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To Present Likely Disconnect in Communication/interaction

Gerhard Richter, a German marketing executive, was sent to launch a new product in Japan. However, he did not realize the cultural differences in communication and decision making between Germany and Japan. In Japan, decisions are made slowly through consultation with many individuals, emphasizing group consensus over individuals. Frustrated with the lack of response, Gerhard learned that in Japan, business relationships are considered long term and decisions made with care. He eventually convinced his Japanese counterparts to launch the product by understanding their culture and including the entire team in discussions. The product was a success.

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39 views

To Present Likely Disconnect in Communication/interaction

Gerhard Richter, a German marketing executive, was sent to launch a new product in Japan. However, he did not realize the cultural differences in communication and decision making between Germany and Japan. In Japan, decisions are made slowly through consultation with many individuals, emphasizing group consensus over individuals. Frustrated with the lack of response, Gerhard learned that in Japan, business relationships are considered long term and decisions made with care. He eventually convinced his Japanese counterparts to launch the product by understanding their culture and including the entire team in discussions. The product was a success.

Uploaded by

Swosti Panda
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Name-SWOSTI PANDA ASSIGNMENT

PGDM NO-10113 Communicating At Work

SECTION-B

S7: GERMAN MEETS JAPANESE

To present likely disconnect in communication/interaction.

Language is not the only potential barrier in today’s marketplace. Communication across cultural
borders is vital. Here we are dealing with two countries where not only languages are different
but also cultures differ to a large extent.

In Japan, business is done on the basis of personal relationships. The Japanese prefer broad
agreements and mutual understanding so that when any problem arises it can be handled flexibly.
Since more emphasis is given on groups rather than individuals it takes a relatively longer time
to reach a decision in a business scenario. So here decision making is a slow process as many
individuals across the hierarchy need to be consulted.

While in Germany, personal relationships are not needed in order to do business. The Germans
are more interested in academic credentials and the amount of time the company has been in
business. And here the communication is more formal.

So let us see what problems a German faces while doing business in Japan and how he
overcomes them.

Gerhard Richter was a marketing executive in XYZ International in Germany. He was a


very creative and outgoing person. So the company decided to send him to their branch in Japan
where they wanted to launch a new product. Gerhard’s job was to understand the market and
convince his Japanese counterparts to launch the product.

So Gerhard Richter went to Japan. He worked very hard. He did an extensive market research of
the product with the help of his team and arrived at the conclusion that the product would be a
great success in the Japan market. So he went with his findings to his Japanese boss and
explained everything and waited for his response.
But to his utter dismay no steps were taken to launch the product in the market even after a week.
He was very disappointed. He talked to some of his German friends in Japan and realized that
things did not happen the same way in Japan as they happened in Germany. Here, in Japan,
decision making is a fairly long process as compared to in Germany. He had to be really patient
in his endeavor if he wanted to achieve any success.

Gradually Gerhard started understanding Japanese culture. He understood that Japanese placed
great emphasis on politeness, personal responsibility and working together for the universal,
rather than the individual, good. Here business relationships were considered to be long term and
any business decision was taken with utmost care and responsibility.

After that Gerhard was called to a number of meetings regarding the product launch. The
meetings were both formal and informal. Gerhard realized unlike in Germany, where convincing
only one or two superiors was sufficient, in Japan the entire team had to be convinced.

Nevertheless, Gerhard’s hard work paid off and the product was launched in the market. It was
an instant hit. Gerhard realized it was very important to understand the culture of a country for
any successful business undertakings.

Ultimately the barriers that exist between cultures are weak. We need desire, information and
willingness to take interpersonal risks to break them. An individual’s ability to be open to new
ideas and new people will go a long way in the process of cross cultural communication. It starts
with a smile and acceptance. It leads to an exciting new world full of clarity and connectedness.

SOURCE

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/

www.google.com

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