Explain clearly Japan’s consensus approach to decision-making, ringisho. How does the ringisho practice reflect Japan’s distinctive group cultural values or characteristics such as the emphasis on wa, “combining droplets or energies,” the importance of and responsibility to the group (including the value of amae)? What roles do tatemae and honne play in that regard? And how is the ringisho practice more fitting to a culture of introversion that is at the same time high context with high uncertainty avoidance and long-term time orientation? On the other hand, how does this practice help moderate their power distance in an otherwise highly status-conscious society? (Japan is just ranked middle in terms of Hofstede’s power distance.) How is the ringisho practice different from the American practice of huddling? How does the American practice reflect a different set of cultural values and characteristics? And how is huddling more fitting to our culture of extroversion that is at the same time low context with low uncertainty avoidance and short-term time orientation? In connection with what you have discussed above especially ringisho, in what ways do you think we could learn from the Japanese, especially in connection with how companies make business decisions?
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