Discussion:
Cross-Cultural Communication and Negotiation
For 11 straight years, the Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in the United States, and the firm's share of the American automobile market was solid. However, the company is not resting on its laurels. Toyota has expanded worldwide and is now doing business in scores of countries. Visit the firm's website and find out what it has been up to lately. The address is www.toyota.com. Then take a tour of the company's products and services including cars, air services, and sports vehicles. Next, go to the jobs section site, and see what types of career opportunities there are at Toyota.
Internet Exercise: Working Effectively at Toyota". Complete this assignment by answering the following questions:
1) What type of communication and negotiation challenges do you think you would face if you worked for Toyota and were in constant communication with home-office personnel in Japan?
2) What type of communication training do you think the firm would need to provide to you to ensure that you were effective in dealing with senior-level Japanese management in the Hierarchy?
3) What conclusions can you draw regarding communicating with the Japanese managers, and what guidelines would you offer to a non-Japanese employee who just entered the firm, and is looking for advice and guidance regarding how to communicate and negotiate more effectively?