1、JAPANESE CULTURE,CHAPTER 11,Japanese Culture PRISMs,Which are more powerful: goals or ideals? Can people really rise above self-interest to embrace ideals? Is it better to fail doing things the right way than it is to succeed by cutting corners? Can cultures have both gender equality & gender role d
2、ifferences?,IndividualismExtended family Community MonochronicPoychronicLow Context High ContextSocial Ambiguity Social Certainty,Low Power DistanceHigh power Distance MasteryAdaptation Emotionally NeutralEmotionally Expressive Quantity of LifeQuality of life,KEY JAPANESE IDEALS Ideal #1: Joy of liv
3、ing Ideal #2: Beauty Ideal #3 : Interpersonalharmony Ideal #4: Perfection Ideal #5: Transformational management,Mountainous, Volcanic Islands,6800 islands The main islands of Japan (Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu, Hokkaido) = 98% of land 4% the size of the USA 71% mountainous 10% of worlds active volcanoes
4、 (Mt. Fuji being the largest) 126 M population 99% genetic homogeneity Era of population decline projected to begin in 2010 (when a quarter of Japanese will be over 65),A CULTURE OF IDEALS,When something good “comes alive,” its an ideal. Ideals are the essence of life-both the ends and means of livi
5、ng. Westerners have little experience “experiencing” Asian ideas. Its hard for Westerners to understand Asian culture because ideals are less important to Westerners, who value individual freedom & independence more than community. Westerners push away the ideal of community because of its emphasis
6、on interdependency, sacrifice, duty, & etiquette, all of which detract from individual autonomy (driving fast, loud music & cell calls in public, smoking around others, etc.).,GETTING CONCRETE WITH IDEALS,Is your score the only thing that counts in golf? (How about your form & manners?),Why fold pap
7、er up? (Origami is an artistic approach to self-discipline),Shudan Ishiki Why do the Japanese have such a strong group consciousness?,Ethnic & cultural homogeneity Predictable & rigid behavioral etiquette for every social situation The pursuit of common ideals,Shikata The ideal process for all socia
8、l & business behavior,There is an ideal way to do everything in Japan, because the way you do something is just as important as what you accomplish Failure in doing something the ideal way is more honorable than being pragmatic by cutting corners to achieve success (such as steroid use in sports & N
9、CAA cheating),IDEAL #1: Iki Gai (Joy of living),Dress up, not down Eat healthy food, not junk Stay slim & trim Put art in all you do to live life on a higher plain Master the social graces Take pride in all around personal excellence,Healthy forms of maximum relaxation: hot springs communal bathing;
10、 karaoke; wearing comfortable, clean, light weight slippers in domestic settings; sleeping on futons (to conserve living space in small Japanese houses & apartments) Elaborate, sumptuous cuisine of maximum aroma, seasoning, & visual appeal. Extraordinary cleanliness of personal hygiene, living space
11、, & public space.,The worlds healthiest diet (while 60% of Americans are overweight),IDEAL #2: Yugen Myo Ideal (Tao) beauty,DO CHERRY BLOSSOMS HAVE BEAUTY OR IS IT ALL IN YOUR HEAD?,Actually, its both. The Japanese believe our minds are “pre-programmed” to experience the ideals in life, such as beau
12、ty, perfection, cooperation, & community. The purpose of Japanese life is to experience (“import”) as many ideals as possible into your life, thus transforming both your consciousness & your daily behavior. Community, the nucleus of Asian culture, comes from the totality of human ideals.,4. Perhaps
13、the best way for egocentric Westerners to understand community is via the analogy of peeling an onion. Onions do have a core, but you have to remove layer after layer of the onion to get to the core. In Japanese & Asian cultures, the layers surrounding community are behavioral etiquette, interperson
14、al harmony, interdependency, social niches, & dedication to abstract ideals, of which community is the totality.,MATERIALIZING IDEALS INTO EXTERNAL REALITY,Turning the inner ideal of beauty into food presentation, feminine kimonos, high quality cars, etc. Turning the Zen ideal of harmony into a bons
15、ai tree or a cultivated meditation garden Turning the ideal of interpersonal harmony into bowing etiquette & feminine-style (needs-focused) communication,Japanese gardens,Bonsai,Meticulously shaping the gardens requires internalization of harmonious ideals,Want a good laugh? Watch tourists stomp aro
16、und in a public Japanese garden. Japanese gardens are actually an art form designed to promote peaceful, harmonious contemplation & meditation via a perfectly manicured (“civilized”) garden. Americans always want to “do” somethinganything except be still.,WHATS THE PURPOSE OF A BONSAI GARDEN?,Restle
17、ss, on-the-go Westerners have a difficult time understanding the purpose of a garden that doesnt yield produce. “What do you do with it?” To Asians a garden doesnt have to have a “purpose”-it just exists in harmony. Being in the garden helps Asians to also just harmoniously existwithout an Western a
