Home | Working in Japan | Decision making process in a Japanese company
In Japan, decision making is a very long process and it happens as a Group consensus.
All stakeholders involved in a project will go through the decision making process.
One project leader or coordinator will create a document for decision making and get approval from all stakeholders.
This is done by Ringi system and Nemawashi is used to get it done smoothly
Ringi
A formal decision making process involving all stakeholders
Nemawashi
Informal way of getting a sign off from all stakeholders
Nemawashi is very important as we will have to do it many times while working in Japan.
How disagreements are handled
+ Many a times some disagreement will happen or Japanese may have to give a negative response to us
+ When there is a negative response, Japanese will not openly express it. They will say, “let me think about it and get back to you”.
+ They feel there is an appropriate time and way to discuss and resolve any issues or differences. This is usually done in private.
+ Japanese do not like disagreeing in public or to debate or confront. Even among their own group.
+ They feel this is disrupting the harmony of the group. Japanese always go by consensus.
+ So to resolve any issue or sort out an disagreement, they do it offline.
+ Meet with all stakeholders (with whom any disagreement is there or any issue to be resolved) separately during in a one to one meeting or nomikai. Nomikai means a Meeting over Drink (Nomi means Drink and Kai means Meeting)