COM 5 informal report - Essay Example

COM 5 informal report: Business Report English Introduction It is imperative to understand and apprehend the business culture of a region before venturing into business. The class had arranged for a business trip to Japan to identify and learn the Japanese culture which is wrongly perceived as a stumbling block for any business organization that wants to expand its operations to Japan. The trip aimed at identifying how the Japanese business culture affects the actual tactics of doing business successfully in Japan.

The trip had been organized by out tutor in collaboration with various Japanese companies such as Mitsubishi, Toyota and other western companies in Japan such as BMW.Discussion We all were exceedingly happy and anxious to board the plane to Japan. We woke up early that morning and were well prepared to leave United States to Japan. We boarded the plane, Japanese Airline, at 7oclock in the morning on 2nd August and took 8 hours to Japan. At the plane, the stewards and hostesses were exceptionally courteous and hospitable.

We were served with drinks and snacks by the stewards and hostesses. On arrival, we were welcomed by airline staff members and taken to the hotel rooms where we would spend the night. The next morning we visited Mitsubishi Motor Company where we interviewed several employees and observed their conduct. Through my interview with Hiroshima Kumamoto, I noted that Japanese companies appraise upholding harmony and excellent reputation with customers and the community in general. Culturally Japan values patience, politeness, hard work, honesty, affiliation and team work.

Different cultural settings have different ways of communicating. In reference to Locker and Kiensler (2010), Japanese treasure sitting in silence and calmness (p. 132). They regard United States propensity to squirm and shift as a signal of spiritual and mental balance deficiency. Audiences and interviewers react negatively to restlessness. Japanese use body language to indicate attributes such as respect, confidence, agreement, interest and emotional participation. Moreover, I established that Japanese employees take pleasure in a paternalistic association with their employers and work for one company for all their life.

This opposes the Western Companies who try to motivate their workers to maintain the same job. The next day we visited Toyota Motor Company where we established that, In Japan, employee promotion is not based on merit (Locker & Kiensler, 2010, p. 135). This is in contrast to the western primary basis of promoting workers. An employee’s age is the most essential determinant in promoting workers. A visit to BMW showed us that Japan’s course to customer service is deduced from its national culture.

For business prosperity in Japan, after sale service and reliable product quality are the essential elements. Though Japan is a small country, with a dense population, it encourages cohesiveness and politeness. The trip was over within few days, and we had now to go back to our country.Conclusion Culture develops to exemplify its people and differentiate them from others. Effectual management of the cross-cultural interface is a significant source of a company’s competitive advantage.

Any organization requires to develop tolerance and empathy towards the Japanese culture. Cross-cultural aptitude is paramount to business operations as well as managerial tasks. The trip was extremely educative and gained much experience.Works CitedLocker, Kitty O., and Donna S. Kienzler. Business and Administrative Communication. 9th ed. McGraw Hill, 2010. 132. Print.