Cultural Differences Between Japan and the United States and the Effect on Business Relations

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Cultural Differences between Japan and the United States and the Effect on Business Relations Tracy Huffman BUS 606 Janis McFaul October 28, 2013 Cultural Differences between Japan and the United States and the Effect on Business Relations Introduction Culture is a rather elusive concept. Culture consists of a system of beliefs, customs, and way of thinking at any particular place and time. “Religion, proximity, history, and education are factors that have been identified as important in defining a culture” (Ralston, Holt, Terpstra, & Kai-Cheng, 2008). Culture also changes over time. In the last 30 years or so, business communications have taken a definite global turn. Business relationships and communication are important on a global scale and understanding the others culture is an important part of knowing how to communicate effectively. Knowing the particular culture of those you are attempting to do business with can make a real difference in how business is conducted and the success or failure of your attempts. Through research, Geert Hofstede noticed differences in national cultures in 5 basic areas: power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity vs. femininity and long term vs. short terms orientation. Having an understanding of these differences and the part they play in cross cultural communications allows a business professional to be able to adjust their style of doing business to better mirror the way the other nation does business. This will increase the chance of business success and keep everyone on the same page and speaking the same language, so to speak. This paper is to be a review of the culture differences between Japan and the United States and how that affects their ability to do business together. With two completely different cultures, being unprepared and not knowing the others style and

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