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 ...