Japanese Business Etiquette: Establishing Trustworthy Relationship For Business Partnership

Importance of Japanese Business Etiquette

In the present report, the discussion is based on the concept of cross-cultural communication and its importance in establishing business collaboration (Stahl and Tung 2015). The arguments made were based on a given case study where Mary from Dubbo is concerned about her first meeting weight in Japanese store manager, to establish a business partnership.

In this report, first, we will emphasize on Japanese business etiquette that is important to establish a trustworthy relationship by giving a good impression on first meeting. This includes important formal and informal behavior which are essential within the scope of business communication. Down the line, we will also discuss the potential cross-cultural miscommunication according to Hofstede model. This will help in identifying areas for improvement as well as the risk-prone situational context in communication practices. Further, based on the understanding of interpersonal communication skills, the recommendation will be presented which will be helping similar business context. 

According to the report of Stadler (2019), for the business traveler in Japan, it is important to observe the cultural equity which in turn open doors for successful communication. This is more important in the context of Japan because displaying values to the cultural aspects have a significant impact on decision-making (Bird and Mendenhall 2016).

In accordance with the given case scenario, Mary must daddy her business card, which is considered as an extension of identity in Japan. Importantly, while accepting the card from Moro, she should collect it with both hands, which is an ingrained rule of etiquette for displaying respect. Another important consideration is related to group solidarity, which is Paramount for Japanese. The reason is associated with the fact that Japan is a group-oriented cultural society and hence the value group solidarity over individualism. The matter of fact is that why you discussing the business, Mary most emphasized the importance of group dynamics in decision-making, establishing a network for supply chain, and other aspects related to aroma business. Doing so will give a clear impact of group behaviorism to Moro, which will signal out a positive decision for the establishment of collaboration.

Also, the hierarchy is Paramount in accordance with Japanese etiquette (Cristina, Karam, and Andreea 2017). Thus, Mary must treat Moro great and Mark difference in comparison to any other younger ones, if present during the first meeting. Similarly, the offering of the business card should be made for the member (older) of the group. Additionally, privacy is valued in any form of business within Japan. Hence, it is important for Mary to be careful while being engaged in business discussion, such as not to disclose any private information to the third party including the social media tools. Furthermore, to establish a trustworthy relationship in business, Mary must not display a hard sell approach. The reason being that persuasive presentation must be gentle and that the approach should be agreed from both side. Such discussion will appear to be more respectful and rather a patient approach to cement the relationship (Miao, Humphrey, and Qian, 2018). 

Potential Cross-cultural Miscommunication

The above section discusses important Japanese etiquette, which is not only important to establish a trustworthy relationship but also crucial for the success of a business partnership. However, there also exists potential areas which can lead to cross-cultural miscommunication. For example, it is important to present a gift and first meeting (Dunn 2018). Whereas, presenting flowers are potted plants are considered to be inauspicious. Likewise, the printed materials in gift should not be in red color as it delivers negative superstition values to Japanese. Similarly, managing an official dress code is also believed to be conservative in the Japanese counterpart. This should be considered by Mary, as she must have minimum jewelry and shoes with no high heels. Other minute observations include avoiding nose blowing in public, communicating with a polite turn, greeting with a slight bending posture, and accepting gifts a material through both hands are important. Managing these issues not only values respect to Japanese culture but it also put forward a positive impact on cultural communication (Dunn 2018). As a result of which, the business communication whale likely to achieve positive outcomes as well as decisions in the desired direction.

In this section, the analysis will be based on comparing the cultural issues between the UK and Japan. The said analysis will be made using the Hofstede theory of cross-cultural management. The importance of such analysis is to make a comparison between important traits such as power distance, individualism, gender, uncertainty avoidance, indulgence, and long-term orientation (Rothlin and McCann 2016). Note that these traits are important for the establishment of business on a global platform, such that cultural issues should not be a barrier and communication practices must value the etiquette of both parties.

According to Japanese etiquette, group solidarity is given more importance while in Duddo, individualism is of high value. This factor should not be highlighted in business communication, as it can affect the relationship. However, the power distance within the hierarchy is high when you are in Japan whereas the reverse is true in Duddo. In such a scenario, business communication must focus on the strategy of building networks with suppliers, aligning with the local government to penetrate the Japanese market (Stadler 2019). While giving a brief of aroma shop in Duddo, highlights should be made for a collective effort from organization however business decisions are made by the owner, is believed to be effective for promoting the collaboration.

Comparing Cultural Issues between UK and Japan

From the Japanese perspective, business culture is more aligned towards avoiding uncertainty and establishing long-term orientation. These attitudes are also important in Duddo, but with half intensity in comparison to that of Japanese etiquette. Thus, the business proposal should have adequate information about risk analysis, probable mitigation strategies, and our tentative plan in case if the business proposal fails (Cristina, Karam and Andreea 2017). As a matter of fact, this information will be helpful in giving an impression that business proposal aims to attain a long-term orientation. 

Another important aspect is the indulgence which is less among Japanese in comparison to Duddo. This reflects that among Japanese, the gratification of natural and basic human drives out of less importance whereas they are more oriented towards achieving business success (Liu, Eng and Takeda 2015). This is one of the positive factors that can motivate the persuasion for establishing a business name for aroma shop in Japan.

Cross-cultural communication is one of the important requirement to establish a productive business connection. According to Ralston, Russell and Egri (2018), the ability of one’s personality to adapt host-country environment within the communication skill has the potential to establish a new partnership and collaborative efforts. Further, just facilitates the globalization by ensuring that cultural barriers were removed and put forward the scope of framing a trustworthy relationship (De Mooij 2017).

Hofstede model analysis going to the basic framework that can be used for easy understanding of the cultural differences. In the present case scenario, the desired outcome is to establish a successful collaboration for the expansion of the business. Thus, giving a positive impression with the first meeting can enhance the business relationship significantly. As such, good dress outfit, selectivity in the gift for presentation, and maintaining turn of voice during discussion can attract attention for Mary, in this case. Similarly, giving emphasis to team Dynamics rather than individualism and focusing on identification of risk, could prove to be promising for the establishment of this business (Grossmann, Huynh and Ellsworth, 2016). Additionally, paying attention to power distance and hierarchy within the organization can convince Mr. Moro that the long-term orientation of business will be similar to the framework, for which he is familiar with. All these mentioned traits were in accordance with the analysis gained with Hofstede remodel. Thus, they will be effective in developing trust and will put forward the foundation for a long-term business collaboration. 

Recommendations and Conclusion

The recommendations which are appropriate in the present situation, to fulfil the expectation of business expansion in the Japanese market.

• In conjunction with the first meeting, gestures such as accepting a gift from both hands, giving respect to elders in the group coma and greeting with a bent posture are considered to be effective (Cristina, Karam and Andreea 2017).
• Likewise, to proceed with communication, use of polite tone, avoiding nose sound in public, wedding less jewelry and no heels, will be appropriate (Jacks 2017).
• While discussing the business issues, individualism must be given priority where power dynamics and hierarchy within the organization is should be highlighted.
• Similarly, giving importance to long-term orientation and information to avoid uncertainty will be of high importance to put forward the business relationship.

In summary, the present report focuses on business etiquette that is relevant to Japanese culture. Important factors associated with dress, communication style, physical appearance, and greetings are discussed. According to the Hofstede model analysis, business communication in this case scenario must be focused on collectivism, everything uncertainty, and long-term orientation. Nevertheless, the difference in cultural attributes such as power distance, indulgence, and individualism should not be brought into business matters. Overall, it is believed that the information present in this report will be effective not only to the present case scenario but in similar cross-culture communication requirements. 

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