International Aspect &amp Essay Example

U.S., underscoring the importance of aligning values with business objectives.

The founder of Hitachi wrote the words, "Harmony is to be greatly prized," which are engraved on a stone at the company's entrance. Japan is known for valuing harmony, also called wa (Nakane, 1970). In comparison to Americans, Japanese sales representatives are expected to display higher levels of value congruence (Pascale and Athos, 1981), and this congruence may have a greater impact on job satisfaction and performance. Additionally, cultural differences between Japan and America result in diverse leadership approaches.

According to several researchers such as Nakane (1970) and Hall and Hall (1987), Japan has a strict hierarchical societal structure that is the basis for its group-oriented, harmonious business culture. Johansson & Nonaka also note that status within Japanese society and the business world is determined by factors such as age, tenure, sex, education, and occupation.

The satisfaction of Japanese workers comes from feeling part of a strong group, whereas in the United States, a merit-based system of bonuses and raises creates a stronger link between pay and satisfaction. American executives managing sales forces in Japan agree that compensation systems used in the U.S. will not work in Japan. Japanese salespeople's variable pay is typically less than 5 percent, with winter and summer bonuses being the norm. Large commission portions of compensation would likely confuse and frustrate most Japanese sales reps, according to multiple managers. Additionally, U.S. recognition practices like "salesperson of the month" tend to embarrass instead of motivate group-oriented Japanese employees. These findings align with research by Hall and Hall (1987).

According to Hofstede (1991), Agarwal (1993), Hall (1987), and

other experts, there are notable differences between cultural groups. These differences suggest that in societies where individualism and economic success are prioritized, such as in the USA, individual qualities such as education, income motivation, and performance are highly significant. Conversely, in cultures where collective effort, personal relationships, and social rank hold greater importance, such as in Japan, organization-specific aspects like seniority and shared values take precedence.