Critical Evaluation of Cultural and HRM Issues for a UK Business Locating a Call Centre in Japan

Critical evaluation of cultural
and HRM issues for a UK
business locating a call centre in
Japan

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................2
Critically evaluating cultural problems UK companies need to take into consideration when
locating a call centre....................................................................................................................2
HRM issues faced by UK company when entering in Japan......................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
International human resource management (IHRM) is defined as one of those key
components that supports in growth and success of many companies, especially when they are
operating ventures at global level. International HRM play crucial role in context of
organizations in term of managing performance and increasing productivity of skilled workers
that are belonging to varied geographical locations and nations. It also defines as procedure of
employing, developing and training individual candidates in global firms. The current
assignment will explain cultural issues UK organizations need to take into consideration when
they are locating a call centre operation in Japan. Furthermore, the report will justify the Human
resource management problems that UK companies need to take into recognition while locating
a call centre operation in new nation.
MAIN BODY
Critically evaluating cultural problems UK companies need to take into consideration when
locating a call centre
Culture is described as characteristics of specific group of people, which may define by
everything from their language, social habits, religion and to cuisine. It may consider as patterns
of shared and learned nature and beliefs of particular ethnic, social and age groups. The culture
of people who are working within UK organizations is quite different from the other individual
that are performing in other nations. Their beliefs and religious are differed, which may put
negative impact on success of those UK firms that are planning to open a call centre in Japan.
Cultural differences-
It is one of those biggest issues that UK companies usually face and need to consider
while locating a call centre in Japan, where people beliefs, and other activities are really very
different from existing workers of these organizations (Achaa-Amankwaa, Olaru and Schroeders,
2020). Cultural differences are considered as various behaviours, practices, beliefs, languages
and expressions that are unique to members of particular ethnicity, national origin or race. UK's
organizations may consider this problem while taking decision to enter into new market and that
is Japan to locate a call centre. There are major difference accessible between Japanese and UK
citizens, as their beliefs, culture, religion and personalities are totally different that bring
challenges for HRM to manage. This issue lead to create more than a certain problem for firms.

Communication issues due to language differences-
Along with above cultural issue, companies that has operated and managed their ventures
in the United Kingdom may also need to focus on this problem as well which occur due to
language differences and because of this people are unable to communicate with Japanese
employees in effective manner (Mason, 2020). Effective communication is one of those key
forces which contribute in excellent growth unexpected success of a venture. Just because of
language differences, HRM and other functional unit’s workers may face challenge or issue to
communicate with each other. This is another problem related to culture, which UK firms need
to consider before locating a call centre and also need to take initiatives to handle it in effective
as well as systematic manner. The language that people used in Japan to communicate with each
other is quite different. It made Britishers unable to understand what actually customer speak
when they work at Japan.
Hofstede's cultural dimension theory-
In the world of business, there are several types of models and frameworks available that
many marketers utilized to identify the cultural differences between two or more nations, which
made them able to take further decision related to business expansion (Rojo and et.al., 2020).
Here, Hofstede’s cultural dimension model is used in context of UK organizations. It help to
identify dimensions that companies need to take into considerations when locating a new call
centre operations in chosen nation.
Power distance Index-
According to this model, UK scores 35 and Japan scores 54 that means power distance is
high in Japan, which may put negative impact on success of call centre which UK companies
attempts to establish in this nation. Firms need to consider this dimension and then take action
accordingly. Through this concept, it can be analysed that Japanese are always aware of their
hierarchical position in individual social setting and conduct practices accordingly. They all are
quite hierarchical because of their ventures experience of thoroughly slow decision making
procedures.
Individualism versus Collectivism-
The fundamental problems addressed by this element is extent of interdependence a
community maintains among its members (Dimensions of National Culture, 2021). UK get high
scores in individualism as people in nation prefer to work individually and attempts to achieve