RUNNING HEAD:KELLY’S ASSIGNMENT IN JAPAN 1
BBA 2551
Intercultural Management
Columbia Southern University
BBA 2551
Having an opportunity to represent your company abroad in a managerial position would
make any manager feel invaluable to their company. Reaffirming the things you know to be true
about your work ethic, success rate and dedication to your job. Deresky (2017) tells us that
Human Resource Managers tend to make the mistake of selecting expatriates because of their
performance in domestic markets. She goes on to discuss how successful managers in a domestic
market do not always require an understanding of cross-cultural awareness and interpersonal
communication skills. When Kellys boss offered her the opportunity to relocate to Tokyo she
immediately acknowledged that she did not speak the language. After reading the case study I
understand that this couldn’t have been more true. Kelly did not speak the Japanese language in
more ways than one.
Statistics from Japanese economist site Nikkia Asia (2020) states that in Japan only eight
percent of management positions are occupied by women. These statistics speak to the country's
cultural view of women in power. When Kelly arrived for the team meeting she was a surprise to
everyone including her assistant who was also just arriving as an expatriate in the country. Kelly
showed her the lack of cultural awareness when she was not aware of cultural normalities with
women and the workplace. From my own travels I understand that traditional Japanese men tend
to feel uncomfortable when women are in managerial roles or roles of authority. Though there
was limited time for preparation prior to her relocation, if Kelly had any cultural sensitivity she
would have found the time to research the cultural differences and planned accordingly. Kelly
also showed how vast the cultural distance was between herself and her Japanese counterparts
when she asked for a presentation on the new accounts, setting a deadline for the next day. The
Japanese are a collectivist culture, Deresky (2017) explains that as a collectivist society there is
more focus placed on the well being of group and inclusion and less on the idea of self, with a
collective goal to stay in harmony and to do whatever is required to save face. With this
knowledge for Kelly to have asked for a task to be completed in such a short time was
unrealistic. The request is something that goes against the culture of the Japanese people. For her
to follow with questioning when the presentation would be done further proves that she does not
have the cultural intelligence or empathy to operate in this type of culturally diverse environment.
Not being informed about the customs of Japan caused her to fall through on a deal with
an important client.
BBA 2551
Intercultural Management
Columbia Southern University
BBA 2551
Having an opportunity to represent your company abroad in a managerial position would
make any manager feel invaluable to their company. Reaffirming the things you know to be true
about your work ethic, success rate and dedication to your job. Deresky (2017) tells us that
Human Resource Managers tend to make the mistake of selecting expatriates because of their
performance in domestic markets. She goes on to discuss how successful managers in a domestic
market do not always require an understanding of cross-cultural awareness and interpersonal
communication skills. When Kellys boss offered her the opportunity to relocate to Tokyo she
immediately acknowledged that she did not speak the language. After reading the case study I
understand that this couldn’t have been more true. Kelly did not speak the Japanese language in
more ways than one.
Statistics from Japanese economist site Nikkia Asia (2020) states that in Japan only eight
percent of management positions are occupied by women. These statistics speak to the country's
cultural view of women in power. When Kelly arrived for the team meeting she was a surprise to
everyone including her assistant who was also just arriving as an expatriate in the country. Kelly
showed her the lack of cultural awareness when she was not aware of cultural normalities with
women and the workplace. From my own travels I understand that traditional Japanese men tend
to feel uncomfortable when women are in managerial roles or roles of authority. Though there
was limited time for preparation prior to her relocation, if Kelly had any cultural sensitivity she
would have found the time to research the cultural differences and planned accordingly. Kelly
also showed how vast the cultural distance was between herself and her Japanese counterparts
when she asked for a presentation on the new accounts, setting a deadline for the next day. The
Japanese are a collectivist culture, Deresky (2017) explains that as a collectivist society there is
more focus placed on the well being of group and inclusion and less on the idea of self, with a
collective goal to stay in harmony and to do whatever is required to save face. With this
knowledge for Kelly to have asked for a task to be completed in such a short time was
unrealistic. The request is something that goes against the culture of the Japanese people. For her
to follow with questioning when the presentation would be done further proves that she does not
have the cultural intelligence or empathy to operate in this type of culturally diverse environment.
Not being informed about the customs of Japan caused her to fall through on a deal with
an important client.
