ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the predicament of a colleague that demonstrates the cross-cultural nuances of telling or not telling the truth. From a cultural standpoint, decisions can be made in two different ways. The first kind of decision-making is interdependent and collective, which rests on an affective and risk-averse orientation. A second mode of cultural decision-making is one where decisions can be made independently, and people prefer a linear process of thinking to arrive at a choice. In Japan, there are distinctive cultural practices based on two specific, unique management principles known as wa and amae rooted in Japanese cultural values. Japanese society represents three basic cultural values – harmony, peace and tranquillity – essentially, the concept of wa. The principal of wa is rooted and manifested in cultural value called amae, which means indulgent love that emphasises physical and spiritual harmony. Different people employ different rules for the choices they make based on different cultural measures and factors.
