Jane, an American visits Sue-Ann, a Japanese to sell a product. During the meeting, the Jane 'says it as it is' which comes across as brash and unthinking to the Sue-Ann and her team.

Since the Japanese value harmony, Sue-Ann and her team continued to smile and did not offend Jane by telling her that they found her to be rude.

When the meeting concluded, Jane asked her Japanese counterparts whether they liked the product and tried to steer them towards ordering several units. The Japanese told her that they like the product very much and that they would be in touch. Jane left the meeting feeling happy and with the understanding that she would have been receiving orders.

Jane found out later that the Japanese would not be placing any orders, and she was extremely upset. Her Japanese counterparts were smiling with her, and they said they liked the product. She felt that the Japanese team was underhanded and that they deceived her into thinking that they would be moving forward with a purchase. In this scenario, differences in the communication style between the cultures have had negative results for both the Americans and Japanese. The American failed to sell her product and the Japanese potentially missed out on purchasing a product that would have benefited them.

Questions 

1)Contrast the communication styles of the Japanese and the American - using the appropriate terms to describe them, and two examples of each, depicted in the case.    (6 marks)

 

2)Explain Context (high and low), Instrumental and Expressive communicators and apply them respectively to both parties in the case. (8 marks)