Culture and Transnationalism: Exploring the Effects of Perceived Cultural Difference on Business Operations Between Dutch and Japanese Professionals

Abstract: The trend towards greater globalisation brings the matter of cultural identity to the foreground. Transnational corporations or business networks are culturally diverse places where cultural othering – simply put, the assumption that someone is fundamentally different from you based on the cultural identity projected on- or associated with them – can significantly impact operations across the hierarchy. This exploratory investigation seeks to reveal the lived reality of professionals in Dutch-Japanese corporate settings, and how they overcame challenges arising from cultural difference or the assumption thereof. Eight multi-sited interviews with employees, executives, and management consultants reaffirmed five categories of cultural difference in a professional setting: work ethos, hierarchy, decision-making, language, communication style. Through interviewee data we learn about the value of cultural sensitivity, and the role of experience-based knowledge in cultivating it. Further analysis reveals the value of deconstructing cultural identity into six components: vocation, class, geography, philosophy, language, biology. Examples are provided to illustrate the relevance of these components in a corporate environment. They are then used as the basis for a discussion on how they can be used to accelerate the development of cultural sensitivity by using identity components to contextualise your own behavioural preferences against those of your counterparty or colleague. For example, with the geographic component, how the relative directness of the Osaka communication style may make those businesses a better for partnerships with Dutch entities. Culture is nuanced, dynamic, and diverse. Our understanding of it should be as well.