up with a proposition. When we are negotiating with a Japanese, “price” is a special chapter, whereof until the end of the negotiation it is not proper.”(Judit Hidasi; 1998:145) “Westerners often complain that on six visits to a company they will be met by 18 people different in groups of 3 and will have to say the same thing six times. This is time-consuming, but necessary for the Japanese, as all the members of the group have to become acquainted with them. After this ordeal, Westerners often press for a quick decision. They will not get one

If they impose a time limit, the Japanese will back out quietly.” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995: 259, 260) Uncertainty avoidance “The Japanese do not like surprises. You have to prepare them for upcoming presentations or discussions by sending them written material well in advance. Arrange for several copies – translated into Japanese – of any written material you plan to use. This will allow each member of the team to have a copy, which will speed the decisionmaking process. Because this process can be a very slow procedure in Japan Workers - 23 - http://www.doksihu at all levels of a company contribute input. The process involves many face-to-face discussions, and the contract must be approved at each level of the company. Patience is a virtue. Once a decision is made, however, implementation is immediate” (Doing Business Internationally, 1995) Losing face Orientals do not like to lose face. In spite of Euro-American cultures they always act as a group. Let

us see an example in order to understand them ‘A group of Japanese language teachers from abroad arrived at Shingu, a stop on their trip around the country. Shingu is by the seaside When they boarded the local train going to their next destination, they found themselves in a compartment with six middle-school girls seemingly on their way home from school. One of the foreigners asked in fluent Japanese, whether the sea would be seen from the train. The girls giggled, but none of them seemed to know whether the sea could be seen.’ “It is hard to believe that 16-year-old schoolgirls commuting daily by train would not know whether the sea could be seen or not. In the first place, in Japan not to know something is more accepted than in Euro-American cultural environment: in the second, if people act as a group then there is no fear of losing face, no matter how they behave. Some may think on reading this that this sort of behaviour is due to the age-group, there are after all

teenagers in Europe or America who would react similarly. In Japan, however, this kind of group-consciousness prevails in all age-groups.” (Hidasi Judit; 1995:49) Japanese politeness Japanese politeness is well-known around the world but not many know what hides behind of it. Yes, they are polite, but in a way that we hardly understand Let us investigate the matter. “Japanese politeness can take many strange forms Their reluctance to say ‘no’ is well-known. If you say to Japanese ‘I want you to lend me a hundred dollars’, they will say ‘yes’, without actually offering the money. What they mean is, ‘Yes, you want me to lend you a hundred dollars’. If they do not wish to enter into a deal with a foreign partner, they will not come out with a negative reply. However, you will not be able to get in touch with your contact in that company thereafter, He or she will always be ill, on holiday or attending a funeral. Another incident illustrating Japanese politeness: - 24 -

http://www.doksihu ‘During a course I taught in a British university, three of us had invited Mr. Suzuki out to dinner and we arranged to meet him at eight o’clock in the Common Room Bar. Knowing he was rather formal, we had all put suits on. Entering the bar, we saw him at a distance in a casual shirt and slacks. We quickly exited before we rushed back to the bar, where Mr. Suzuki stood awaiting us in his best blue suit (he had caught a glimpse of us).” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995:261) The company is sacred For Japanese the company is the place where they find something to live for. Hour less working in an office together with other twenty people, always watched by the vigilant eyes of the boss, but still a “holy” place where they spend their days and nights. Let us see why. “In Japan the company is sacred Once employees are accepted, they show complete loyalty to the company and there is no clear dividing line between life and job. Their loyalty is

rewarded by lifetime employment and regular promotion. (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995: 263)” In Japan, the company gives gifts to the employee on all of the occasions when gifts are normally exchanged between individuals. Japanese managers often help employees find spouse, and may also help in resolving marital difficulties. Gifts from the company to its employees include bonuses and yearly company vacations. This cultivates loyalty and motivates the employee to give prompt, high-quality service on the job. Even insignificantly small jobs ordinarily receive a degree of care and attention that would be regarded as extraordinary by American standards.” (Cross-cultural reference –Fast Times; 1993, April) “They steadily climb the ladder in a vertical society and are completely satisfied with their status on every rung. Their fidelity and long hours will guarantee them the promotion to important positions, whether they are intelligent or effective or not. This often leads

to problems in companies which are anxious to make good profits.” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995: 263) - 25 - http://www.doksihu Japanese Success Why have Japanese companies been so successful? This question is often asked by Westerners, but what is the answer to this question? Let us absorb a little into this matter. What is the secret of Japanese companies? Are they better than EuroAmericans? Could it be so simple? “Hard work, good education, unpaid overtime and short holidays all play their part. But if there is one key to Japanese success it is their ability to conduct a company’s internal affairs in a spirit of harmony and cooperation. Americans and Europeans seem to have more energy as individuals, but often are pulling in different directions within a company. There is certainly submarine infighting in Japanese companies, but once unanimity of agreement has been reached then everyone pulls the same way. Japanese will discuss and discuss until everybody