18、genda of “making something happen” (non-stop “questing”). Westerners understand sharks much better than gardens-solitary and always on the move.,RESTLESS, HIGH- ACHIEVING WESTERNERS TAKE PRIDE IN,Multi-taking, not focus Over-commitment, not balance Busyness, not contemplation Doing, not being Using
19、up, not renewing Performance, not practice Doing what comes naturally, not discipline,BRINGING ART ALIVE,Zen art requires that you live in the moment. You are art.,Japanese Painting,Zen art (become one with your environment) strives to paint “in the moment” (“go with the flow”) rather than by a pred
20、etermined plan (as in Western art). Most Zen paintings are executed in water colors in just a few minutes. The ego-centrism (me-centered) nature of Western culture separates man from a sense of community & unity with the universe.,Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, who was heavily influenced by Japanes
21、e painting, achieved such Zen-like unity between his feelings (internal environment) & external environment that his paintings came alive, writhing in human emotion. The universe became him as he became the universe.,Netsuke (ceramics),Tsuba (sword handles),Bunraku puppet theaters Inshu washi callig
22、raphy on decorative papers made from plant fibers Chado tea ceremony Ukiyo-E woodblock prints Kyo sensa folding fans Ryukyu Bingata vividly colored dyed textiles Mizuhiki colored paper strips for tying gifts Bunka knitted cords used as trim on furniture & pillows, doll clothes, etc. Temari decorativ
23、e balls made from thread Kubuki stylized dances that tell a historical drama,Art enables you to become ideals,Jimusho no hana Flowers of the office,To the Japanese, femininity is the embodiment of all artistic ideals (The “Greek Muses” in the Western tradition). The traditional Japanese geisha was a
24、 living exponent of the rich cultural tradition of art in all its forms. She maintained these art forms and passed them along to the next generation.,“Men for competition, women for beauty” Women as “organic art” (the Geisha) Performing ceremonial ideals in work life,Aint this sorta sexist, politica
25、lly incorrect, and demeaning to women?,(Only in unisex/materialistic cultures),In contrast with unisex Western (U-GEN) culture, traditional Japanese culture wants women to embody different ideals than males. Many Japanese feel the West has devalued their women by making them mere economic producers,
26、 rather than encouraging them to fulfill the feminine ideals of family nurturing, gracious hospitality, beauty-creating, etc.,IDEAL #3: WA INTERPERSONAL HARMONY,Nature has no agenda. It simply exists as a harmonious ideal.,LIVING IN THE TRIANGLE OF HARMONY,Internal harmonyExternal harmony Interperso
27、nal harmony,1. The work environment is more important than the work itself, because the environment determines what work can be accomplished. 2. The underlying foundation of the Japanese work environment is harmony vs. conflict in Western companies,BEHAVIOR IN JAPANESE BUSINESS DEPENDS ON:,The conte
28、xt: the occasion, the people involved, the purpose The behavioral model of the employees boss-the “geisha” (depository) of workplace ideals,3. Avoiding (2-way) social embarrassment by anticipating the consequences of your behavior on the community you are part of,A good leader doesnt have to work ha
29、rd to get others to work hard.,Shimatsu sho Im sorry, sorry, sorry Why do the Japanese apologize in advance?,“I apologize in advance in case I fail to reach the ideal we are all striving to attain. If I do fall short of attaining this ideal, it certainly wasnt due to my lack of commitment.” “Even if
30、 I succeed, I apologize if I unintentionally broke interpersonal harmony in the process.”,Accepting personal blame for causing your group to fail (lose face) Ceremonial redemptionsettling accounts through ritualistic personal sacrifice (via resignation, or merely being the scapegoat) Whats the corre
31、ct way to deal with a traffic ticket in Japan? (write a note of profuse apology to the local police department),TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION HARMONY,Tatemae/Honne Faade vs. reality,Communicating reality through a screen of polite harmony.,1. “Safe” business meeting agendas 2. Criticism protocol via inte
32、rmediators 3. “Barbarians” within the business delegation: Dont speak before your boss does; dont disagree with your team publicly. 4. Vague communication during negotiations to avoid steamrolling others,“We will give your generous offer a great deal of thinking.” (“No”) “We are surprised that your
33、product costs so little to make.” (“Your products cost estimates seem unreasonably low.”) “We know that your company will be very successful in the future.” (“We do not want to work with you in a joint venture.”),EXAMPLES OF SCREENED HARMONY,Telling people what they want to hear, expecting them to p
34、olitely “drag” the truth out of you. Making comments that require “reading between the lines”: “That project is very difficult to complete” (Translation: “Weve run into some problems”) Using third parties to communicate areas of disagreement or misunderstandings,What is reality in a restaurant: the
