In Japan Hofstede sees the core of every enterprise to be the permanent worker group. Those workers are hired for all practical purposes in general and strive for life-long employment. On the contrary there are non-permanent work groups which are easily laid off if necessary. University graduates would first join a worker group and wait to later be assigned to various other tasks. Payment is structured according to seniority (Dienstalter) rather than position. Decisions are made in group consultations. This might take rather long but proves implementation to be much easier.
Hofstede tells about the research done by J.Tobin, D.Wu and D.Danielson of the University of Hawaii. They filmed two pre-school classes, one in Japan, one in the States. While the ratio teacher-kids in the States amounted to 1:9, it amounted 1:29 in Japan. In both classes there was a troublesome kid. When a Japanese kid alarmed the teacher of the other kid's misbehavior the teacher was reported to have answered: "what are you calling me for? Do something about it?" The American kid, on the other hand, when behaving badly was put in the corner and thus punished by the teacher.
Hofstede picks this example up to show how early structures of hierarchy are already implemented. He concludes that in Japan control of situations is guaranteed by groups, respectively peers. Consequently the Japanese conducted their own theories about leadership. These base on the ideas of performance and maintenance by which the latter refers to maintenance of social stability.
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Hofstede tells about the research done by J.Tobin, D.Wu and D.Danielson of the University of Hawaii. They filmed two pre-school classes, one in Japan, one in the States. While the ratio teacher-kids in the States amounted to 1:9, it amounted 1:29 in Japan. In both classes there was a troublesome kid. When a Japanese kid alarmed the teacher of the other kid's misbehavior the teacher was reported to have answered: "what are you calling me for? Do something about it?" The American kid, on the other hand, when behaving badly was put in the corner and thus punished by the teacher.
Hofstede picks this example up to show how early structures of hierarchy are already implemented. He concludes that in Japan control of situations is guaranteed by groups, respectively peers. Consequently the Japanese conducted their own theories about leadership. These base on the ideas of performance and maintenance by which the latter refers to maintenance of social stability.
Learn more about: back to overview
In the international projects of the Sportyouth one way of reflecting national culture was to analyze typical movies from that country.