Case study of yellow auto company
This report aims to analyze the decisions and issues in the case study from a personality and values perspective. The key decisions identified are in relation to recruitment, contract and training. The JET program did not require the ALT candidates to have any knowledge of Japanese. The salaries received by the JET participants were considered unfair by their Japanese colleagues. The contract received by the JET participants were ambiguous and imprecise. In addition, the Japanese employees In the host institution expected the foreigners to work Like the Japanese rather than following the terms of their entrant.
The program provided pre-departure training for JET participants, but did not provide the same level of training for Japanese employees on how to work with Tormenters. Based on Hypotheses Framework, it is found that the weaknesses of the decisions were mainly due to the differences in values of Japanese and western cultures. Japan is a society with high power distance, extremely high uncertainty avoidance, strong collectivism, strong masculinity and a long-term vision, whereas western societies have almost the opposite values.
The seniority-based salary system, lifetime employment, the expectation to conform to social norms, dedication to work, loyalty to the employers and a male-dominated workplace are all features of the Japanese management system that the JET participants were unaware of. It is recommended that the JET program reassess its recruitment policy to include Japanese as a compulsory requirement for candidates, and adjust the salary package to reflect the seniority-based culture. It is also recommended to draft a rigorous contract to avoid any ambiguity.
In addition to making the pre-departure training compulsory, Japanese employees should receive the same level of cross-cultural training. Moreover, better Personality-Job fit and Person-organization fit may be achieved if applicant’s personalities are taken into account in the recruitment process. 1. INTRODUCTION Kelly, Mark, Andrea and Suzanne, all in their ass’s, were hired by the JET program to work in Japan. During their placement, there was a bitter dispute between them and Mr.
. Highs, the supervisor of the foreign JET participants, over sick leave.
This report aims to explore the critical decisions and issues in this case from a personality and values perspective. Firstly, the critical decisions regarding recruitment, contract and training will be analyzed. Secondly, there will be a discussion of the issues in national culture, values and personality. Finally, recommendations will be provided to facilitate future improvement.
2. CRITICAL DECISIONS 2. 1 Key Decision 1 – Recruitment The JET program made the decision of hiring native English speakers to assist in foreign language teaching in Japan.
The positions of Coordinator for International Relations (CIRRI) and Assistant Language Teacher (AL T) both required the candidates to have a university degree and an interest in Japan. Sirs were required to have a functional knowledge of Japanese, but ALTS were not required to do so.
The above recruitment decision recognized the importance of native-speakers in foreign language teaching and the educational background of the candidates, however, the lack of Japanese language requirement for ALTS was a fundamental flaw in the recruitment decision.
This language barrier caused difficulty in communication between the Japanese employees and JET participants. In addition, Mr.. Highs had to act as an interpreter because he was the only person who could speak English. Kelly, Mark, Andrea and Suzanne were young and inexperienced, yet they were paid the same salary as Japanese supervisors in the host institution.
According to Diagram (2005) Ana Hotshots ( Japan NAS a unlike culture In wanly employees’ salaries are based on seniority rather than position.
It is therefore unsurprising that the Japanese employees, all worked for more than 20 years in their career, felt uncomfortable about the salary of the JET participants. 2. 2 Key Decision 2 – Contract All the JET participants in the office had a standard North American contract which set out the working hours, number of vacation days and sick leave they were entitled to. However after Kelly, Mark and Suzanne fell ill, they were forced to use 2 paid action days rather than sick leave, which caused a serious tension between the JETS and Mr.
.
Highs. The strength of the contract was that it stated a set of rules for the JET participants to follow, but the weakness was that it was not rigorously written. Exhales (2008) argues that western contracts are explicit and detailed, whereas Japanese contracts can be flexible and open to interpretation. This cultural difference is reflected in the contract received by the JET participants.
The definitions of “paid leave”, “paid holidays” and “special holidays” were ambiguous and they seemed to be used interchangeably within the contract.
Section 1 of Article 1 1 says that the JET participants are entitled to 20 paid holidays, but Section 3 of Article 12 says that the special holidays (including sick leave) are paid holidays. Depending on the interpretation of “paid holidays” and “special holidays”, these two clauses either contradict with each other or repeat themselves. Apart from the wording of the contract, the ability to honor the contract was also problematic. Although the JET participants acted within the terms of their contract, their Japanese colleagues still expected them to stay past pm on weekdays and work on Saturdays.
The contract said that a doctor’s certificate was only required if the JET participants took three or more consecutive days of sick leave, but Mr.
. Highs asked Kelly to bring in the note even though she only took 2 days sick leave. 2. 3 Key Decision 3- Training The Conference of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIM) provided the JET participants with lots of information about working and living in Japan, and offered pre-departure training sessions about life in Japan and its potential problems. The strength of the above decision was that it recognized the cultural differences of
Japan and western countries and the challenges faced by those JET participants working in Japan.
The weaknesses of the decision were that it did not make the pre- departure training sessions compulsory, and it did not offer similar training sessions for Japanese employees on the cultural differences and problems of working with westerners. The consequences of the above weaknesses were that Kelly found herself in unfamiliar and difficult situations because she had no experience or knowledge of the Japanese workplace.
As a result, the Japanese employees working at the senior level were annoyed that these inexperienced young foreigners were hired to tell them how to do their Jobs. Moreover, paying a manager-level salary o these young foreigners were also against the Japanese norm of a seniority-based salary system. 3. 1.
2 Uncertainty Avoidance Diagram (2005), Brighten (2005) and Exhales (2008) all agree that Japanese culture expects everyone to conform to social norms and discourages individualism. This confirms the high uncertainty avoidance in Japanese society as claimed by Hefted.
Uncertainty avoidance was the reason why Mr.. Highs insisted to deal with the foreign JETS in the Japanese way. Because Mr.
. Highs had lived all his life in Japan, the belief of conforming to social norms was deeply rooted in him. Exhales (2008) asserts that Japanese prefer to resolve conflicts in an indirect and mediated manner, whereas westerners tend to adopt a direct rule-based approach. This explains why the JET participants clearly referred to the contract and tried to resolve the sick leave issue with Mr.. Highs in a direct manner.
On the other hand, even though Mr.. Halls was extremely Galatea, nee still chosen to resolve ten matter tongue accountant rather than clarifying it there and then. 3. 1.
3 Collectivism Various literature (Diagram, 2005; Brighten, 2005; Javelin et al. , 2005; Lucile et al. , 1992; Shih et al. , 2005; Exhales, 2008; Wang et al. 2005) claims that Japan is a highly collective society, which means that the needs of a group are always viewed as more important than individual needs, and individuals are expected to sacrifice their own needs if there is a conflict between them.
