Clubmed Case
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There is a considerable difference between the Japanese culture and the Western culture. Here is an analysis of Japanese culture based on the Halls framework:
Both Westerners and Japanese value time, but Japanese tend to have a different perception about the efficiency and use of time( more goal and performance orientation)
Due to higher density in the Japanese cities and other cultural parameters, Japanese tend to have more comfort in close spatial interactions (e.g. waiting in a cue, being pushed in a subway, etc.), but they also have a very well-defined spatial hierarchy (e.g. seat location and hierarchical position)
Japanese seem to have less focus on material goods. Because of a very strong and deep collective culture, the Japanese do not want to show off or have some materialistic superiority compared to their peers and other people in society.
The depth of friendship and relationship in Japanese culture is higher compared to many Western societies. Due to their collective culture, the self is only valued and perceived in the bigger context, and therefore, the personal relationship and the context that an individual creates for him/herself, including the friendships, is very important to the individual.
Due to high context nature of the Japanese culture the language of agreement, and generally the language of social interaction is very different from many Western nations. Japanese indicate their thoughts in many occasions rather than being outspoken in expressing that.
In addition to Halls research, Hoftsedes research also provides the following insights:
Power distance: The combination of traditional respect for seniority (both age and experience) and collective culture, positions Japanese in the middle of the spectrum( more than USA and less than France)
Uncertainty avoidance: Interestingly Japanese are ranked among the highest in avoiding uncertainty. This is specifically important for us as consumer behaviorist if we want to make any changes to our already successful product.
Individualism: Japanese are less individualistic compared to Western countries, yet they are more individualistic compared to the developing countries. As discussed in the class, individualism is the essence of a competitive and efficient market and it has been shown through many optimization studies.
Masculinity: Japanese are considerably more masculine and success driven compared to the Western nations. It might seem to be in contradiction with the collectivism outcome, yet many eastern cultures are very competitive and are brought up in a very competitive and comparative (being compared and gauged with peers, etc.)Culture.
Going back to the Club Med case, I believe the company should maintain its current strategy (with some refinements), and do not try to re-brand itself in Japan. The Japanese avoid uncertainty, and