COURSE SYLLABUS

Course title: Japanese Culture and Cross Culture in International Business

Course code: VJP211E
Department: Accademic Affairs, VJCC Institute
Credit hours: 3 credits
Prerequite(s):

1. INSTRUCTOR(s) INFORMATION
No. Instructors’ name Email Phone number Office
1. Keiko Sato keikomay.sato@gmail.com 81-70-4324-7856
2. Tran Thi Kieu Minh kieuminhtran@ftu.edu.vn 84-0943170439 VJCC
Institute

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION

The countries in the world are ever more connected through trade and businesses in
the 21st century. The spread of internet and social media connections makes the world
further closely knit. As the current COVID-2019 situation reveals, the world has become
more dependent on other countries’ social and economic situation. A country’s economic
growth has become significantly reliant on the world trade, international businesses and
flow of financial resources and information across the border. While the fast global
integration appears to affect even the national identity, the inherent culture of countries
exists and genuinely affects the people’s behavior and the conduct of businesses. The
cultures, however, sometimes collide as the international businesses flourish. Businesses at
times fail to penetrate into a new market because of the poor understanding of the market’s
cultural traits and people’s preferences.

This course will study the different cultures, how the culture is formed and affected,
and how it impacts the behavior of businesses. It also finds out how one can navigate such
cultural differences when one conducts businesses across borders. Furthermore, the course
will focus on the study of the Japanse culture as it relates to the Japanese businesses. It
studies the history, geography and demography of Japan to understand the Japanese culture.
The course will also look into the issues that the current Japanese economy faces. By
understanding these subjects, students will appreciate the cultural dimension of businesses
and will be prepared to work in a global business setting.

3. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

3.1. Learning outcomes about knowledge, skills, autonomy and responsibility
3.1.1. Knowledge
- CLO1: Appreciate what defines culture
- CLO2: Understand the differences among various “cultures” – appreciate cross culture
issues and their impacts on global businesses
1
 - CLO3: Recognize the impacts of the Japanese culture on the Japanese businesses and
behavior of the people as consumers, workers and decision makers/leaders.
- CLO4: Understand the Japanese employment practices, and business communication style.
- CLO5: Comprehend current issues the Japanese economy is facing such as the changes of
demography, challenges arising from the geopolitical issues, IT, women’s participation in
the labor force and how they relate to the non-Japanese workers in the Japanese economy.
3.1.2. Skills
- CLO6: Apply good manner and behavior for business cases
- CLO7: Apply suitable solutions in doing business with foreign partner
3.1.3. Autonomy and responsibility
- CLO8: Be international citizen in doing business
- CLO9: Be flexible, polite and friendly to every circumstance

3.2. Matrix of the contribution of Course learning outcomes to Program learning

outcomes

Program learning outcomes

Course
learning PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL
outcomes O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9 O1 O1 O1 O1 O1 O1
0 1 2 3 4 5
CLO1
CLO2 X X
CLO3 X X X
CLO4 X X
CLO5 X X
CLO6 X X X X
CLO7 X X X X
CLO8 X X X X
CLO9 X X X X X
Course 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 5 4 5 3 5

4. READINGS MATERIALS

Reading Materials:

Richard D. Lewis, When Cultures Collide – Leading Across Cultures (Nicholas Brealey
International – Third Edition 2006)

Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede, Michael Minkov, Cultures and Organizations: Software
of the Mind: Intercultural Cooperation and Its Importance for Survival (McGraw Hill –
Expanded and Revised May 2010)

Erin Meyers, The Culture Map – Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done
Across Cultures (Public Affairs, International Edition 2015)

Economic Intelligence Unit: Country Brief

2
country.eiu.com/Japan

Roger Davis and Osamu Ikeno, The Japanese Mind – Understanding Contemorary Japanese
Culture (Tuttle Publishing, 2002)

JETRO, Communicating with Japanese in Business (JETRO 1999)

Kai Hammerich & Richard D. Lewis, Fish Can’t See Water (John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 2013)
Page 155 – 160
Walmart – An American business tackling foreign markets

Katherine Xin and Wang Haijie: Culture Crash in the Board Room (Harvard Business
Review September 2011)

Kai Hammerich & Richard D. Lewis, Fish Can’t See Water (John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 2013)
Page 190 – 198
Toyota Case Study

Tsedal Neeley, How to Successfully Work Across Countries, Languages and Cultures
(Harvard Business Review, August 2017)

OECD Economic Surveys: Japan 2021 (OECD, December 2021)

Erin Myers, Being the Boss in Brussels, Boston and Beijng, Harvard Business Review
August 2017

5. COURSE CONTENT AND SCHEDULE

5.1. Course content and schedule
Time Allocation

No. Content In class At home

Essay,
Self-study with
Theory Exercise Assignment
direction
Total 24 21 36 48
Introduction to Culture and Cross
Culture
1 WHAT is culture, how it is formed, 2 0 4
what defines culture, how different
cultures affect businesses
Impacts of Culture on Global
Businesses and Understanding the
Three Models of Cultural
2 Differences 2 4 3 4
Discussion on Walmart Case Study
Edward T. Hall, Geert Hofstede,
Richard Lewis
National Cultural Differences and 3
3
How they affect businesses:
2 0 4

