Japanese work culture – What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say ‘corporate sector’? For every nation that believes in progress of the corporate sector, the work culture differs; mainly classified into two, the Japanese and the American system.
The Land of the Rising Sun has much more to offer other than their bowing down greeting and fastest bullet trains. Unlike other regional work cultures, the Japanese follow a simple and subtle culture at work, that gives more importance to experience, detail and relationships. We give you reasons as to why the Japanese work culture is the best to work with. Read on!
1. Right way of greeting
Their bowing to each other, is not just another way of greeting. It’s mandatory for them to respect what others are working for. It’s a little complicated, but comes as a courtesy to respect what others are involved in doing. The bowing does not only strengthens your relationship with your co workers, managers and clients, but also is seen as something that shapes your personality well.
2. Every profile is important
Does not matter if you are the manager, engineer or the factory technician, your work profile is equally important as the senior manager or anybody below the CEO level. Every person employed with the organization is equally important and there is not distinction in different levels of work, as in the other countries. The Japanese work culture has only a CEO at the top, with the others at the same level of work profile.
3. Motivation through company slogans
They start their day at work with a morning meeting at the end of which, employees line up and chant the company’s slogan aloud. A brilliant way of motivation, loyalty and keeping the goals afresh in their minds, is it not? At a certain level this might sound as some sort of indoctrination, but in real it is a way to obscure employees from the daily grinding individual tasks. It inspires them to work further and together for the prosperity of the company.
4. Employee feedback is never disheartening
They believe in tatemae– criticism without hurting sentiments to promote productive interaction. The Japanese work culture does not promote straightforward criticism of an employee. On the contrary, they believe in dropping subtle hints and other picks to make the employee realise that their work needs to be improved.
5. Work hard, party harder
It is a tradition in Japanese work culture to cut loose, after a tiring day of hard work. Just like you need to punch in while entering office, they need to punch in at the bar or the office play spot. Besides being a place to relieve their work related stress, these places also help co-workers bond up and share information, as a team.
So you see why the corporate culture around the globe considers the Japanese work culture as the best? No wonder, it is Japan that produces a number of world’s best products.
