ISALC, Lewis and Clark College
 |
Fumika Yamamoto and Daniela Wagner |
Japanese and German Attitude toward Employers:
Team or Tribe?
Fumika Yamamoto and Daniela Wagner
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Both * Japan and Germany are developed countries where almost everybody is working in order to earn money; however, the attitude and feeling toward the company are different from each other. The Japanese consider their companies as a tribe while the Germans think of their companies as a work place where they work together as a team. That is, the Japanese regard company as important and stable; they usually don't change companies during their entire life, while the Germans don't set great store by their companies, rather they emphasize their private life and they change their job more frequently.
The situation is changing gradually and we can't generalize about all the generations and various kinds of companies; however, in general we would like to show the points of view toward working attitudes from both countries. We have found important similarities and differences.
Almost all Japanese are very hard workers. Especially men work too hard to adequately maintain their private life, and sometimes they can't spend time with their family at all. This causes not only the separation of the family, but even death from over work. The Germans also work hard, but generally they don't jeopardize either their family life or their health. There are many cultural differences between Germany and Japan, but we think there are two big reasons for the differences in the attitude toward work.
One is the difficulty of saying, "No" in the group. Japanese think cooperation and harmony are very important. So we tend to sympathize with the other members of the group. Furthermore, Japanese greatly respect elders and if they ask us to work overtime, it's difficult to say, "No." This causes a situation in which everybody works overtime because everybody does it. That means, in Japan, we attach more importance to the company's unity rather than to personal independence.
Another significant issue is * loyalty toward the company in Japan. Some people work overtime even if they don't get paid extra for these hours. They think the company is their family and their tribe to which they belong. Especially older generations have worked for their companies a long time and feel a strong affiliation to them. Overtime is also one reason to be selected for promotion, and people do everything to get promoted.* Younger generations in Japan have lost this kind of loyalty; however, many people still feel the firm is one of the most important places in the world and in their life and they try to contribute to their companies any way that they can.
As we mentioned, Germans are hard workers too, but we value working time the same as leisure time and we separate both. Family life is as relevant as the welfare of the company. We do overtime, but not so much that we get exhausted or ill. If overtime becomes a permanent feature of the firm, we attempt to solve the problem when we talk with the supervisor or we change jobs if necessary. Personal interests have a greater value than companies' interests.
Effective time management is another major issue in Germany. Everybody has a working schedule and has to follow the daily plan. Being on time is always a prerequisite. We follow the rule, "Time is money." In that way, we may have the reputation to be organized and on time. Cooperation, organization and harmony are significant points for the working climate. They are the key to success. The Germans are good team players, but also individual work is essential; that means an individual person can have the same importance as the whole team.
In Germany, we consider the company as a work place and as a place to earn money. We don't see the firm as a family; if we want to change jobs and take advantage of a better position and higher income, we change and start the new job. Both Germany and Japan use uniforms for keeping the working climate and to show the company affiliation. However, on this topic there are also differences. The Japanese show affiliation to a group and company with a uniform and a badge; however, in Germany, we have only certain professions where it is necessary to wear a uniform, for example, postmen and policemen. The uniform tells us also to show respect to each other and it is a barrier to an impolite communication style; rather then to show membership in a "tribe."
All in all, our assessment of different attitudes in Japan and Germany shows us we are not so different in our working attitudes. The main difference is that the Germans can work in a team as well as individually and they consider their company only as a work place. The Japanese work mostly in a group and are considered as family members. Finally, we can say the Germans are team-individualists and the Japanese are more like members of a tribe. Cooperation, harmony, politeness and loyalty are significant in both cultures. And in the end, we think we are not living in two completely opposite worlds. Please get to know and experience our countries in relation to work attitudes towards employers and visit our web links for more information.
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