Business Culture Vs American Culture

Every culture is unique. Cultural patterns create the makeup for the verbal and non-verbal communication of a specific culture. These cultural patterns are defined by Lustig and Koester as the beliefs, values, and norms, practiced by the majority of a given culture’s members over time (Lustig & Koester, 2013). An example of a cultural pattern called uncertainty avoidance (hereafter UA) depicts a society’s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity (Davis, Bernardi, & Bosco, 2012). Constructed by Geert Hofstede (1980), UA has the option of being classified into two regions: low UA and high UA. Low UA cultures have a greater tolerance for uncertainty and are much more comfortable with the unpredictability of life (Lustig & Koester, 2013). In a high

Ouchi (1981) describes the different takes on business work from the American perspective compared to the Japanese perspective. While American business is typically interactive, creating focus toward each individual’s ideas and conflicts, Japanese business seeks to get a task done, creating a focus on the group, not one individual’s ideas or opinions (Ouchi, 1981) . The point in Japanese business is to resist as much conflict and uncertainty as possible. For example, Yuho explained to me both her father and mother work in an educational setting. Her father being a teacher, as well as an “after-school-student”, and her mother working as a teacher’s assistant. While talking to Yuho about the concept of UA in business and the workplace, she quickly agreed the research I presented accurately fit with her family. Yuho stated, “In both lines of work (father and mother’s), they work hard and do what they are told. Each person does their job. Everyone is happy and everything goes as