Analysis and comparison of German and Japanese culture with special focus on leadership

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 2,0, University of applied sciences, Munich, language: English, abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyze the differences in business leadership in Germany and Japan, based on widely known and academically respected cultural frameworks. This is particularly important for globally operating firms in order to have the greatest possible success, to motivate the employees, and avoid business failure due to cultural clashes. The intention of chapter 2 is to provide the reader with an understanding of the terms culture and leadership. Furthermore, this chapter focuses on the description and explanation of the cultural theories of Edward T. Hall, Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner, as well as the Globe Study. Chapter 3 focuses on the description of Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. In order to distinguish the German and Japanese culture and its leadership styles, two selected dimensions of his theory will be applied. At the end of this chapter, both cultures are differentiated again, and it is determined which style of leadership suits to which culture. Finally, the term work in chapter 4 comes to a conclusion that refers to the gained knowledge of the previous chapters.