Larger	With Respect to the Japanese: A Guide for Americans (Interact Series) Author: John C. Condon
	Book Information Publisher: Intercultural Press Book Type: Paperback Rating: 2 ISBN-13: 9780933662490 - ISBN-10: 0933662491 Publication Date: 6/1983 Pages: 110

As author John Condon says, "The US and Japan make an odd couple." Linked tightly to political, economic and technical bonds but locked in fierce competition, they share a mutual fascination with each other's cultures. One thing seems certain; whatever the future holds, this curiously symbiotic relationship will persist for some years to come. The real question is: what will we make of it?

History is replete with examples of countries and cultures that have failed to overcome self-defeating patterns of ethnocentric response and reaction. An alternative, which Condon uses so effectively in this practical guide, lies in the tool of cross-cultural analysis.

The basic principles are simple: see yourself as others see you; look at others as they look at themselves. With this as a starting point, Condon discusses the salient features of Japanese values and behaviours as they affect communication, social and business relations, and management styles. He contrasts that with the values and characteristics of Americans and makes concrete recommendations on how to deal with the Japanese during face to face encounters. He addresses himself to the thousands of Americans who really want to understand the dynamics of relationships between Japanese and Americans but who also want to be as effective as possible in achieving whatever goals they have for their business and personal encounters with the Japanese.