Cross-Cultural Communication in Japanese Business Etiquette

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Assignment Name
Student ID
31 Mar 2019
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1. Introduction
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.
2. Coverage of Key concepts
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
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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).
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,
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