Intercultural Communication and Negotiation Skills

Intercultural Communication: The case of Coffee Beans for Tokyo A Coffee company located in South East Queensland (SEQ), Australia that plants, processes and roasts coffee beans, and sells them to coffee shops and supermarkets all over Australia, is planning to operate business internationally. The head office is based in SEQ, Australia. You have recently been appointed as the International Regional Manager for the organisation. You as a local Australian born have recently been appointed as the International Regional Manager for the organisation. In preparation for the post-pandemic world with international travel returning to pre 2020 conditions, the organisation is considering setting up an office in Japan. The organisation forsees a close integration between this new office and the head office in QLD. Specifically, with some Australian staff (including females) being relocated to the new office in managerial positions and regular visits of staff between the offices when travel restrictions are eased. Your first project in your new role involves the presentation of a report to the Board of Directors outlining potential areas of concern to be considered prior to the set up of the new office in Japan. One area of the report that you know is important is the consideration of differences in communication between the two countries. Specifically, you need to research both areas of verbal (direct) and non-verbal (indirect) communication in both cultures, and highlight the similarities and differences. To do this you will use the Intercultural Communication Process model (Deresky 2011), Hofstede’s model of culture, and the 7 nonverbal cues, to guide and inform your analysis. Your task: You are tasked with writing a report to the CEO and executive group of Coffee Beans for Tokyo which discusses the potential communication issues that may arise in the new business with Japan and provides recommendations for the organisation to consider. Specifically, you are required to conduct academic research in order to identify and explain the similarities and differences in verbal and non-verbal communication between Australia and Japan. You will use the information and models of verbal and non-verbal communication and Hofstede’s model of culture to guide this process. You will then demonstrate how these similarities and differences can manifest in a workplace situation through application to a case study. You will then formulate logical and practical recommendations for the organisation to leverage the
similarities and manage the differences to ensure successful communication between the two offices. You will structure the sections of the report using the following headings. • Introduction – rationale for the report, what the report will cover and what frameworks will be used. • Similarities and differences- o Verbal Communication – description and explanation of similarities and differences between Australia and Japan o Non-verbal Communication – description and explanation of similarities and differences between Australia and Japan • Application to case example – application of the similarities and differences stated above to the case study to demonstrate understanding • Recommendations – at least 3 recommendations for leveraging communication similarities and managing differences.
• References – QUT APA 7 for all referencing. Refer to CITE WRITE on the library website for details. We expect you to use academic references. Please only include references for material that you have USED in the report – not material that you have simply read.
For more details of the requirements for each grade, you need to refer to the CRA.
Other information
• Cover page information including
o Title of assessment
o Your name and student ID
o Tutor’s name
o Word count
• Use headings and subheadings
• Write in formal language. Avoid first and second person pronouns (e.g. I, we, and you). Use the 3rd person – “It is suggested…” – to create a sense of emotional detachment and impartiality.
• Ensure that you use non-discriminatory, inclusive language
• Number all pages
• Ensure that the in-text references and the references list at the end of the report use the QUT APA 7 Referencing Style
• DO NOT include table of contents, tables, and appendices
• The word limit is 1500 words – in this unit the convention is that 10% over the limit is acceptable. All words (excluding the title page and references list) are included in the word count.
Case Study – Coffee Beans for Tokyo Jason Moore loves coffee. In fact, coffee is his life. He is the owner and manager of a successful coffee plantation in South East Queensland, Australia. His company, J-M Beans, plants, processes and roasts coffee beans, and sells them to coffee shops and supermarkets all over Australia. Jason’s beans are well known for their unique flavour, low level of caffeine, and for being organically grown without chemicals or fumigants. While his medium-sized business is successful and profitable, the Australian coffee market is somewhat saturated. Recently, Jason came across an article in a trade publication about growing coffee consumption in Japan. Most Japanese people still prefer tea, but the demand for high-quality coffee beans is predicted to increase. Jason believes it might be a great opportunity to enter a new market and sell his coffee beans to customers there. After doing some research, and with the help of his industry association, he manages to make contact with the Tokyo-based department store chain, Shoka. Jason is excited—the retailer’s management shows interest in stocking his coffee beans throughout their stores in the greater Tokyo area. Their CEO, Dr Kato Yuto, even invites Jason to come to Tokyo and discuss potential business relations. Jason is quite inexperienced in conducting international business and negotiating with partners from other countries. Fortunately, his sales representative, Michael, has prior experience in international business and even speaks some basic Japanese. Jason decides that it would be best if Michael takes over the assignment, particularly since the busy harvesting and processing period is just about to start. Michael is highly motivated by this prospect, and he convinces the department store’s management to schedule a meeting in Tokyo within the following week. With the upcoming harvest, it would be perfect to sign a deal quickly so that fresh beans can be shipped to Tokyo in the near future. On the next Tuesday morning, Michael and his wife, Susan, catch a flight from Brisbane to the Tokyo Narita Airport. Although Susan is not involved in the coffee business, she always wanted to experience Tokyo. This looming deal presents a perfect opportunity to visit there, and Michael prefers having some company rather than traveling alone. After a nine-hour flight, Michael and Susan arrive in Narita in the evening. A company car picks them up from the airport and drives them to their hotel in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.
