Similar Cultural Factors Compensate for Communication Problems in Japan's Software Globalization Business
A research effort to find the reality of the business of Japan-s software globalization of enterprise-level business software systems has found that while the number of Japan-made enterpriselevel software systems is comparable with those of the other G7 countries, the business is limited to the East and Southeast Asian markets. This indicates that this business has a problem in the European and USA markets. Based on the knowledge that the research has established, the research concludes that the communication problems arise from the lack of individualists' communication styles and foreign language skills in Japan's software globalization is compensated by similarities in certain Japanese cultural factors and Japan's cultural power in the East and Southeast Asian markets and that this business does not have this compensation factor in the European and American markets due to dissimilarities and no cultural power.
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[2] Fujitsu, "Interstage Application Server V3.0 - Distributed Application
Development Guide", Fujitsu Ltd, Aug 2000.
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April 2007).
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25 April 2006).
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April 2006).
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27 April 2006).
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labor employment in the Japanese computer software industry",
available online at www.jisa.or.jp/statistics/download/Findings2005.pdf
(accessed on 15 Mar 2007)
[10] Japan Electronic & Information Technology Association, "Computer
and related equipment export/import statistics", available online at
http://it.jeita.or.jp/statistics/software/2000/index.html (in Japanese)
(accessed on 3 May 2006).
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2006).
[12] W. K. Watson, L Barker and A. Tsubota., "Perceptions of
communication and Work relationships Within Japanese Companies
Operating in the United States", World Communication, vol. 23, issue 2,
pp 45-54, 1994.
[13] J. Lincoln, H. Kerbo and E. Wittenhagen, "Japanese Companies in
Germany - A Case Study in Cross-Cultural Management", Industrial
Relations, vol.34 issue 3, pp 417- 440, 1995
[14] T. Gyohten, "Japan-s Soft Power Reconsidered", Institute for
International Monetary Affairs (2004), available online at
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(accessed on 4 April 2006).
[15] Japan Foundation, "2003 Survey of Overseas Organizations Involved in
Japanese-Language Education", available online at
http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/japan/oversea/survey.html (accessed on 4 April
2006).
[16] W. Hutchinson, "Does Ease of Communication Increase Trade?
Commonality of Language and Bilateral Trade", Scottish Journal of
Political Economy; Dec2002, Vol. 49 Issue 5, 544-556.
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on 10 April 2007).
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relationships: Americans selling to Japanese and Thais", Journal of
International Business Studies, Vol. 30, Issue 2 (June 1 1999).
[21] M. Hogg and et all, "The Social Identity Perspective", Small Group
Research, vol 35 issue 3 (2004): 246-276.
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Identity of a Second Generation", Sheffield Online Papers in Social
research, available online at
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2006).
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[24] M. Johnson, "Theory of Attraction", 12/2000, available online at
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(accessed on 15 April 2007).
[25] M. D. Munford, "Social Comparison theory and the evaluation of peer
evaluations: A review and some applied implications", Personal
Psychology, Vol. 36 Issue 4 (1983),:867-881.
[26] C. Chen, Kari Edwards and Brandy Young, "Close Relationships
Between Asian American and European American College Students",
Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 141 Issue 1 (2001): 85-100.
[27] R. Rocha, "6 lessons from Japanese business culture", available online at
http://www.askmen.com/money/successful_100/134_success.html
(accessed on 5 May 2006).
[28] S. Mclaughlin, "Doing business in Europe - Not a Challenge you think",
National Business Association, available online at
http://www.nationalbusiness.org/NBAWEB/Newsletter2005/2077.htm
(accessed on 6 April 2006).
[29] D. Felbel, "Doing Business in Western Europe", Centre for
International Business Study University of Manitoba, 2002, available
online at
http://www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/management/subject_guide.sht
ml (accessed on 6 April 2006).
[30] G. Rahn, "Cultural Differences and Doing Business In Europe and
Japan", The EU-Japan Legal Dialogue (Contracts), Kyoto Japan Nov
1996, available online at
http://www.kclc.or.jp/english/sympo/EUDialogue/rahn.htm (accessed on
4 April 2006).
[31] D. Boraks, "Doing business in the Chinese-speaking world", available
online at http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/doingbusiness.html
(accessed on 7 May 2006).
[1] G. Hofstede, "Hofstede Cultural Dimensions", available online at
http://www.geert-hofstede.com/, (accessed on 03 April 2007).
[2] Fujitsu, "Interstage Application Server V3.0 - Distributed Application
Development Guide", Fujitsu Ltd, Aug 2000.
[3] E. Ueda, "Your Japanese Guests",
http://hiwaay.net/~eueda/japguest.htm#Thelanguage (accessed on 9
April 2007).
[4] AMR Research, "News Release: Overall European Market for ERP
Vendors", 20 June 2005, available online at
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=148542 (accessed on
25 April 2006).
[5] Ballard, Nick, "Engineering Application Market 2003", Cambashi Ltd,
4/2003, available online at
http://www.cambashi.co.uk/technologies/erp/index.htm (accessed on 4
April 2006).
[6] Software & Information Industry Association, "Packaged software
industry revenue and growth", 2003, available online at
http://www.siia.net/software/pubs/growth_software03.pdf (accessed on
27 April 2006).
[7] Wintergreens Research Inc, "Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)
License and Services - Market Opportunities, Strategies, and Forecasts
2004 to 2009", Report # SH29821344, 2004, available online at
http://www.wintergreenresearch.com/reports/EAI_Services_Final.htm
(accessed on 4 April 2006).
[8] Work Bank, "List of Countries by GDP (nominal)", July 2005, available
online at
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP.
pdf (accessed on 14 April 2007).