35、nice dcor, or the hot, messy kitchen in back?,BUSINESS JAPANESE STYLE,THE WORKPLACE AS COMMUNITY,1. Japanese companies are viewed as a community of members committed to one another and to the companys long-run competitive success. The sense of community is greatly enhanced by the high rate of employ
36、ee stock ownership: ”Since this is our company for a lifetime, lets sacrifice together to make it a success.” 2. The Japanese government works to guide & stabilize companies, which are viewed as living organisms.,CEREMONIES FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS,Does Donald Trump worry much about the feelings o
37、f employees?,Empathetic communication isnt possible without relationship-building based on formal/informal interactions.,Japanese companies are looking for a “marriage,” not a “date.” What would most girls say if you asked them to marry you after the first date? If she actually considered your propo
38、sal, how would her parents probably react? Do you think they just might want a lot of information about you?,Madoguchi The relationship window into a Japanese “balloon”,Most Japanese companies are like a “balloon” because there are no openings in a balloonno openings for foreigners to become part of
39、 the company. Foreigners who wish to do business with a Japanese company must have an insider “champion” (madoguchi) to “import” the outsider into the company, thus giving them face (a legitimate status to interact with insiders).,Japanese companies are also like a ringed target: executives occupy t
40、he bulls-eye; middle managers occupy the middle circles; foreign business partners occupy the outer ring. Anyone the company doesnt do business with is outside the circle (lacking status, or face, completely).,GETTING TO HOME BASE WITH THE JAPANESE,1. Getting to first base: Getting a champion in the
41、 Japanese company 2. Getting to second base: Hierarchical networking of executives in both companies 3. Getting to third base: Interpersonal bonding via karaoke, communal baths, etc. 4. Scoring a run: Suspending etiquette (honest, straight forward business negotiations with no ceremony),Expect it to
42、 take a solid yearbefore your company “gets to first base” with a Japanese companyThey dont want to work with a foreign company that is “in lust” rather than “in love.”,DURING THE “DATING GAME”,Be psychologically prepared for “circular” (communal consensus) Japanese business practices Why do the Jap
43、anese generally ask for more and more and more information about your company? (Making sure everyone saves face by knowing a lot about who they are about to do business with.),3. Waiting patiently for the right introductory ceremonial occasion (You cant celebrate Christmasin April.) 4. The Japanese
44、reluctance to take on new friendship obligationssense of duty always run ahead of emotions.,Karaoke (“empty orchestra”),Konyoku Communal bathing,Nightlife is a cultural necessity in Japan because negotiations require safe ceremonial settings where people can be open & honest without breaking harmony
45、such as drinking in a bar where you can claim you were drunk & thus not aware of what blunt/honest things you may have said.,Burei Ko Abandoning etiquette,How does drinking in a bar make it OK for the Japanese to be blunt, honest, & even rude?,Getting drunk etiquette: The Japanese use drinking in a
46、bar as a excuse for engaging in socially unacceptable behavior (like blunt honesty or complaining), since “they didnt know what they were doing” (because they were drunk),Rice Wine,Entertaining in inexpensive Yatai stalls (Japanese “fast food” stands, which are a much cheaper entertaining venue than
47、 downtown bars and night clubs). Popular food includes ramen noodles, yakatori barbeque, & tempura (fried fish & veggies),GAIATSU: USING OUTSIDE PRESSURE FOR HARMONIOUS, FACE-SAVING, CHANGE,In face-conscious Japan, change may be viewed as an admission of failure or lack of dedication. Do you really
48、want a change you made to imply that your boss or work team didnt work hard enough, or werent competent enough, or that you have higher standards than they do?,The Japanese government recently began to encourage foreign (“gaijin”) companies to step up their operations in Japan as a face-saving/gaiat
49、su way of lighting a fire under Japanese companies to become more innovative, competitive, & efficient. “Japan hopes foreigners can shake up old & staid Japanese structures in ways that domestic firms cant.” In its successful turn-around of almost bankrupt Nissan, Renault showed Japanese car compani
50、es how to use their suppliers more efficiently.,Foreign insurance firms have introduced a number of new services copied by their Japanese counterparts. Starbucks has forced traditional Japanese coffee-shop chains to improve. As long ago as 1853, Americas Commodore Perry forced Japan at gunpoint to open its markets to American exports, leading to the breakdown of Japans ancient feudal social structure and ushering in the modernization of Japanese commercial practices.,
