NAME: FORM: I.E.S.

Zorrilla

SURNAME: DATE: 30th November !alla"oli" MANA)EMENT IN AMERI#A Do it my way

#$r%o &0'0(&0''

Cultural differences between Japanese and American managers have presented the biggest obstacles to Japanese companies investing in America. A seminar for Japanese executives working in America was attended by 25 men, nearly all of them in identical dark suits. espite the room!s stifling heating system, they resolutely refused to remove their "ackets. #heir coffee break lasted exactly the scheduled ten minutes. #hey did not ask any $uestions until after they had got to know one another a bit better at lunch. #hey were usually deferential and always polite. A similar seminar for 25 Americans working for Japanese subsidiaries in America included eight women. %everal of the men removed their "ackets on entering the room. A ten&minute coffee break stretched beyond 2' minutes. (articipants asked $uestions and several aggressively contradicted what the speakers had to say. According to )r #homas *ifson of +arvard and )r ,oshihiro #surumi of -ew ,ork!s .aruch College / the two main speakers at both seminars misunderstandings between Japanese and American managers are possible at nearly every encounter. #hey can begin at the first recruiting interview. A big American company typically hires people to fill particular slots. 0ts bosses know that Americans are mobile people, who have a limited commitment to any particular employer or part of the country. As a result, "obs are clearly defined and so are the skills needed to fill them. American firms hire and fire almost at will. #he assumptions 1and the expectations2 of the Japanese managers of Japanese subsidiaries in America could hardly be more different. #hey hire people more for the skills they will ac$uire after "oining the company than for their existing skills. American managers rely heavily on number&packed memoranda and the like. #he Japanese colleagues prefer informal consultations which lead eventually to a consensus. According to )r #surumi, they find comical the sight of American managers in ad"acent offices exchanging memos. Confronted with a dispute between middle managers, most Japanese superiors refuse to become involved, expecting the managers themselves to resolve the issue. #he Americans conclude, wrongly, that their Japanese bosses are indecisive or incompetent. Japanese managers do not share the American belief that conflict is inevitable, and sometimes healthy. #hey want to believe that employees form one big happy family. '. De*i"e +hether the%e %tateme,t% are tr$e !- or .al%e /0-1 a**or"i,2 to the arti*le. 3 #his article is about American companies in Japan. F 2 At one seminar the Japanese removed their "ackets when they got hot. F 4 #he Japanese did not ask $uestions until after lunch. T 5 At another seminar, some of the Americans were not polite to the speakers. T 5 Americans and Japanese are likely to misunderstand each other in any situation.T 6 American employees are very loyal to their companies. F 7 Japanese companies are likely to recruit less experienced employees. T 8 #he Japanese rely less on meetings than the Americans. T 9 Japanese managers send more memos than their American counterparts. F 3' Japanese managers solve problems without involving their boss. T 3

&. #hoo%e the *orre*t +or"% i, itali*% to *om3lete the tele3ho,e *o,ver%atio,. A :enton ;ngineering. . '-Number / Extension 473, please. A 0<m afraid the line<s &-broken / engaged . =ill you hold> . ,es. . -o, it!s urgent. Could you 92leave / take a message> C ,es, 3'2 will / of course . 332!ay / "ould you ask her to call me back> C oes she have your number> . -o. 0t<s (aris the 322code / area is '' 443 then the number is 56 58 94 95. Could you 342say / read that back to me> C '' 443 56 58 94 95. . #hat<s right. C 352#nything / What else> . -o, that<s 352anything / all . #hank you very much. C ,ou<re 362welcome / fine . . ?oodbye.

A #he line<s free now. 0<ll 3-put / connect through. . #hank you. C (aint shop. . 0<d like to speak to )rs. 0saacs. C 4-Who's / Whose calling, please> . Jac$ues uval, C 5-Wait / Hold on , ) uval. 0<ll 6-bring / get her. C 0<m 7-afraid / regret - she<s in a meeting. o you want to call 82up / back later> 3. 8oi, the t+o halve% o. the%e %e,te,*e% %o that the9 ma:e 2oo" %e,%e. 3. 2. 4. 5. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 0 never sign a letter 0 often choose to write 0 usually telephone (lease check my in&tray 0 shall be able to confirm this 0 shall be able to confirm this =e cannot confirm the order (lease reply at once (lease reply as soon as possible a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i.

altho$2h a phone call is $uicker. a.ter 0 have checked our stock position. be.ore 0 have read it through. i, or"er to save time. be*a$%e we do not have sufficient stocks. $,til we have checked our stock position. +hile 0 am away at the conference. %o that we can order the supplies we need. +he, 0 have consulted our works manager.

