Cross-cultural gender differences in the UK and Japan business Essay

Cross-cultural gender differences in the UK and Japan business - Essay Example Assessment of cross-cultural gender differences in business environment is extremely important due to a number of practical reasons. Apparently, the ways organizations value their employees determine a number of key business parameters, i.e.: organizational behavior and environment, communication, leadership, yet business performance. According to Hall culture serves a â€Å"silent language† which the parties need in addition to the language they are speaking in order to find a common ground for communication and mutual understanding. Business culture apparently serves a kind of â€Å"social glue† that binds people and provides them a clear identity as a community. Naturally, culture may also serve â€Å"social dissolvent† giving people a sense that they are different and belong to brand different communities. Cross-cultural gender differences bring the fundamental diversities into the business environment. According to Hofstede cultural dimensions, masculinity vs. femininity are the key factors that describe organizational culture in different states. In terms of gender differences Japan and the UK represent almost different poles. While Japan is the world’s most masculine society, the UK is masculine-feminine society. However, both countries are characterized as the societies with the growing role of women in business. The roles of women in business in Japan and the UK depend on anthropological issues significantly. While women in Japan have always been considered as mothers and housewives their counterparts in the UK have traditionally occupied the offices in business and governance. The cross-cultural gender differences reflect in the business practices of both states. ... Apparently, the ways organizations value their employees determine a number of key business parameters, i.e.: organizational behavior and environment, communication, leadership, yet business performance. According to Hall (1959) culture serves a "silent language" which the parties need in addition to the language they are speaking in order to find a common ground for communication and mutual understanding. Business culture apparently serves a kind of "social glue" that binds people and provides them a clear identity as a community. Naturally, culture may also serve "social dissolvent" giving people a sense that they are different and belong to brand different communities. In this survey I will evaluate cross-cultural gender differences in businesses in Japan and the United Kingdom, assess the impact of these differences on business practices and organizational effectiveness as well as evaluate the case studies of Japanese Toyota Corp. and the UK British Airways. Cross-cultural gender differences in the UK and Japan Nowadays there are at least several globally-recognized and influential frameworks of cultural differences assessment. Most of these frameworks have been designed specifically for business environment and include gender aspects (Inkeles and Levinson, 1969; McGregor, 1957; Hofstede, 1980; 1997; 2001). Among the models of cross-cultural gender differences Hofstede's framework seems to be most influential. Geert Hofstede was a Dutch organizational scientist employed by IBM in 1960s. Hofstede (1980) who was able to monitor organizational differences in cross-cultural perspectives assumed that there might be universal and culture-related variables that contribute to these differences. During 1968-1972 Hofstede analyzed the cases of 116.000 IBM