The meeting with the CEO, Dr Kato Yuto, is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at 2pm. As usual, traffic in Tokyo’s inner-city area is congested, but Michael and Susan’s cab rushes through the busy streets and luckily, they still manage to arrive right on time at Shoka’s headquarters. Michael is in a good mood, looking forward to having a successful business meeting. To communicate J-M Beans’ corporate identity, Michael and Susan made an effort to wear matching polo shirts in their company’s signature bright orange colour. When Michael spots Dr Kato Yuto with a group of six of Shoka’s managers, he rushes over to greet him in Japanese, deeply bowing and shaking his hand for some time while looking into his eyes to show his respect. “It is a great pleasure to meet you in person, Mr Yuto,” Michael says in English. Dr Kato Yuto makes a friendly response in English, and he affirms that it is a pleasure for him. Michael is relieved to learn that Dr Kato Yuto’s English is of a very high standard, suggesting that there would not be any language barriers during the meeting and subsequent negotiations. Dr Kato Yuto then uses both hands to present his business card to Michael. Michael is glad to see that the business card has two sides – one is printed in Japanese, and the other is printed in English. After a quick glance and smile, he puts it into his pocket. Michael then introduces his wife, Susan, who also greets Dr Kato Yuto with a deep bow. Then Michael hands over the gift they brought for Dr Kato Yuto: a box containing four different small coffee grinders, elegantly wrapped in black paper. At first, Dr Kato Yuto appears to be hesitant to accept the gift. Eventually, he thanks Michael for his generosity, takes the box and places it on a small table in the corner of the room. Michael is a bit disappointed that Dr Kato Yuto does not open the gift, but he realises that they have a busy day ahead and there might not be enough time for such geniality. Following the welcome, Michael and Susan are guided to a conference room where they take a seat at the closest available chairs after entering the room. The meeting opens and then Michael is given the opportunity to present his company and products to CEO, Dr Kato Yuto, and his management team. Since the CEO is the highest person in the company hierarchy, Michael is careful to address him frequently as Mr Yuto when speaking while constantly seeking eye contact and waiting for a sign of acknowledgement. Michael talks for several hours, describing his business along with offers for trade. Then he feels frustrated; it seems he cannot really facilitate a lively and enthusiastic discussion and negotiation about
the proposed business ties. Instead, CEO, Dr Kato Yuto, appears rather restrained and he does not show much engagement or commitment. Actually, the conversation is stilted, especially when Dr Kato Yuto turns to his management colleagues to interrupt the conversation. Michael expected that due to his position, Dr Kato Yuto would be more assertive rather than often seeking reassurance from the other company representatives. Yet, Michael was cautiously optimistic about securing an arrangement since he did not receive any kind of objection to his proposals. At the end of the day, Dr Kato Yuto finally thanks Michael for the productive meeting, and he invites him and his wife to go to the lively Shibuya district for a typical Japanese dinner and drinks. After all the talking, Michael and Susan feel very exhausted, but they do not want to reject this hospitality. Together with Dr Kato Yuto and his management team, they reconvene in a busy restaurant where they are served a variety of Japanese dishes and drinks of beer and Sake rice wine. While chatting, Dr Kato Yuto compliments J-M Beans for having received several international awards for their coffee beans. Michael is glad that the conversation shifts back to business issues. He elaborates on the huge success these awards represent for the company and says that they are the only coffee company in Australia that has received such remarkable acclaim. At around 10pm, Michael and Susan feel really tired. They thank Dr Kato Yuto for hosting a cordial gathering, and quickly exit to head back to their hotel for rest. Michael and Susan do some sightseeing the next day as planned. In the evening, they fly back to Australia, believing all went well. One week later, J-M Beans receives a surprising letter from the Shoka CEO stating that unfortunately they will not be able to import and stock their products at this time.