Final answer:
While American companies tend to stress individual goals, achievement, and rewards, Japanese companies tend to stress group harmony, teamwork, and collectivist values.
Step-by-step explanation:
While American companies tend to stress individual goals, achievement, and rewards, Japanese companies tend to stress group harmony, teamwork, and collectivist values. The cultural orientation of each country deeply influences how businesses operate and prioritize. In Japan, the focus is on fostering social esteem and the honoring of the group over the individual which is well-aligned with the country's collectivist culture.
This is evident in corporate practices as well as educational settings, where the good of the group is valued over the individual achievements. Moreover, this collective approach is reflected in Japan's internal organization and helped in rebuilding its economy post-World War II, promoting a cohesive society and innovative manufacturing sector.
Cultural differences in handling work tasks are also seen through theory X and theory Y. Theory X suggests that people inherently dislike work and need direct supervision, while Theory Y assumes people find work natural and thrive on responsibility.
Japanese management is often associated with the belief in Theory Y, emphasizing participative decision-making and a collective approach to achieving organizational goals.
Moreover, the impact of cultural values extends beyond workplace practices to cognition and behavior. For instance, research has shown that individuals from collectivist cultures like Japan are more sensitive to contextual changes in their environment in comparison to their counterparts from individualistic cultures like the United States.
These cultural underpinnings profoundly shape interactions and perceptions in various aspects of life, from teamwork and corporate culture to cognitive processing and human relationships.