4 differences between Japanese and German approaches to work,

communication and customer service

Pernille Rudlin
Oct 31, 2014 10:57 AM
There are well-known similarities between Japan and Germany - they are both manufacturers of
exports which are in demand across the world, they have excellent engineering skills and leadership
in manufacturing and craftsmanship. Furthermore, both are serious about their work, precise in time
keeping and execution of their work, and are reliable and trustworthy.

Many German and Japanese companies are similar - Toyota and Volkswagen, BMW and Honda,
Thyssen Krupp and JFE Steel, BASF and Mitsubishi Chemical, Siemens and Hitachi, Leica and
Nikon, etc. Both countries recovered after WWII through their hardworking attitudes.

So says Ulrike Schaede, Professor of Japanese Business at the Graduate School of International
Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego. However she also sees four
fundamental differences, particularly with regard to the average white collar worker.

1. Life priorities

Most Germans (so long as they are not consultants or lawyers or top executives) will leave work
somewhere between 5 and 6pm at night, so they can return home to eat dinner with their families or
meet friends. However it is almost unheard of for a Japanese salaryman to leave at such a time on a
regular basis. Even without counting "service" overtime (unpaid) that most Japanese put in, the
average working year is 350 hours longer in Japan than in Germany.

This is because Germans believe that they have a contract which pays them for 40 hours of work a
week with their employer and therefore if an employer wants more hours, then they should pay more.
If a Germany employee can't finish all their work on time, then they will either try to work more
efficiently, even skipping lunch, or they will blame the employer for giving them too much work to do.

Work life balance in Japan has come to mean how to have better day care facilities so women can
work, but in Germany it means a good balance between work and private life for all employees.

2. Process and result

Both Japanese and Germans believe there is a correct way of doing things. Consumers read
instructions for the products they have bought and workers obey the rules. But the big difference is
that Germans also value the result and getting to the result in the most efficient way. So they are fine
if someone finds a quicker way to do something. If too long is taken on a business process, they start
to become impatient. in fact they become downright rude. However for the Japanese, the process is
just as important as the result. It should always be done the same way by everyone, then no one will
feel left out. For a new way to be accepted, everyone has to agree. There is no room for individual
initiative.

3. Say what you think

Germans on average are much more direct than most other nationalities. In fact they like to share
opinions with others. Japanese people feel "debate"has negative connotations. Schaede says she
has found it very hard to have discussions about politics world affairs or business with Japanese
people, which to Germans means it is hard to make friends.

4. Customer service

German customer service is the exact opposite of Japanese customer service. Whereas a Japanese
server might say " I am sorry to have kept you waiting", in Germany the customer expects to have to
wait to be served. In fact if you turn up too close to closing time in a shop, you might be refused
service. The belief is that shop assistants have rights too - to go home on time. There is no concept
that the customer is more important than the employee.

As Schaede says - and as a cross cultural consultant, who am I to disagree - there are two learnings
from this. One is the importance of understanding cross cultural differences at a profound level if you
are going to do business across borders. The second is that when you have a multicultural team each
will have different priorities and different processes to reach a result. These are deep rooted and it will
be difficult to bring everyone round to one point of view.

Indeed, Japan and Germany have a lot in common, as you mention. I might add that
both countries were allies during WWII, both were devastated and razed to the
ground; and both rose again to become economic powerhouses again in just one
generation.

The main differences between the two cultures are:

1. Japan is more hierarchical than Germany. In Japan, people have authority

because of their position, while in Germany authority is more linked to
expertise. Example: in Germany an engineer might frequently trump (pardon
the expression) a manager in a discussion, because expertise (engineering)
is more valued than hierarchy (management). In Japan, engineers show
more respect for managers, because hierarchy in that culture is more
important than expertise.
2. Japan is more collectivistic, while Germany is more individualistic. Decision-
making in Japan follows a consensus seeking process among colleagues at
one level, then escalates to the next level up in the hierarchy, where
consensus is again sought, and so on, until reaching the top. The final
decision is made by the manager, but he/she typically ratifies the consensus
that has been gradually built by the groups below. Group opinions are more
important than individual opinions, in Japan. Also, people seek to maintain
harmony within their own groups, though there might be conflicts between
one group and another group. By contrast, in Germany there is more
expression of individual opinions and more frequent open discussions
between individuals. Plus: in Germany communication is more direct. For
instance, people say “no” and easily provide direct feedback. By contrast, in
Japan communication is more indirect: people avoid saying “no,” and
feedback is indirect (rather than speaking to the person, one might speak to
a third party who is asked to relay the information to the intended receiver).
3. Both cultures are highly performance-oriented, something that explains
their success in engineering. However, Japan exceeds Germany in terms of
workaholism. Performing at work is so important in Japan that family life is
often neglected and many people work long hours even on week-ends. By
comparison, Germans have a bit more quality of life and shorter hours,
though they might still be workaholics when compared to the
Scandinavians, for instance.
4. The Japanese tend to be more long-term oriented than the Germans.
 5. The Japanese tend to be more “relativistic” than the Germans. This means
that the Japanese interpret norms and apply them according to each
situation. Everything is relative. Contradictions and apparent inconsistencies
are accepted as part of life. Exceptions abound. In Germany, by contrast,
norms are applied across the board. Exceptions do not exist. If there is a
problem applying the norm, revise and change the norm, but always seek
compliance. One of the consequences of this is that there is comparatively
more corruption in Japan when compared to Germany, though corruption
exists in every culture.

What are biggest differences between German and Japanese behavior?

As a Latin-American, both countries seems with very common features to me, like
both being high developed countries, very good in engineering, very punctual, very
efficient railways ,also both people seems very honest and polite, but quite formal
and very reserved.

I have had business interactions with both Japanese and Germans, and what struck
me is that Germans do not hesitate to say “no”, while Japanese have gone to great
lengths to not say “no”.

Instead, Japanese have to think about it, they have to ask their superior, maybe it can
be done but it’s beyond their mandate, have I cleared the action with my boss, the
idea is good but a bit underdeveloped… and it generally has felt that they are not
comfortable with having to say “no”. It is almost as if I should know better than to
ask a question forcing them to say “no”.

It’s just a reflection, and I have no idea if others have had this experience.