Question

William Ouchi (1981) highlighted five differences between formal organizations in Japan and those in the United States:

Answer 1

Japanese organizations have a strong sense of order, hierarchy, and group harmony, while American organizations are more flexible and egalitarian. Japan used internal organization and strong centripetal dynamics to create a highly functional society. There are also differences in how individuals from different cultures recognize object context.

Explan

William Ouchi (1981) highlighted five differences between formal organizations in Japan and those in the United States:

1. Sense of order and organization: Japanese organizations have a strong sense of order and organization, with strict rules and guidelines that govern behavior. In contrast, American organizations tend to be more flexible and decentralized.
2. Sense of hierarchy and power differences: Japanese organizations have a strong hierarchical structure, with clear power differences between superiors and subordinates. In American organizations, power is more evenly distributed and there is a greater emphasis on egalitarianism.
3. Roles for both individuals and groups: In Japanese organizations, there is a strong focus on group harmony and collective decision-making. American organizations, on the other hand, emphasize individualism and individual decision-making.
4. Internal organization and strong centripetal dynamics: Japan used internal organization and strong centripetal dynamics to create a highly functional and cohesive society that focused on creating a manufacturing sector that catapulted the country's economy from devastation to financial success.
5. Recognition of object context: Masuda and Nisbett (2001) demonstrated that the kinds of information that people attend to when viewing visual stimuli can differ significantly depending on whether the observer comes from a collectivistic versus an individualistic culture. Japanese participants were much more likely to recognize objects that were presented when they occurred in the same context in which they were originally viewed, while manipulating the context had no such impact on American participants.