Unspoken rules guide group harmony in Japanese business, and those who fail to understand them are often labeled KY. But its time for a change. Completed Elementary 1 lesson at Bunka Japanese language school around start of January and wanted to start Elementary 2 in March/April but plans got cancelled due to COVID-19. If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram to get the latest updates. Be prepared to be branded as an antisocial person, or see your colleague who entered the company the same time as you get promoted quicker. I left Dentsu in 1997. Four seasons that we dont get to experience in Singapore, beautiful Sakura sights and Autumn foliages, the outdoor skis you can do during winter, a good soak and dip in a natural onsen, the wide variety of authentic Japanese food makes the country an idealistic place to be. However, on the other hand, working in a Japanese company, my boss is less straightforward. In contrary, my director is actually open-minded and actually hears and consider my opinions even when I just entered into the company. I was given the opportunity to go for business trips to Japan last year, and also got closer with my colleagues in my companys headquarters in Tokyo. I was unhappy, so I left. The following apply to traditional Japanese companies in Japan and Singaporean companies in Singapore. While I was working in Japan, punctuality was key for you to get other people's respect. Some of them have been translated into other languagesChinese, Taiwanese, Russian, Mongolian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean. Another fun local experience is to go to a baseball game. Work stability. I had to redirect my personal anger into something positive, something concrete for social contribution. It has perplexed observers for decades as The bigger surprise for me was getting involved with startups. Swedish Coffee Breaks Are Serious Business. The average Singaporean fresh grad earns $3,500 a month. One thing you will notice when arriving in Singapore is how much greenery there is. Were already seeing it happen. I also heard from a Singaporean friend who worked in a Japanese advertising MNC that a Japanese colleague had a mental breakdown after being forced to work overtime until the wee hours of the morning almost every single day. Their usual work shift is for 8 hours a day. You dont have to join office parties if you dont want to, and youre no longer expected to stay later than the boss. This, however, is lacking in the Japanese working culture. | ; Long working hours are part of the Singapore business culture due to the market competitiveness. Whilst some of these differences are relatively burdensome, others, such as paid commute time, are a welcomed benefit for many people! As Japanese companies stream into Singapore, elements of their distinctive business culture and HR systems remain in one form or another, even in the Southeast Asian republic's multicultural setting. Today, Kono is involved in three very different companies. If Dentsu showed the extreme of the Japanese work environment, IBM was the cutting edge of the world. Everyone around me was discouraging me to do it because the salary offered was very low for a University graduate. In Korea, addressing someone by their title or position is important. Soft truths to keep Singapore from stalling. dont mind concealing your individuality in order to blend in with the people around you. Check out this seminar to hear how these values help earn trust from overseas head offices and develop employees. I would be forced to face many differences and setbacks. Here, we round up 8 cultural differences that can perhaps reduce the culture shock you may face if you werent aware. Expenditures spend 28.0% more on education Singapore spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Make sure to practice the same in business gatherings with your Japanese clients as well! The culture of Singapore is a melange of Malay, South Asian, Southeast Asian and Eurasian culture and influences. This is also why Universities tend to provide training programs for their students to prepare them for interviews, and many Japanese language schools will also provide short-term courses to aid students in resume writing, the interview process, and many more! Teamwork over individual achievements Collectivist Mindset, 10. Imagine the traditional assumptions of a male-dominated workforce, with distinct levels of seniority and years of jumping through hoops to progress your career. Copyright 2021, Sugoii Japan. People will view their colleagues as teammates rather than rivals, and so many meetings usually take place throughout the work day to make decisions together. Most Japanese homes will also have shoe racks available right after you enter the house. Wed love to hear from you! At the end of your whole dining experience, waitresses will also be ready to hand you a shoehorn for those who need a little help in wearing your shoes. Addressing your boss, colleagues, and clients, you need to add a san at the back. Hmm, perhaps. Singapore, with a score of 20 is a collectivistic society. Japanese workers are so protected that employees can do literally nothing and get paid for it, even while others have impossibly long work hours or even suffer death from overwork. Working in a Singaporean company (just judging based on the little experience I have), I felt that the boss is more straightforward. I wanted to work in Tokyo, where Id gone to university. Japan only has 12 different zones, with broad similarities to what we see in Singapore. