Unit III Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit III - Essay Example Aside from the willingness and determination of each group to lead the store, language barriers and racial differences are often considered to be the major causes of internal conflicts between the American and Japanese employees. (Sherman, Fefer, & Ah Pak, 1991) Communication problem that exists between the two parties often creates organizational problems that are difficult to solve. Given that most of the Americans are less eager to learn about the Japanese language and vice versa combined with the lack of cultural knowledge about the other race, the Americans and the Japanese employees has divided themselves into two major groups. Since the end of World War II, Japanese had spent a lot of time and effort learning about the cultural differences, business approaches, and technology that are available in other countries in order to rebuild the economic foundation in Japan. (De Mente, 1993: 1) Aside from being aware of the American’s typical straight-forward approach at work, most Japanese are also aware that the Americans require them to maintain an eye contact when they communicate with one another. (Tominaga, 2008) Even though some of the Japanese employees have tried to use the American-style management, not all American-style management had been successful in Japan due to the â€Å"unwritten business principles that are considered to be an integral part of the Japanese culture†. (De Mente, 1993: 2) Most Americans are aware of the typical business practices in Japan such as the need to bow when greeting a Japanese businessman, the need to establish a good rapport with the Japanese workers, and the ritual of exchanging business cards during the first meeting or prior to a business discussion. (Tominaga, 2008) However, very few of the American employees know very little facts and information about the culture behind a