nt emphasis on the individual and the group in the two nations. In Japan, personal space is neither expected nor given. The Japanese are comfortable in crowded situations, and there are very few personal offices in business. In the United States, individuals expect far greater personal space and personal offices indicate a professional status which is not conferred in the same way in Japanese organizations.
Decision Making in Japanese Companies
In a vertically structured, group-oriented business system that is operated under a pattern of inferior-superior relations with no individual responsibility, individual members within the system cannot make decisions on their own on matters of any consequence. There are exceptions, but in general, decision making in Japan requires unanimous approval by management.
Most Japanese companies use a form of decision making known as the ringi, or document system. Somewhere in the lower ranks of management, often at the section level, a manager drafts a proposal for a project he wants to initiate or has been asked to initiate. This proposal is drafted after the manager has received consensus within his own group. The document stating the proposal and its rationale is circulated to the
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