agrees. Endless discussion often results in slow decisions, but the Japanese think the gain in solidarity is worth it. Results seem to show that they are right.” (Richard D Lewis, Nicholas Brealey; 1995: 264) “Although working hard is not the same as working smart and time-serving is not a guarantee of productivity, but despite reaction in some quarters the Japanese do work long hours. The Shinto work ethic, unlike its Protestant equivalent here, is certainly alive and well. Japanese workaholism has interesting consequences, one of which is the ‘fallen leaves syndrome’. This refers to the relatively high incidence of divorce in the country when couples are in their 60s, different from the British experience. The ‘leaves’ metaphor has two meanings: divorce happens to people who are in the autumn of their lives; but also damp falling leaves stick to things. Work obsessed husbands with few outside interests retire and discover that without the set activities and time structure

imposed by work they are at a loose end. And having nothing to do they stick on to the wife and mess up her routine. She then has to cope with twice the husband and half the money. As she becomes more independent, he –without the pattern and discipline of work –becomes more dependent, and this leads to divorce. (Adrian Furnham, Journey into the Japanese mind: 1995, January 23) Summary & some hints on doing business with the Japanese “Knowing the rules is not at all the same thing as playing the game.” (N. Sakamoto & R Naotsuka: Polite Fictions) - 26 - http://www.doksihu As we can see from this essay communication and culture “means the same.” How we communicate depends greatly on our cultural background. “Culture and communication are inseparable because culture no only dictates who talks with whom, about what, and how the communication proceeds, it also helps to determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have for messages, and the conditions and

circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted. In fact, our entire repertory of communication behaviours is dependent largely on the culture in which we have been raised. Culture consequently, is the foundation of communication And, when cultures vary, communication practices also vary.” (Samovar & Porter; 1988:20) When doing business with Japanese it is essential to remember that a Japanese likes doing business in a harmonious atmosphere therefore you should do nothing which reduces harmony. “The Japanese rarely criticize each other or even third parties and never say ‘no’ directly. Dealing with a company which may superficially resemble your own, do not assume similarities that are not there. Japan has modernized, not westernized, and true similarities are mainly only technical. Do not assume that they mean the same as you do when they use words like ‘leadership’ or ‘motivation’. They have something quite different in

mind. It is quite correct to enthuse over the Japanese economic miracle, as well as their reputation for honesty and lavish hospitality. Another positive subject is the long unbroken history of Japan and its achievements in the arts. It is also quite correct for you to apologize for your rudeness when you last met. Japanese always do this whether they were rude or not. What is means is that you speak in a disparaging manner about your unpunctuality or poor hospitality or any other personal defect you can think. For instance, Japanese apologize regularly for having had a cold, having taken you to see a poor film, having given you a ride in their noisy car or having beaten your country at karate. Japanese must like you and must trust you, otherwise no deal. You must convince them that you are respectable. For Japanese, respectability comprises a certain age, but also a proven record in business, an absence of any doubtful partners or deals and evidence of unquestioned solvency. Many

Japanese businesspeople will ask you openly at the first meeting who are your board of directors, what is the capital of the company, who your chief customers are and if you have a chairman’s report to show them.” - 27 - http://www.doksihu Long and short of it is that Japanese are different but comprehensible. The key to their culture roots not as deep as we would believe, but deeper than we would think. We westerners are impatient, we were always impatient, and in such fast times why to stop and observe the unknown? It would cost us invaluable time, and it is not certain that it will worth it. When we arranged something we turn immediately to a new one and so on. We always want to meet more requirements than we are capable Orientals are so called “onepointed”. Somehow they have time to stop, to observe, to look into the matter, for example if they want to enter into a contract with a Westerner. - 28 - http://www.doksihu Bibliography Bärnkopf, Zs. A kommunikáció

könyve, Flaccus Kiadó, 2002 Bokor, J. – Szabó, T A kommunikáció elmélete és gyakorlata, Békéscsaba, Booklands 2000 Könyvkiadó, 2003 Borgulya, Istvánné, Üzleti kommunikáció kultúrák találkozásában, Pécs, Janus Pannonius Tudományegyetem, 1996 Doing Business International, Resource Book, Princeton Training Press, 1995 Falkné, dr. Bánó Klára Kultúraközi Kommunikáció, Budapest, Püski Kiadó, 2001 Hidasi, J. ‘Communication Gaps between Euro-American and Japanese Speakers’ in, Szakmai Füzetek 4, Budapest: Külkereskedelmi Főiskola, 1995 Hidasi, J. Szavak, Jelek, Szokások , Kiskunlacháza, Windsor Kiadó, 1998 Hofstede, G. Cultures and Organisations, Software of the Mind, London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994 Lewis, R. D – Brealey, N When Cultures Collide, 1995 Polyák, I. Cross-Cultural Communication, Budapest: Külkereskedelmi Főiskola, 1999 Tolkien, J. R R :The lord of the Rings; The Return of the King; Book five; Chapter 10; The Black Gate

opens, page 872; , London; HarperCollins Publishers,1993 - 29 -