Problem:
Yoshi Yamakawa was raised and schooled in Kyoto, Japan. He was taught English during his Elementary and High School years. He has traveled abroad, mostly to S. E. Asia for business. Yoshi has accepted a position as plant manager of his Japanese firm's new automotive component factory in Northern Alabama. One of his first tasks is to hire and train American employees for the production line. Five of his floor managers will accompany him to the USA from Japan. Two others are Americans with several years of experience each in US automotive manufacturing operations. Yoshi knows that American cultural norms relevant to the workplace are considerably different from those in Japan. He has hired you to advise him. What will you tell him? How? Why?