This presentation compares business etiquette in Japan and South Africa. It provides an overview of cultural attitudes, conversational customs, oral and written communication etiquette, non-verbal communication etiquette, dress and appearance norms in both countries. In Japan, business etiquette emphasizes hierarchy, empathy, humility and harmony. Direct confrontation is avoided. In South Africa, business etiquette stresses openness, honesty and building relationships, though decisions are made based on facts over intuition. The presentation concludes that the Japanese are typically soft-spoken, silent and cooperative in business, while South Africans are more open, loud and short-term oriented but still cooperative and professional.

1. Presentation by:
Monica Bilba
Mihaela Aleksandrova
Uyen Nhi Vu
Georgiana Hutanu
Stas Parovyi
Lisa Barkman
Institute: Fontys University of
Applied Sciences
Learning arrangement: PLA13
Didactic help: Dr. Soumit Sain
SLIDE 1/19

2. • Introduction Slide 1
• Table of contents Slide 2
• General information Slide 4
• Cultural attitudes and beliefs Slide 7
• Conversational customs and manners Slide 10
• Oral and written communication etiquette Slide 12
• Non-verbal communication etiquette Slide 15
• Dress and appearance Slide 16
• Summary and conclusion Slide 18
• List of literature Slide 19
SLIDE 2/19

3. SLIDE 3/19

4. SLIDE 4/19
Location
• Island in the Pacific Ocean
• Eastern Asia
Hofstede scores
• Power distance: 54 Uncertainty avoidance: 92
• Individualism: 46 Long-term orientation: 88
• Masculinity: 95 Indulgence: 48

5. SLIDE 5/19
Location
• Country in the south of Africa
• Cape Agulhas – southern tip
Hofstede scores
• Power distance: 49 Uncertainty avoidance: 49
• Individualism: 65 Long-term orientation: 34
• Masculinity: 63 Indulgence: 63

6. SLIDE 6/19

7. SLIDE 7/19
• Hierarchy, order and status
• Empathy and positive relations
• Individualism + Sincerity – Selfishness
• Respect for the elderly
• Openness, responsiveness, cooperation
• First impressions

9. SLIDE 9/19
• No open competition/ confrontation
• Self-control, discipline
• Harmony, cooperation
• No impatience, frustration, anger in public
• Silence is valued
• Integrity, professionalism

10. • Call to make an appointment
• Be prepared for a group
meeting
• Respond quickly
• Make a good first impression
SLIDE 10/19
• Refuse a request
• Engage in confrontation
• Lose your temper/ raise your
voice
• Obligate them to say “no”

11. SLIDE 11/19
• Be direct, open and honest
• Send an agenda prior to a
meeting
• Keep a presentation precise
• Translate texts in Afrikaans
• Engage in physical contact
• Get too close to the speaker
• Make decisions based on
intuition, but facts and figures
• Expect to build personal
relationships doing business

12. • Using humor is frowned
upon in formal
environments
• Sticking to the point/ to one
subject is appreciated
• Avoiding to speak too fast –
interpreted as hurrying
• Humor is often used as an
icebreaker
• Metaphors are used to
demonstrate a point
• Building relationships
before conducting business
isn’t very important
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13. • Always allow the partner to
sign a contract first
• Avoid using short variations
of words
• One long message is
preferred when texting
• Avoid handwriting
• Avoid discussing important
matters via text or email
• Short variations of words
are permitted via text
or email
• It is good to summarize the
content at the end of an
email
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14. SLIDE 14/19
• Often more important than
spoken interaction
• Hand gestures can be easily
misinterpreted
• Frowning while someone is
speaking is a sign of
disagreement
• Looking down is a way to show
respect

15. • Shaking hands (firmly) in the
beginning is very important
• Women may decide whether to
shake hands or nod their heads
• Smiling and eye contact is
appreciated
• Disrespectful to stand too close
to the person speaking
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16. SLIDE 16/19
• Formal and conservative
• Men – dark suits (blue, black),
no beards
• Women – no heels, pants
can be offensive
• Accent on quality,
dressing well
• Stylish and conservative
• Men – suits, tie, jacket or long-sleeve shirts
• Women – elegant suit or dress,
not too revealing, long-sleeve
• Ties can be taken off if it is too warm

18. SLIDE 18/19
…the Japanese:
• Soft-spoken
• Silent
• Cooperative
• Formal
• Long-term oriented
…the South Africans:
• Open
• Loud
• Cooperative
• Short-term oriented
• Professional

19. • Business Etiquette in South Africa, [Internet], 2016
http://www.expatica.com/za/employment/Business-etiquette-in-South-
Africa_105889.html
• Japanese manners and etiquette, [Internet], 2014
http://www.wapedia.com/culture/japanese_manners_etiquette.shtml
• General information Japan, [Internet], 2016
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/japan-country-
profiles.html
• General information Japan, [Internet], 2012
http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/japan.htm
• General information South Africa, [Internet], 2016
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-africa-
country-profile.html
• Nonverbal communication Japan, [Internet], 2003
http://www.onken.com/classroom/internationalmanagement/Japan/Nonverba
lcommunication.html
• Dress code Japan, [Internet], 2016
http://www.japanesebusinessresource.com/japanese_business_etiquette/dress-
code/
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