3
 Discussions on Geert Hofstede and
Richard Lewis Models
Why Culture Matters for Business
Group Discussions on Culture Crash
4 0 4 3 0
in the Boardroom: Group
Presentation
Vietnam and Japan: What the
Hofstede and Richard Lewis
Models Tell Us
5
Discuss the two countries’ profile and
2 2 3 4
understand the similarities and
differences
Japanese Culture: General
6 Understanding of the Background 2 0 3
4
Introduction to the Japanese culture
How the Japanese Business People
See Vietnam as the production hub
7 and market 0 0 3 4
By a representative of Japanese
business people in Vietnam
8 Mid Term Exam 0 0 4
Japanese Culture: General
Understanding of the Background
9 2 2 3 0
Introduction to the Japanese culture

Japanese Culture and

10 Understanding the Japanese Mind
2 4 3
2

The Japanese Economy:

11 Contemporary Issues: 2 0 3 4
Dynamism, Innovation, Labor

The Art of Japanese Tea

Ceremony: Its history, philosophy
and cultural impacts on Japanese
12 people 2 0 3 4
Presentation by Prof. Akiko Murai
of Kyoto University

The Japanese Employment System

The Japanese Companies:
Discussion on Toyota Case Study
13 2 4 2 0
from Fish Can’t See Water

14 Presentation by a Representative of 2 0 3 6
4
 Keieijuku & Minh Sensei
How they see the cooperation
between Vietnamese and Japanese
companies
Japanese Economy, Business
Behavior, Business Etiquette,
15 Communication Style
2 1 1 4

Total 24 21 36 48

Note: Content details until level 3 heading.Time allocation in detail until level 2 heading.
Make sure that the total time is exactly with the course’s credit.

Lecture Title (Students’ preparation) Assessment

RequiredPre-reading Materials
Introduction to Culture &
Cross Culture and Impacts on
October 19 the International Business
WHAT is culture, how it is
(1) formed, what defines culture,
how different cultures affect
businesses
Impacts of Culture on Global ⚫ Case Study: Walmart case Case study
Businesses and Understanding from Kai Hammerich & presentation
Three Models of Cultural Richard Lewis’ “Fisch Can’t
Differences See Water” – Page 155 -160
October 21 Group discussion on Walmart
(2)
Case Study
Three models: Edward T. Hall,
Geert Hofstede, and Richard
Lewis
National Cultural Differences ⚫ Chapter 1 – 5 of Richard
October 26 and How they affect Lewis “When Cultures
businesses: Discussion on Collide” – Page 3 -79
(3) Richard Lewis Model and Geert ⚫ Chapter 1 and 2 of Geert
Hofsteed Model Hofsteed ‘Culture and
Organization’
Why Culture Matters for ⚫ Case Study: “Culture Crash Case study
October 28 Business in the Boardroom” from presentation
Discussion on Culture Crash in Harvard Business Review
(4)
the Boardroom
Vietnam and Japan: What the ⚫ Vietnam and Japan sections Group
November 2 Richard Lewis Model Tells Us from Richard Lewis “When presentation
(5)
Discuss the two countries’ Cultures Collide” – Page 480

5
 profile and understand the – 484 & Page 509 - 520
similarities and differences by
R. Lewis
Vietnam and Japan: What ⚫ Vietnam and Japan sections
Geert Hofstede Model Tells from Hofstede Institute
Us:
Discuss the two countries’
November 4 profile and understand the
(6)
similarities and differences by
Hofstede and compare the two
models (RL and GF)

How the Japanese ⚫

Businesspeople See Vietnam
November 9 as the production hub and
(7) market
By a representative of Japanese
businesspeople in Vietnam
November 16 Mid Term Exam Mid Term
(8) Exam
Japanese Culture: General ⚫ Country Note from Richard
November 23 Understanding of the Lewis’ “When Cultures
(9) Background Collide” - Page 509 - 520
Introduction to the Japanese
culture
Japanese Culture and ⚫ Understanding the Japanese Group
November 25
Understanding the Japanese Mind: Chapters on Gambari presentation
(10) Mind and Sempai and Kohai;
Contemporary issues of the ⚫ OECD Japan Economic Group
November 30
Japanese Economy Surveys presentation
(11)

The Art of Japanese Tea

Ceremony: Its history,
philosophy and cultural
December 2 impacts on Japanese people
(12)
Presentation by Prof. Akiko
Murai of Kyoto University

Japanese Employment System

The Japanese Companies: ⚫ Toyota Case Study from Kai Group
Discussion on Toyota Case Hammerich & Richard presentation
December 7 Study from Fish Can’t See Lewis’ “Fisch Can’t See
(13)
Water Water” - P188 - 198

December 9 Presentation by a

6
 (14) Representative of Keieijuku
and Minh Sensei
How they see the cooperation
between Vietnamese and
Japanese companies

Japanese Economy, Business

December 14 Behavior, Business Etiquette, ⚫ JETRO Communicating
(15)
Communication Style with Japanese in Business
December Final Exam Final Exam
6. COURSE ASSESSMENT

Assessment Rate Form of Time

Assessment allowance
Class participation 15%
Mid-term assessment 35%
Final-term exam incl. Case Project 50%
Note: Provide brief but detail descriptions of the course assignments, mid-term and
final exams for the students:

Assignments/problem sets/reports
Provide general information on type (group, length, and when due). Detailed
information can be distributed during the term.

 Students should have read the assigned reading materials, as found in the course
schedule, prior to the class sessions. Due at the beginning of the respective class.
 For all the class discussions, the students are expected to actively participate in
the class discussions. The class participation is a key part of the student’s
assessment.
 There will be several sessions in which the students are required to make the
presentations. The presentations will be done by a team. The presentations will
also be assessed.

Mid-term exam
 Closed Book Test Covering the Course Contents 1 through 7.
 100% multiple choice

Final exam
 Closed Book Test Covering the entire course.
 70% multiple choice and 30% essay questions.

DEAN OF FACULTY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT