Business Etiquette in Japanese Negotiations
By: Yan • Research Paper • 2,585 Words • April 19, 2010 • 2,008 Views
Business Etiquette in Japanese Negotiations
Business Etiquette in Japanese Negotiations
The world economy is dependent on trade between countries. As
globalization of the world's economy increases, companies depend on
international negotiations to build strong relationships and extend
their services to a larger market. Since World War II, Japan and the
United States have become dependent on one another's markets to fuel
their economy. Japan is the second largest supplier to the U.S. and
the United States is the largest supplier of imports to Japan. As a
result, companies strive to teach Japanese business etiquette to their
international negotiators.
International negotiators encounter many cultural differences when
they are conducting business in Japan. In addition to language
differences, there are different values, opinions and sentiments.
There is a strong sense of hierarchy in Japan accompanied with many
rules for etiquette in a business environment. Americans who wish to
strike a deal with Japanese partners should understand and appreciate
the hierarchical system that is in place. Though foreigners are not
expected to be aware of the exact behavior in every situation, the
Japanese appreciate it when a foreign business associate exhibits a
general understanding of Japanese ways.
The biggest concept for Westerners to grasp is that Japanese view
negotiations as the beginning of a long relationship, where the formal
agreement is a mere testament to that association. Americans, on the
other hand, tend to view negotiations as a competitive way to sign a
binding contract between two parties assigning specific rights and
obligations to each party. Relationships are not of high importance in
western culture. Trust, however, is a huge ingredient necessary to
conduct business in Japan. It is viewed as the building block to all
long term relationships. Before beginning negotiations, foreigners
need to alter their thinking to build trust with their Japanese
contacts.
Setting up a business meeting in Japan takes more effort than a mere
phone call to a secretary. Traditionally, Japanese will not do
business with people whom they do not know well. It comes down to an
issue of trust. In order to avoid having to go through introductions
level by level through the organization, it is very helpful to use a
third party or Sh kai-Sha. A Sh kai-Sha is a person who will contact
the Japanese company and act on your behalf. When selecting a third
party intermediary, it is important that he is well respected by the
organization with which you wish to do business. The Japanese will
associate your firm with the Sh kai-Sha; hence it is much easier for
them to enter into negotiations. In addition, one should hire an
interpreter independent of the company with who you are dealing with.
Interpreters can be a valuable tool in both the business and social
gatherings that will occur.[1]
The last obstacle to prepare for when conducting business in Japan is
women are still at a disadvantage. The role of women is to take care
of the home. In recent years, Japanese women have advanced somewhat in
the business world but they are not accepted as much as in the