japanese culture and business.doc

Japanese culture is a live-to-work culture in which work is the central aspect of mans value system.Work in japan is seen as an activity that adds meaning of life.this positive view of work is reinforced by the buddhist belief that work is a spiritual discipline leading to the achievement of Nirvana.Work is warJapanese businessmen and government officials view work as a battle for culture survival. The result of work should be more than profit,which is a secondary concern. The real rewaed for working hard is the survival of the company and the japanese nation. A common slogan found in many factories during the post-war period illustrated this concept of work and survival :export or die.The will to workThe japanese, including supervisors and educators, believe that everyone has about the same aptitudes and talents as anyone else. The difference among persons is what japanese call kiai and seishin, or will. everyone can do whatever is expected through a strong will and determination.The 5Ss and the search for qualityToyohiro Kono and Stewart Clegg state that a large part of japans post-war success can be summarized by a set of slogans called the five Ss and found on walls and bulletins borads in japanese factories.These 5 principles encourage workers to respect ever-improving quality work. 1. Putting in order, stresses keeping ones work area clean and orderly. In many japanese plants workers are expected to spend the last minutes of a shift cleaning their machines ,tools,and work areas.2. Arranging properly-reminds workers to organize their tools and materials in the proper manner.3. Cleanliness4. Cleaning impose on factory floor workers the responsibility for cleanliness and order as well as accepting the production goals of the organization.5. Good behaviorGood behavior refers to acceptance of the groups standards and goals as well as maintaining social harmony.Decision makingDecision-making in a japanese corporation is almost always a cooperative activity. Leaders have the authority to make unilateral decisions, but doing so is seldom done. Leaders propose and suggest but they seek above all for total agreement before decisions are made public.LoyaltyJapanese interpersonal work relations are based on cooperation that in turn is forged by the development of loyalty through mutual interest and identification. Japanese cooperations hire recruits largely on the basis of character and especially on the potential for company loyalty and ability to get along with co-workers. The need for this approach is a reflection of the practice of lifetime employment in larger corporations. Specific skills might become less needed during a career of over thirty years. The corporation prefer applicants who have a general education because the specific knowledge of how to work will be taught as needed. In essence the ideal new hire is a generalist capable of being a sociable and loyal worker.Lifetime employment There are many used in japan to gain workerIn Japan, the company staff is responsible for, in return, the company they work for them and their families and establish social statusIn Japan companies are difficult to see women as leaders appear, Japan Women usually marry in at the age of 25 to 30 years old, and when they marry they will forego their own career then get back home, even if they have good skills and rich experience, they will not continue their careers.In fact, those married and wish to work in Japan Women, many have become those of transnational corporations in Japan subsidiary of excellent staff.Unspoken rules: females remains difficult to be reused.Most Japanese men and women insisted that women married to resign to take care of the family , right and proper . In Japan , a strong woman is a derogatory Japan s female staff younger is a universal phenomenon , because Japanese woman in traditional marriage will no longer work , the sixteen-year-old female staff generally honorable retirement .The men are considered to be the Japanese society shelf sea gold beam . Company in Japan , if there are male and female staff elevator , certainly Ms. hold down the elevator button gracious smile , men gain an advantage , both sides are very natural .Allocation and promotion , men are more natural advantage . Male and female employees into the company at the same time , the wages of male employees often tens of thousands of yen more than their female colleagues . Secretary , cashier , and other female em