about japan business culture

•  When impending delivery dates make rapid action required, the management together with office workers as well as factory workers strive to get over this situation in a body without awareness of working time.When the work group to which one is attached is faced with difficulties or problems that require urgent action, it is usual thing for each member of the group to give priority to the work, rather than to personal consideration, in order to reach early solutions.

•  The Japanese people have been engaged in a system of agriculture centered on paddy field rice cultivation for more than 2000 years. The small scale of the land has severely restricted the use of oxen and horses, so the ratio of human effort has been high, while working hard has been rewarded by increased harvests. In feudal times, land taxes called NENGU, which was mainly paid by rice and farm rents called KOSAKURYO were high. And farmers working their small plots of land needed to increase their harvests, no matter by how little. Thus, unless the farmers put a lot of efforts into their work, they could not sustain their livelihood, and it is probably from this that the customs of working hard came up. This custom or practice was not restricted just to the farming community; there was an increasingly strong social consciousness that working hard itself possessed a kind of ethical value. However, there was another important factor named the MEIJI Restoration, a kind of the social revolution. The MEIJI Restoration swept away the old strict social orders. This seemed to mean that those with ability or talent could attain a high social position just by virtue of their own efforts. Because of this, it became general spirit for governmental officers as well as company employees to put a plenty of effort into their work. In this way, the customs of hard working became a trait of the Japanese people. On the other hand, it can be said that the Japanese people were generally not skillful at enjoying life and they seemed not to know how to enjoy their life. However, in recent years since Japan generally became the affluent society, it is a fact that there has been an increase in the number of people who do not concentrate solely on work, but who look for ways of their lives more fully.

 Punctuality and on time

•  When an appointment is fixed, Japanese businessmen normally arrive at their customers' offices or factories earlier than appointed time or punctually.

•  When meeting is held in the office, meeting usually starts and finishes on time respectively.

•  When Japanese businessmen are invited for dinner, they normally arrive at invited place earlier than starting time or almost on time. The said matters are helpful when Bangladesh businessmen want to keep good business relation with Japanese businessmen.

Introduction of Japanese businessmen

•  Japanese introduce themselves with reference to their company or Dept. name rather than to their jobs. In Japan , general rules is that people are employed according to their general abilities, rather than according to their occupational skills. And, while taking account of a person's wishes and aptitude, the decision as to where he or she is to be assigned is based on the needs of the different sections, which comprise the organization. Later, as well, it is quite usual for personnel to be moved, because of promotion or commencement of a project, to a post for which they have no experience. Particularly with white-collar workers, there is little concept of job classification by ability. Because of this, the most precise way of indicating the nature of a person's work is for the person to mention the name of his or her company and Division, Department or Section to which he or she is assigned at the time.

•  In the Japanese companies, there was a traditional custom for addressing someone older or higher position or rank by his or her official job-title rather than his or her name. In Japan the custom has been to avoid the use of personal names out of politeness since ancient times. Such Tradition became popular and custom. For example, the president of a company is called SHACHO rather than Mr. X, the chairman of a company is called KAICHO rather than Mr. Y. But, today, addressing someone older or higher rank by his or her name seems to be gradually popular

Trustworthiness

Japanese companies consider ¡°Trust or Credit¡± as one of most import thing and Trust shall support their business development. It would take long time to establish trustworthiness and it would be not so easy to keep it. For example, Japanese companies usually try to do their best in order to deliver the goods by the appointed date, even whatever problems happen. Once they fail to deliver goods by the appointed date or time, their trustworthiness may lose and it is not so easy to recover it. In a business meeting, Japanese usually come to appointed place before or just on appointed time, which I explained before. This is also one example is to keep trust. In other word, it is very important to try to keep promise once promised, which shall guide us achievement of the trustworthiness. These are common sense matters in business, but it is not so easy to implement them continuously.

To keep business manner and business rule also lead the achievement of Trustworthiness, as known. 

Lifetime Employment System

Lifetime Employment System in Japanese company management has contributed to the prosperity of Japanese economy together with ranking system in accordance with the number of years of service as well as welfare schemes in the company management.

In recent years especially after the collapse of the bubble economy in Japan in 1990's, however, the disruption of the Lifetime Employment System has been pointed out. The situation became difficult for enough plenty of employees to be hired until their retirement.

But, just recently, according to the research by Japanese KEIDANREN, it is found that the companies, who have more number of long continuing service employees, recorded higher profits. As a result of their detailed analysis, these companies management regard 3 items, which are 1.the Promotion of Research and Development, 2. Efficiency of Production and Stock(Inventory), 3.Secureness and Nurture of talented employees.