[9] JISA, " Result of a 2005 survey on foreign transactions and foreigner
labor employment in the Japanese computer software industry",
available online at www.jisa.or.jp/statistics/download/Findings2005.pdf
(accessed on 15 Mar 2007)
[10] Japan Electronic & Information Technology Association, "Computer
and related equipment export/import statistics", available online at
http://it.jeita.or.jp/statistics/software/2000/index.html (in Japanese)
(accessed on 3 May 2006).
[11] Y. Ujiié, "Japanese Characteristic Expressions of Subjective World and
Interpersonal Relationships Developed in Japanese Society", available
online at http://www.opensys.ro/rjjs/ujiie/1.html (accessed on 4 April
2006).
[12] W. K. Watson, L Barker and A. Tsubota., "Perceptions of
communication and Work relationships Within Japanese Companies
Operating in the United States", World Communication, vol. 23, issue 2,
pp 45-54, 1994.
[13] J. Lincoln, H. Kerbo and E. Wittenhagen, "Japanese Companies in
Germany - A Case Study in Cross-Cultural Management", Industrial
Relations, vol.34 issue 3, pp 417- 440, 1995
[14] T. Gyohten, "Japan-s Soft Power Reconsidered", Institute for
International Monetary Affairs (2004), available online at
http://www.glocom.org/opinions/essays/20040830_gyohten_japan
(accessed on 4 April 2006).
[15] Japan Foundation, "2003 Survey of Overseas Organizations Involved in
Japanese-Language Education", available online at
http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/japan/oversea/survey.html (accessed on 4 April
2006).
[16] W. Hutchinson, "Does Ease of Communication Increase Trade?
Commonality of Language and Bilateral Trade", Scottish Journal of
Political Economy; Dec2002, Vol. 49 Issue 5, 544-556.
[17] D. McIntyre, "When your national language is just another language",
Communication world, May 1991, available online at
http://www.allbusiness.com/sector-54-professional-scientific/160675-
1.html (accessed on 5 April 2007).
[18] M. Smith, "International Business Negotiations: A Comparison of
Theory with the Perceived Reality of Australian Practitioners", research
paper series 0-9, ISSN: 1441-3906, School of Commerce, Flinders
University Australia, available online at
www.ssn.flinders.edu.au/business/research/papers/00-9.htm (accessed
on 10 April 2007).
[19] J. Francis, "When in Rome? The Effect of Cultural Adaptation in
Intercultural Business Negotiation", Journal of International Business
Studies, Vol. 22 Issue 3 (1991): 403-429.
[20] C. Pornpitakpan, "The effects of cultural adaptation on business
relationships: Americans selling to Japanese and Thais", Journal of
International Business Studies, Vol. 30, Issue 2 (June 1 1999).
[21] M. Hogg and et all, "The Social Identity Perspective", Small Group
Research, vol 35 issue 3 (2004): 246-276.
[22] S. Ahn, "Putting the ÔÇÿAmerican- into ÔÇÿKorean-American-: the Social
Identity of a Second Generation", Sheffield Online Papers in Social
research, available online at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/socst/Shop/2sangja.pdf (accessed on 4 April
2006).
[23] Lucinda Schmidt, "The Adoptees caught between two cultures", Sunday
Life - Sun Herald Magazine, 21 May 2006, 12-16.
[24] M. Johnson, "Theory of Attraction", 12/2000, available online at
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory08.htm#similarity
(accessed on 15 April 2007).
[25] M. D. Munford, "Social Comparison theory and the evaluation of peer
evaluations: A review and some applied implications", Personal
Psychology, Vol. 36 Issue 4 (1983),:867-881.
[26] C. Chen, Kari Edwards and Brandy Young, "Close Relationships
Between Asian American and European American College Students",
Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 141 Issue 1 (2001): 85-100.
[27] R. Rocha, "6 lessons from Japanese business culture", available online at
http://www.askmen.com/money/successful_100/134_success.html
(accessed on 5 May 2006).
[28] S. Mclaughlin, "Doing business in Europe - Not a Challenge you think",
National Business Association, available online at
http://www.nationalbusiness.org/NBAWEB/Newsletter2005/2077.htm
(accessed on 6 April 2006).
[29] D. Felbel, "Doing Business in Western Europe", Centre for
International Business Study University of Manitoba, 2002, available
online at
http://www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/management/subject_guide.sht
ml (accessed on 6 April 2006).
[30] G. Rahn, "Cultural Differences and Doing Business In Europe and
Japan", The EU-Japan Legal Dialogue (Contracts), Kyoto Japan Nov
1996, available online at
http://www.kclc.or.jp/english/sympo/EUDialogue/rahn.htm (accessed on
4 April 2006).
[31] D. Boraks, "Doing business in the Chinese-speaking world", available
online at http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/doingbusiness.html
(accessed on 7 May 2006).
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:52780", author = "Phong Tran", title = "Similar Cultural Factors Compensate for Communication Problems in Japan's Software Globalization Business", abstract = "A research effort to find the reality of the business of Japan-s software globalization of enterprise-level business software systems has found that while the number of Japan-made enterpriselevel software systems is comparable with those of the other G7 countries, the business is limited to the East and Southeast Asian markets. This indicates that this business has a problem in the European and USA markets. Based on the knowledge that the research has established, the research concludes that the communication problems arise from the lack of individualists' communication styles and foreign language skills in Japan's software globalization is compensated by similarities in certain Japanese cultural factors and Japan's cultural power in the East and Southeast Asian markets and that this business does not have this compensation factor in the European and American markets due to dissimilarities and no cultural power.
", keywords = "Cultural factors, global business, Japan, software globalization.", volume = "1", number = "6", pages = "143-6", }
