Question

choose two countries (excluding the U.S.) to compare and contrast. Outline differences in business etiquette, relationships, dress, power distance, time, and so on. In chart format.

Answer 1

It is highly improbable that people brought up in totally different cultures, under very dissimilar circumstances and values, would think in the same ways. India, with its various languages and cultures, is unlike any other country; people in the east and those in the west may have different belief systems. Even in Japan, there are so many dialects and ways of life.

INDIA v/s JAPAN

COMPARISON BETWEEN JAPAN AND INDIA BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

	INDIA	JAPAN
DRESS CODE	More casual with business suits being less common and not an expectation.	Conservative dress code is strict & expected to wear suits, commonly dark in color.
HANDSHAKING AND BOWING	Namaste with folded hands is the best.	Customary to bow after the expected handshake.
BUSINESS CARDS	These are essential in India and must be handled with respect.	Exchange of card is an essential part of initial meetings in Japan and follows a strict protocol.
HOSPITALITY	Much more casual sense of hospitality.	Primarily focuses on formality
DEAL FOCUSED VS RELATIONSHIP FOCUSED	adopted the Relationship Focuses(RF) approach	adopted the Relationship Focuses(RF) approach

DRESS CODE

· India business attire is more casual with business suits being less common and not an expectation.

· For men, the normal business attire is a button-down shirt, trousers, and a jacket or tie depending on the formality of meeting or industry(in the banking and professional sectors, suits are more prevalent)

· For women, the dress code in Indian business settings has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Nowadays women often wear pant-suits or blouse and skirts, even though saris and salwar kameez are considered acceptable as business attire.

· In Japan, conservative dress code is strict. Business associates are expected to wear suits, commonly dark in color.

• When approaching a meeting with Japanese clients, not only are Japanese business card highly important, but it’s also best to air on the side of caution with conservative apparel. The Japanese place a keen importance to the detail and sophistication of business clothing. This can often reflect a status level in the traditionally rigid Japanese business hierarchy.
• A professional wardrobe is not limited to simply darker colors, but shoes too play a key role in achieving this look. One should try to wear shoes that can be easily removed as you are likely to be presented with far more scenarios in Japan where shoe removal will be the norm.

HANDSHAKING AND BOWING

India still follows the orthodox method of greeting ”sir” or ”Madam”. In corporate world, handshakes prevail mostly with men and with women too these days. Otherwise, a Namaste with folded hands is the best.

When introducing one’s self to a business professional in Japan, is customary to bow after the expected handshake.

BUSINESS CARDS

· These are essential in India when conducting business in India and must be handled with respect . Make sure your card includes your name, company name, position and email address, all in English. If you have a higher degree such as a masters or a PhD, you may wish to disclose it on your business card, as it will earn you greater respect in India.

· The exchange of card is an essential part of initial meetings in Japan and follows a strict protocol. It allows the Japanese to quickly determine their counterpart’s all-important position, title and rank.

HOSPITALITY

· Indian culture compared to Japanese has much more casual sense of hospitality. Typically, from the first meeting, Indian culture is lavish and will offer food and beverage to make their business associates as comfortable as possible.

· Japanese culture primarily focuses on formality. Guests are expected to abide by their stricter, more formal culture to avoid any conflict.

DEAL FOCUSED VS RELATIONSHIP FOCUSED

Both Indian and Japanese business culture have adopted the Relationship Focuses(RF) approach as their motives primarily focus on relationship building. Trusting, long lasting relationship are valued in each culture is valued as it will be helpful for making future deals.

A Cultural Comparison

	INDIA	JAPAN
Languages	National language is Hindi	Japanese is the national language
Monuments	Taj Mahal, Hawa Mahal	Temple of the Golden Pavillion , Mount Fuji
Cuisine	Dals , Idili, sattu, Dhokla , Pav Bhaji , Chole Bhature , Biriyani	Domburi , Gomaae, Gyozza , Gyudon , Korokke , Nikujaga, Okonomiyaki
Festivals	Diwali , Navaratri , Dussehre , Durga Puja	The Yokote Kamakura Festival , The Aoi Matsuri , The Sapporo Snow Festival
Art	Visual art produced on Indian subcontinent from 3 rd millennium BCE to modern times.	Ancient pottery , Sculpture , ink painting , Calligraphy on silk & paper , Kirie , Kirigami , Origami
Sports	Older Games : Gilli – Danda & Pitto Recent Game : Cricket Hockey is national Game. Notable Games : Kabaddi , Chess	Base Ball is the popular game . Other Games : Handball , Rugby , Car racing , Boxing
Cloths	Its vary from region to region depending upon ethnicity , geography etc.. Women : Sari , Stalwart kameez , lehenga. Men : Dhoti , Lungi , Jeans , t shirts , pants ,shirts .	2 types of clothing : Western & Japanese. Kimono is the Japanese clothing weared by both men & women .

Distance from India to Japan

The air travel distance is equal to 3,708 miles. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between India and Japan is 5,968 km= 3,708 miles. If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from India to Japan, It takes 6.62 hours to arrive

Travel time

Travel duration from Japan to India is around 116.97 hours.