Impact of Culture on Business Management Japan Essay

Impact of Culture on Business Management Japan - Essay Example Japan is an economic super power nonetheless so one needs to look beneath the surface and see why their productivity is highest in the world and how they are able to flex their economic muscles so well despite being such a tiny nation. Japan is an Island country separated from rest of Asia which enabled it to develop a unique culture quite different even from China form which it has borrowed heavily. This culture can be defined in nutshell as closely knit (team spirit), (elders), sincerity towards work, networking (trust only in known names) and deferring to seniority. Team spirit is the guiding force in all facets, from the family to all rungs of the corporate ladder even politics. Goel observes that to get ahead one has to get along. A nail that sticks out gets pounded down is an oft repeated saying in Japan. The group is more important than an individual; individuals are defined by the group. ( http://www. uwf.edu/ lgoel/documents/ AObservationsonJapanese Culture Pol . pdf). They are taught to be considerate to others feelings and take lot of care to make all around them comfortable. They take their work very seriously. Punctuality in starting work and formal atmosphere is the norm everywhere. It is rare to hear laughter or see backslapping except during breaks. Working late is a routine which many a times is not even reported or paid for. With computerization most of them carry work home almost everyday. Loyalty and fidelity towards the employer is taken for granted and it is common for them to work for the same firm for their entire life. They do not like to deal with complete strangers so usually shokai-sha (introducer) is the go between. Thus having a known person for introduction goes a long way in trust building. They place high value on seniority, more senior the introducer better impact it carries. Shokai-sha is even present during the contract signing ceremony. Business Communication and Management Style- Both the countries have totally different business communication and management styles which are the result of their opposing cultures and work habits. Japanese mistrust of strangers shows in the number of questions and take time taken to reach a decision. It is important to remember that to get them to compromise one has to show willingness to compromise too. Politeness is never abandoned; harmony is never threatened even in case if something disagreeable needs to be communicated, silence reigns and a lot of pondering is done for a long time. Usually the subject gets changed and diverted to trivial social chit chat. Decisions are reached only after consensus has been reached amongst all the team members so they like to break meetings to have private words with each other. Patience needs to be cultivated for interacting with the Japanese. Business structures in Japan like in other walks of life like political, academic and religious spheres is like that of the parent and child. In this the superior (parent) takes care of the subordinate, who is supposed to be obliged and repay it. Corporations often pay for personal needs like housing, excursions, outdoor activities of their employees and their families in return for life long employment. They don't like to break harmony or say no on the face directly for the fear of humiliating the other person, so they come across as "reserved, cautious,

WORKING IN THE LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

WORKING IN THE LAW - Essay Example Those who advocate for the abandoning of this doctrine recommend comparative negligence, which is considered more equitable than this.2 When applying contributory negligence, the person who is injured ends up being forced to bear all the losses despite the losses having been caused by a second party’s misconduct.3 The person who is injured in this case assumes the collective burden while the defendant is given a chance to avoid taking personal responsibility for having caused the injury in question4. Spencer Dalyan Vs. Samson Singer This case involved two friends Mr Singer (who is my client, the defendant) and Mr Spencer (the plaintiff). Mr Spencer used to go visit Singer, his friend who was a contractor in Los Angeles. Spencer liked seeing new buildings under construction and would go visit the construction sites even when his friend Singer was absent. At times, Singer would even call Spencer to go and check whether his casual labourers had done the work assigned to them in c ase Singer was not able to make it to the site. One Friday evening, Spencer went visiting the construction site near some posh neighbourhood he was interested in settling there some day. During this visit, he happened not to inform Singer since it was sort of a routine when he was free and did not see the need to call his friend to inform him of this. Spencer climbed up to the second floor of this new unfinished building to have a clear view of the ocean. Unfortunately, while standing on the edge of the balcony, he happened to step on a wet blast that had been placed some few minutes ago before the workers had closed the work. This happened because he was so curious of the view and forgot to look at where he was stepping. Spencer slid and fell down the building but was lucky to have sustained fractures on his jaw and hand with some bruises on the lower part of the limbs. Court case for contributory negligence Various contributory negligence issues were presented by both parties: Pla intiff Spencer sued his friend Singer for damages since there was no sign indicated that the place should not be accessed until it dries and no wet floor warnings had been put and therefore Singer should foot the bills and pay for contributory negligence by paying damages to injuries sustained by him. The plaintiff Mr Spencer argued that Singer should have put signs to show that the concrete was wet and warn anyone to be careful not to access the floor. Alternatively, he argued that the entrance to the floor with wet concrete should have been sealed. He therefore demanded that Singer takes full responsibility for contributory negligence which led to the injuries. Defendant (my argument) When presenting the case to court against the suit, I argued that the plaintiff was fully responsible for his injuries since they occurred out of personal negligence. I raised various issues to defend my case. First, the claimant was not an employee to my client Mr Singer and therefore not authorized to visit the construction site. This meant that the building was only accessible to the workers of Singer and no other person unless it was completed and opened to the public. Second, the plaintiff neglected the fact that this was a building under construction and therefore wet concrete was inevitable and should have taken time to look at where he stepped first before he made the move. He was hence not concerned with his safety and this negligence led to his slide. Thirdly, the claimant did not even inform the defendant that he was visiting the site in his