Author : Marike Verniers 

When collaborating with an international team, the biggest challenge is to find the most suitable approach for making decisions. It is important but challenging to understand how each culture approaches the decision-making process. In this blog post, you will learn about the decision-making process in Japan and I will share some insights for collaborating with a Japanese partner. 

There are two approaches for the decision making process (Meyer, 2014). The first approach is the top-down decision-making process. This means decisions are made quickly and by one person. The implementation of the decisions can take a while because the decisions can be easily revisited or altered. Consensual decision-making process is the second approach. In this process everyone is consulted which results is more time spent for making decisions. The implementation is quite rapid, since everyone agreed. 

Although Japan is strongly hierarchical, the decision-making process is ultra-consensual. An important decision-making system is the Japanese Ringi System. In the Ringi system, it is custom for low-level managers to discuss new ideas amongst themselves and to come to a consensus before they present the outcome to managers who are one level higher (Meyer, 2014). 

There are multiple benefits using a bottom-up consensual system in a hierarchical society (Rossi, n.d.).

• Managers in the first line have more information because they are closer to the problem.
• Managers in a lower level can prove their skills to their superiors.
• Because decision-making is a managerial activity, the process has to start at a managerial level and not at the top level.
• Based upon the Ringi system, more people feel empowered in the decision.

When working with Japanese counterparts, certain strategies can facilitate a smoother decision-making process. In the next passage, I present several strategies for collaborating with Japanese counterparts (Sullivan, 2022). By embracing cultural nuances and employing these strategies, international teams can enhance their decision-making processes

• Focus on gaining consensus on what the problem is instead of treating it as an individual.
• To uncover blind spots you missed in defining the problem, invite the Japanese counterparts to assist.
• Ensure that the thought process is straightforward for both sides, focus on expectations, assumptions and methodology.

In conclusion, collaborating with an international team presents the challenge of navigating diverse approaches to decision-making. Understanding the decision-making process of different cultures, such as Japan, becomes crucial in fostering effective partnerships. 

Bibliography 

Meyer, E. M. (2015). The culture map: Decoding how people think, lead, and get things done across cultures. PublicAffairs.

Rossi, D. (n.d.). The secret of business decision making in Japan. www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/secret-business-decision-making-japan-davide-rossi/ 

Sullivan, T. (2022, November 13). When Japanese and Western Decision-Making Collides - Japonica Publication - Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/japonica-publication/when-japanese-and-western-decision-making-collides-fc2bc6d5b879