4. De*i"e +hi*h o. the%e 3hra%e% .it be%t i, the .ollo+i,2 %e,te,*e%. be over ( *all ba*: ( *$t o.. ( 2et thro$2h ( 2ive $3 ha,2 $3 ( hol" o, ( loo: $3 (3i*: $3 ( 3$t thro$2h 3. #he phone!s ringing. =hy don!t you 32 3i*: $3 the receiver> 2. 0!m afraid she isn!t available at the moment. Can you 22 *all ba*: later> 4. Can you 42 loo: $3 their number in the directory, please> 5. 0!m afraid she!s with a client, shall 0 52 3$t you thro$2h to her secretary> 5. +ello> Are you still there> 0 think we were 52 *$t o.. for a moment. 6. )r ?reen never seems to be in his office. 0!ve been trying to 62 2et thro$2h to him all morning. 7. Could you 72 hol" o, for a moment> 0!ll "ust find out for you. 8. 0f the telephonist says @#hank you so much for calling! and plays me that awful electronic music again, 0!ll 82 2ive $3. 9. 0f you get a wrong number, it!s polite to say @0!m sorry, 0!ve dialled the wrong number! before you 92 ha,2 $3. 3'. 0f an American telephonist asks @Are you through>!, she wants to know if your call 3'2 i% over. 2

5. #om3lete the *o,ver%atio, $%i,2 the 3hra%e% belo+. tr9 %ome )ree: .oo" eat a,9thi,2 o, the 3la,e the re%ta$ra,t or the hotel .ir%t %ort o. .oo" "o 9o$ li:e have a 2oo" .li2ht to meet 9o$ 9o$r .ir%t vi%it A )r +athaway> . ,es, that<s right. ,ou must be )r %trieber. A ,es. (leased 32 to meet 9o$. . And you. A 0s this 22 9o$r .ir%t vi%it to Athens> . ,es, 0<ve always wanted to come but 0 never had the chance. A ?ood, 0 can show you around. id you 42 have a 2oo" .li2ht; . ,es, it was fine, thanks. -o delays or problems. A ?ood. *et me take your case. #he car<s "ust outside. id you 52 eat a,9thi,2 o, the 3la,e? . -o, 0 wasn<t hungry A =ell, what would you like to do> %hall we go to 52 the re%ta$ra,t or the hotel .ir%t? . #he hotel, 0 think. 0<d like a shower. =e can eat later, if that<s AB. A #hat<s fine by me. =hat 62 %ort o. .oo" "o 9o$ li:e? =e<ve got a good choice of restaurants here :rench, 0talian, and ?reek, of course. . 0<d like to 72 tr9 %ome )ree: .oo". A ?ood, that<s settled. 0<ll drop you off now and come and pick you up again at about eight. 6. #om3lete the 3a%%a2e $%i,2 the *orre*t +or"% .rom the bo<. a2e,"a 3ro3o%al vie+% a2ree %ho$l" +a%te o3i,io, meeti,2% 3eo3le

ONE MAN=S MEET IS ANOT>ER MAN=S ?OISON #here are many different sorts of business meeting, and how the participants behave varies from country to country. 0n :rance meetings are generally used for briefing and co&ordination rather than discussing '- vie+% and making decisions. #hey follow a detailed &- a2e,"a and comments are well thought out rather than spontaneous. #he same is true at formal meetings in ?ermany, where you 3- %ho$l" be well prepared if you wish to express an opinion. 0n the CB, on the other hand, participants often arrive at meetings unprepared, and papers distributed beforehand will not be read. #his does not prevent anyone from expressing an 4- o3i,io, or putting forward a 5- 3ro3o%al though. ;veryone is expected to contribute their 6- meeti,2%. )eetings in 0taly seem to be the most informal in ;urope. #hey don<t usually follow an agenda and 7- 3eo3le often come and go as they please. 0n fact, sometimes 0talian meetings are more like a social gathering, used to reinforce a sense of togetherness. 0t<s very different in %pain, where meetings do little to create a team spirit. #he %panish prefer to be independent and make decisions on their own. )eetings are often a @- +a%te of time because it is impossible to get everyone to A- a2ree.

ANSBER S>EET '. De*i"e +hether the%e %tateme,t% are tr$e !- or .al%e /0-1 a**or"i,2 to the arti*le.

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