Culture Analysis: Japan
The nuances of the modern Japanese culture are based on a variety of Asian and Western influences. Japan was much more of a traditional Eastern society prior to WWII, but after the War Japan became highly subject to the West and thus adopted a great many of its practices and perspectives. For that reason, Japan is less traditionally Asian than other Eastern cultures—but it still retains enough of its own culture and identity to be considerably different in a number of dimensions. This paper will examine those differences and show that a combination of leadership styles, such as innovation leadership, transactional leadership, autocratic leadership and democratic leadership styles, should be used for Japanese workers as they are highly dependent upon seeking approval for their employers (Merchant, 2018), like to be consulted in decision-making, enjoy creating innovative solutions to problems, but also want to be able to identify the hierarchy of authority so that they can show respect to the appropriate persons.
Dimensions of Difference
Power/Distance
The traditional Japanese culture was much more hierarchical than it is today; however, the cultural expectations regarding power remain to some extent. Thus, while the power/distance dimension is higher than in America, it is lower than in other Asian countries, such as China. At the same time, Japan is slow to make decisions, which indicates that the people are not comfortable with making decisions on their own and would prefer decisions be made for them (Hofstede Insights, 2018).
Individual/Collective
Like many countries in the East, Japan’s culture is more collectivist than individualistic. This contrasts sharply with the American culture, which celebrates individualism. However, by Asian standards, Japan is somewhat more individualistic than other Easter nations—and that comes from the American influence that has dominated the nation since WWII (Hofstede Insights, 2018).
Uncertainty Avoidance
The Japanese culture hates uncertainty. The Japanese do everything they can to be as prepared for the unexpected as possible. The country is routinely hit by natural disasters, so that may have something to do with it—but the people tend to have internalized some of the more traditional aspects of the old world culture, such as the need for ritual and routine...
References
Barbuto Jr, J. E. (2005). Motivation and transactional, charismatic, and transformational leadership: A test of antecedents. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 11(4), 26-40.
Carmeli, A., Gelbard, R., & Gefen, D. (2010). The importance of innovation leadership in cultivating strategic fit and enhancing firm performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(3), 339-349.
Hofstede Insights. (2018). Country comparison. Retrieved from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/france,japan,mexico,russia/
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370.
Merchant, Y. (2018). 5 major differences between Japanese and American workplaces. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/differences-between-japanese-and-american-work-culture-2018-3
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