Ex.4 Japanese work ethics ( sb Listening page 52, Tapescript tb page 21)

Learn and tell:

I Emphasis on the group

• Group orientation is important historically, because it is the question of survival of any island nation.

• Japan has no natural resources; people are the only resource Japan possesses.

• The person will tell you the name of the company he works for instead of his position: “I work for Mitsubishi”, “I am a Sony man.

II. Human relationships

• The employees have “ lifetime employment” and are promoted by the “seniority order”.

• The employees are very much devoted to the company and call it their “father”

• To achieve harmony, people make sacrifice for the sake of the group and try to agree with each other.

• People always try to come to a compromise and to arrive at the consensus. They learn to get along with each other.

III. Japanese managing styles.

• In Japanese corporations everyone is trained to be a generalist, as opposed to a “narrow specialist” in the USA.

• People are rotated in every department of the company and transferred to other departments to familiarize themselves with the entire company, and can therefore take over several different duties.

• Decisions are made by all employees, and not just by one top executive as in the USA.

• Management consensus is very common.

• Informal get-togethers (at lunch, coffee breaks) allow the participants to develop a better understanding of the subject and then bring to successful negotiations with the partner.

5 WRITE A MEMO (MEMORANDUM) based on Listening task, (SB: page 52)

a). Listen to Ms Morivake, a Japanese consultant discussing the content of her seminars on successful management. While listening make notes after the plan of SB page 52. You will find the model for writing a memo at the reference section at the end of the brochure.

b). Write a memo of 100 – 150 words based on your notes. Turn to Reference section before writing.

Situation: Vincent Mills, Human Resources Manager recommends the Heads of Department to attend the seminar He does it by writing a MEMO. The memo is usually short, informative and semi-formal, close to the style of E-mail.

Key for writing:

To: HDs

From: …

Subject: Seminars on…

Date: …

Introduction. Announce the event, name and position of the speaker, subject of the seminar. Tell why you want the HDs to attend.

The body of the MEMO: Give brief comments on each item of the plan

• Emphasis on the group. (  See next page )

• Human relations.

• Specific features of Japanese management  See next page

Recommendations:

Motivate attendance. Give reasons why the information will be of use for the HDs

Inform about: time and place arrangements. Mention coffee break and the opportunity for informal chattering with the guest

Close the memo with the phrase: If you have any questions, please, contact my secretary Ms Chase on 01 793 - 39.

Sign with initials of the sender. (VM )

5. ROLE-PLAY. (SB page 53)

A cross- cultural consultant and a person going to a foreign country on a business trip discuss the cross-cultural issues, which might be important for doing successful business.

In pairs: discuss the following issues:

Use of language: addressing / greeting (formal? informal?)

Non-verbal communication: handshaking, gestures?

Business negotiations: punctuality / respecting the agenda?

Negotiating styles: direct? Indirect? When is the right moment to mention money?

Socializing: attitudes: gift giving, eating, humor? Conversation topics: (religion, politics, salaries?)