In previous blog posts, I explained kuuki dynamism unconsciously utilized as a tool to have smooth communication among Japanese people thereby contributing to high productivity, quality improvement and low cost of manufacturing.
Kuuki has something to do with the nature of yamato kotoba. Kuuki can't be explained by language, because it is understood through feeling and sensing where language is not effective as a tool to understand it.
Likewise, yamato kotoba can be understood through having images in a Japanese person's brain. An image contains a lot of information, which is hard to explain in language.
Both kuuki and yamato kotoba are closely related where language becomes less important. Further, they exert strong influence on the emotions of Japanese people.
Japanese deeply depend on empathetic communication where language can't be an important tool for communication. The more a subject concerned is important, the lesser Japanese count on language because empathetic communication through reading kuuki and using yamato kotoba can play a better role for Japanese people to understand one another.
This specific Japanese cultural trait can be observed in business management in Japan too. When it comes to the decision making process, ringisho is issued for approval from the upper management in a Japanese company, as I explained in this blog posted on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 .
When ringisho is issued, the issuer knows that all people concerned will approve it including the upper management. How does the issuer know that it will be approved? It will be possible because the issuer and stakeholders on a project proposal for approval have gone through nemawashi process whereby they share the information on success probability and on the risk factors.
Nemawashi is a Japanese word and is used in gardening originally. When a plant is moved to a new place, the roots of the plant should settle down in the new soil. In order to do so, soil treatment will be important for the roots of the plant.
Its work is called nemawashi where ne means roots and mawashi treating. Nemawashi is carried out through kuuki reading using a lot of yamato kotoba.
Stakeholders for the project will have many rounds of meetings both officially and casually, when a project for approval is very critical and involves a lot of money.
Sometimes a Japanese pub called izakaya will be a place for discussion while they dine and drink. The more important the subject is, the longer time it will take to reach agreement among the people concerned within the company.
In a production factory, quality-improving activity called kaizen activity is also carried out through very close relations among operators in the factory.
They read kuuki by using yamato kotoba by tuning their wavelength to what the requirements are from the top management for the total benefit of the company including the factory.
If such Japanese immersed deeply in Japanese indigenous culture are relocated to the US, what will happen?
They may expect the same trait that Japanese have from local people in the US. The local people want to have plainly explained manuals and job descriptions based on clear business strategies set forth by the Japanese company.
Many Japanese and many local people have communication problems here. Needless to say understanding mutual cultures is thus very important to have better global business management for both Japanese and Americans.