Cross Culture

CROSS CULTURE
COMMUNICATION
GERMANY V/S JAPAN
PRESENTED BY-MBA-BA-4 TH SEM
AMIT RAJ
SHEETAL SHARMA
SURYA MENON
MEDHA NASKAR
INTRODUCTION
• Germany, officially federal republic of Germany,
is located in Western and central Europe.
• One of Europe’s largest nations.
• It comprises 16 States and its capital is Berlin ,the

largest city in country.
• Is a leader in many technological advances.

LANGUAGE
• The Official language of Germany is standard
German.
• According to the W3Teachs, 6.0% of

websites are written in German.
• Making it the third most used language on the

Internet.
• Germany Culture-festivals, music, food,

dress code etc
COMMUNICATION CROSS CULTURE
PROPER GREETINGS
• Handshake
• Verbal Greeting is Guten tag! (Good day). Some

may use a simple Hallo(Hello) . Southern German’s
may use Grues Gott
• (“Greetings” or literally, “greet God”)
• Auf Wiedersehen, (Good by, when living )

TOUCHING BEHAVIOR
• Guard their personal space
• Closer than an arm’s distance apart is usually

considered an infringement on personal space.
• Generally do not touch when speaking
• Between Friends and family, hand holding,

walking arm in arm
Values
◦ German people traditionally have strong family values
◦ Germany has shown its commitment to renewable energy and protecting
the environment.
◦ When it comes to school and work, it seems to be ingrained in most German
people that they should be conscientious and hard-working.
GREETINGS
• Greetings are very context-dependent in Japan. The formality and social context of a situation
dictates what gestures and phrases are used to greet people. Thus, there are a variety of
greetings used.
• In Japan, the most common gesture when greeting is a bow. The depth, length and style of bow
depends on the social context (see below).
• Bowing takes place in many instances where handshakes would be common in the English-
speaking West. Nonetheless, many Japanese are understanding and are likely to shake hands
when meeting non-Japanese people.
• When meeting friends and family in casual situations, people usually slightly bow their head
(similar to a nod).
• When greeting acquaintances of similar social status and age, people tend to follow a standard
sitting or standing bow.
BOWING
◦ There are two positions to begin bowing: standing (seiritsu) and sitting (seiza).
◦ The depth and length of the bow often indicates the level of respect. For instance, in semi-formal
situations, people tend to bow at about a 30-degree angle for one to two seconds. In more formal
situations, people often bow at an approximately 45-degree angle for three to four seconds. Finally, in
the most formal situations, people will bow at a 70-degree angle for about two seconds and hold the bow
for longer.
◦ In Japanese bowing etiquette, people do not place their palms together.
◦ When bowing, people do not make direct eye contact but rather look at their counterpart’s neck or chin.
◦ Bowing should not happen while seated on a chair. If someone bows to you while standing, it is
expected you will also stand and bow.
◦ People are expected to be still when bowing. As such, do not bow when walking.
◦ Speaking while bowing is considered rude.

CROSS COMMUNICATION IN
JAPAN
◦ Perhaps the most isolated island developing ancient culture of Japan has created a modern society
with unique values, traditions and customs. However, the Japanese professionals are well trained
to deal with the West and will do their best to adapt to your style of communication.
◦ In business ,the Japanese have increased requirements for formalities.
◦ Business etiquette in YaponiiPoklon an integral part of the behavior of Japanese society
◦ It represents the full name and enter the name of your company.
◦ Exchanging of business cards in Japan is a whole ceremony. It is believed that the card represents
a person, so you need to treat with respect.
◦ When exchanging business cards, apply the cards with both hands and with his right hand.
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN
JAPAN
◦ Group Orientation
Altruism, teamwork and coordination of work is constantly cultivated in the Japanese society.
◦ Hierarchy
Rooted in Confucianism hierarchical structures always determine the position of the person in the group and in the society.
◦ Respect
To maintain harmony in the society and maintain the clarity of hierarchical structure, an expression of respect for others one of the most
important cogs communication.
The three pillars on which to build a successful business relationship with the Japanese is Sincerity, Consistency and Credibility.
COMMUNICATION IN JAPAN
Indirect Communication: Japanese people are generally indirect communicators. They may be ambiguous when
answering questions as a way to maintain harmony, prevent a loss of face, or out of politeness. People are often attentive
to non-verbal cues (such as body language, posture, expression and tone of voice) as a way to draw meaning from a
conversation. Disagreements that must be discussed are usually done so in private and at a later time.
Refusals: As indirect communicators, Japanese people often avoid direct refusals or negative responses. When refusing,
they may show hesitation before replying with an ambiguous response. For example, someone may respond to a request
with “Kento-shimasu” meaning ‘I will consider it’, even if the speaker does not intend to consider the proposal.
Silence: Interrupting someone who is talking is generally considered impolite. This means that many Japanese tend to
remain silent during a conversation, until there is an opening to speak. Sometimes, silence is intentional to allow people
time to think about the discussion. Silence is often understood as reflecting politeness and respect.
Interjections: Interjections (aizuchi) are very common in Japanese communication. They are not understood as an
interruption, but rather indicate to the speaker that their counterpart is actively listening. Aizuchi are particularly
important in situations where people cannot see non-verbal cues, such as speaking on the phone. There are different types
of interjections depending on the context of the conversation. One type of interjection indicates agreement, and includes
the sounds ‘un’, ‘ne’ and ‘ee’, and phrases such as “Hai”’ (‘yes’), “Sou desu ne” (‘So it is, isn’t it?’) and “Sugoi” (used in
casual contexts to mean ‘wow’ or ‘amazing’). Interjections of agreement are usually accompanied by a nod. Another
common type of interjection indicates surprise, and includes the sound “Eeee?’ and the phrase “Honto desu ka?”
(‘Really?’). The phrase “Māji ka?” (‘Seriously?’) is commonly used, but only in casual contexts.
Compliments: Humbleness is a common value in Japanese culture. As a result, there is a general tendency for people to
politely deflect compliments. Excessive complimenting may cause embarrassment.

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CROSS CULTURE

• One of Europe’s largest nations.

• It comprises 16 States and its capital is Berlin ,the

• Is a leader in many technological advances.

• According to the W3Teachs, 6.0% of

• Making it the third most used language on the

• Germany Culture-festivals, music, food,

• Verbal Greeting is Guten tag! (Good day). Some

• Auf Wiedersehen, (Good by, when living )

• Guard their personal space

• Closer than an arm’s distance apart is usually

• Generally do not touch when speaking

• Between Friends and family, hand holding,

◦ In Japanese bowing etiquette, people do not place their palms together.

◦ Speaking while bowing is considered rude.

◦ In business ,the Japanese have increased requirements for formalities.

◦ Business etiquette in YaponiiPoklon an integral part of the behavior of Japanese society

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