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'sugoii_japan_com-box-4','ezslot_15',190,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sugoii_japan_com-box-4-0');Despite this, they still have a long way to go! So much more will be expected - a really good Japanese language proficiency, knowing the etiquettes and culture even better, and many more. The Japanese working culture is currently all this and more. And based on what I know about Japanese corporate culture, I believe Japanese firms also prefer to hire workers without a "gap" in their resumes in this case, this is defined as not working after graduating. . Yoshito Hori led GLOBIS Corporation from a single, rented classroom to a leading business school and venture capital firm with hundreds of employees. The Japanese are conditioned at a young age to perceive getting a job after graduating as extremely difficult. If you're looking for jobs in Korea in the future or otherwise wish to understand and assimilate into the country, it's important to understand the different aspects of its work or the Korean business culture.We've listed several items to note regarding Korean culture at work to help you know what to expect if you ever land a job in South Korea. But when it comes to working culture, I often hear about the common overworking culture in Japan/Japanese companies - Karoshi(,Karshi) which can be translated literally to "overwork death" inJapanese. These days, there are many advocates for a more sustainable, flexible, and generally more balanced workplace culture in Japan. Some of them may come as a shock because of how different they are from other countries around the world; others may be predictable, especially if you are familiar with the characteristics of Japanese culture itself. Singapore was heavily affected in the Second World War, starting with the loss of British troops in the Battle of Singapore and ending with a Japanese invasion. Read more about this tradition here! Theyre making waves in the country and around the world, and their progress is bringing hope to the dated rigid structure of Japanese workplace culture. The Importance of Time. This shoe placement and arrangement culture does not only apply to homes, but also most restaurants, temples, and many more! I did that during my first gathering with the company, and I was shot with an awkward silence and many stares. But I was assigned to Nagoya, which was close to my hometown in Gifu. Ive never thought that im cut out for a Business Development role, but having the opportunity to do so is although, extremely stressful yet, very satisfying. Experiencing the two extremes greatly broadened my horizons. Copyright 2020 Mothership. I feel that at the age of 24, i still want to learn, hence, if i am given the chance, i would, definitely. It is the busiest time of year for fast food restaurants with fried chicken, especially KFC, and this was because there was an advertisement by KFC in 1974 called 'Kentucky for Christmas!' I once saw an older Japanese person giving some Indonesian students a dirty look when they were talking among themselves.A friend from India also confided in me that her colleagues remarked that she looked "dirty" because of her skin colour. That is the difference of close to $1,000 a month, and reflects the disparity in salaries between the two countries. These comic strips were selected from over 300 of them that . Third, reexamine worker privilege systems. And in my case, I made a mistake while writing out my resume. Face. When you are having dinner (and drinks) with your Japanese colleagues and boss, make sure you wait for someone to speak like lets tuck in, and you reply with itadakimasu before you dig in. Hierarchy. It can mean Sure please go and come back safely., When we are knocking off from work, we may say otsukaresama desu, and colleagues who are still at work will reply with the same thing. Yes, the Japanese have a word to describe when an employee works so hard that they work themselves to death. Even till today, he trusts me a lot and always seeks opinions and advices from me. And of course, I made a bunch of good friends who I am still in contact with. I would say that this is a partial thing. That relieves a lot of work-related stress. Organisations tend to have a strong management, in which the highest positions are held by a small group of the most experienced . At a time when expectations for racial diversity and gender equality are rising just about everywhere, countries like Japan that have struggled to adapt strict business practices can look even worse by comparison. Japanese working culture is notorious for rigidity, lack of transparency, and slow decision-making. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Companies invite employees to exercise together to build morale, reduce stress and create a feeling of unity among team members. If youre sitting through extensive meetings, participating in all workplace activities, or showing up to work exhausted have a nap and youll be saluted. Although most people feel like working in Japan is not the best, I do miss our special bonds between colleagues. Kono: I feel my experience was a condensed version of bigger absurdity and greater weaknesses in Japanese working culture. Karoshi literally meaning to work to death, 2. Japanese companies are also well known for not allowing many foreigners to take up managerial positions. They can visit temples, museums, and the Tokyo Tower. Toilets in Japan are also super clean, some with bathroom slippers available - unlike some places in Singapore where even toilet papers might be unavailable. Working the Singaporean Way Singapore, a cosmopolitan melting pot of cultures where east meets west, has a work culture made up of a unique mix of Asian and Western cultural influences. But the process for me was even shorter-lived than I expected it to be. Japanese Dress Code What To Wear In Japan According To The Situation, Yakuza vs Triads All You Need To Know About These 2 Mafias, The 30 Most Famous Japanese Artists You Need To Know, Ryokan Etiquette 10 Rules You Should Know Before you Stay At A Ryokan, Matcha Tea Set Full Kit For Your Japanese Tea Ceremony Inc. Whisk & Bowl. I would be forced to face many differences and setbacks. Work until 65 years old. | 1. Kono: To improve work in Japan, there are three things, and they must be combined. Here are the 4 most important ones to bear in mind: When you arrive in the office, you are expected to greet everyone loudly (if your office is small and everyone can easily hear you, or else you can personally greet each colleague one by one) - Ohayo Gozaimasu which means Good Morning! Like most Singaporeans, I have always had a romantic idea and ideal perception of Japan. Insights: Tell us about what happened in your early career. I know that people always say that in Japanese companies, the lower ranking staff have literally no say as the Japanese culture put heavy emphasis on hierarchy, overworking is a norm and you cant leave before your boss leaves, etc. Of transparency, and Korean difference of close to my hometown in Gifu is! Museums, and many stares from overseas head offices and develop employees culture Singapore. Business school and venture capital firm with hundreds of employees add a at! 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