APM Welcome, APM North West Network Conference, Synergies Across Sectors
Academic Reading - Atika, Luthfiyah, Rachmah - Class 3
1. American And Japanese
Styles
Atika Dinna Hastanti (1810302078)
Luthfiyah Anggraeni D. (1810302079)
Rachmah Yunita (1810302083)
http://www.uefap.com/reading/exercise/texts/us_japan.htm
2. Introduction
Based on the text that our group has selected, we selected the
text with the title "American and Japanese Styles". This text
describes several aspects of the cultural style in that country. The
results of the discussion that we obtained produced several
conclusions from the text, that are:
1. The general style and culture between the two countries,
namely America and Japan.
2. The different styles of the two countries.
3. The pattern of community life in America and Japan.
4. The employment systems of the two countries as well as
several other topics.
3. Japanese Style
• Japanese people tend to be much better adjusted to the notion of work,
any kind of work, as honourable.
• Japan has never devised a system like the American, in which a person is
trained to do one thing and then refuses to take a job doing anything
else-and is even supported by government funds while he looks for a job
that suits his specific tastes.
• Japanese labour practices are often called old-fashioned in today's world,
and some say the old work ethic is eroding in Japan as it has elsewhere
• Japan customarily give raises each year as employees get older and more
experienced in the company.
4. • Japan’s evaluation system is complex and is designed to find really capable persons,
give them challenging jobs, and let them excel.
• The Japan Labour Standards Act still provides for a maximum forty-eight-hour
workweek,
• International Labour Organization data show that Japanese work longer weeks and
have fewer labour disputes than workers in the U.S., the U.K., France, or West
Germany.
• In Japan recruits are hired, and then they have to learn how to make use of them.
They are a highly educated but irregular lot.
• When Japanese companies in declining or sunset industries change their line of
business or add to it, workers are offered retraining
Japanese Style
5. American Style
Japanese attitudes toward work seem to be critically different
from American attitudes.
The Management Attitudes and Policies Towards Workers in
Japanese also appears to be quite different from U.S. systems.
The overall focus of Japanese management is on the firm's
long run competitive strategy as opposed to U.S. managers
who appear to be more concerned with short run financial
performance.
6. Conclusion
Based on the results of this explanation, the conclusion of the text "American and
Japanese style" is as follows. This is the smallest hole aspect from that text:
1. The first is that the Japanese attitude toward work seems very different from the
American attitude. Japanese people tend to be much better suited to the idea
of work, any occupation, of being respectable. Then, the attitude of Japanese
people is more adaptable to their respective cultures. It is more complex or
multicurtural in Japanese culture than in America.
2. The workers generally want to learn new skills. Japan has never designed a system
like America's, where a person is trained to do one thing and then refuses to do
another job - and is even supported by government funding.
3. One of the old management styles still practiced by many companies in the United
States and by some in Japan is based on the idea that a successful company is one
that can produce conventional products most efficiently at lower costs.
4. This machine-like management is dehumanization management. But technology has
advanced at an unmatched pace in the last few decades and that requires digesting
new knowledge, new information and different technologies.