Doing Business with the New Japan [Hardcover]

James Hodgson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2000

A decade after overtaking the U.S. economy and achieving global dominance, the Japanese juggernaut faltered dramatically. Today the question is not who dominates whom, but rather how we manage our now-obvious interdependence. The answer is the legions of Japanese and American managers and officials involved in the day-to-day and face-to-face negotiations that drive commerce. In this invaluable book, three experts pool their decades of experience to provide a pragmatic guide for Westerners doing business in Japan. The authors explain Japanese negotiating techniques and provide practical advice on conducting effective meetings with Japanese clients.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Deep insight. Easy reading. Neophyte or old hand, you’ll learn much for your next negotiation in Tokyo. Graham and Sano’s unique collaboration has produced a book that’s indispensable for anyone doing business with the Japanese. (Louis T. Wells )

The authors have built a bridge over the Pacific Basin. Taken seriously, it can help foster mutual understanding and economic growth. (Peter V. Ueberroth )

Graham and Sano are keen observers of Japanese and American business interactions. Their insights will prove valuable to the reader intent on being effective in one of the world’s toughest business environments. (Shinsaku Sogo )

Splendid! It is indeed timely and very appropriate to the present situation. I hope our public officials and business leaders read it and take it seriously. (J. William Fulbright )

Smart Bargaining is an articulate, fast-reading book that is must reading for businesspeople on either side of the Pacific. (Walter F. Beran )

An excellent discussion of negotiating with the Japanese. (Tom Roehl Administrative Science Quarterly )

Seldom does one come across a book that so successfully bridges the world of theory and the world of practice. Graham and Sano not only prove that academic research and practical knowledge can be melded together, but in the process they also provide us with insights and guidelines that would take any individual businessperson a lifetime of experience to gain. (Richard P. Bagozzi )

The best book ever written on Japanese business negotiating behavior. It provides a fair, precise, well-balanced analysis of often irrational, profoundly culture-bound, and sometimes enigmatic Japanese behavior. Very highly recommended not only to Western businesspeople but perhaps also to Japanese businesspeople, who would otherwise lose in every business negotiation. (Hiroshi Kimura )

Studded with real-life examples of cross-cultural missteps by U.S. firms, the book provides authoritative advice on how to avoid the same fate. (Book Page, Nashville, Tn )

In this practical and insightful guide, the authors offer an excellent explanation of Japanese negotiating techniques and provide down-to-earth advice about carrying out effective meetings with Japanese business professionals….This readable volume is highly recommended for any Westerner interested in learning about Japan's business culture. (Choice )

Hodgson teams with Sano and Graham in this excellent, informative update to their earlier work....This volume is profound in the lessons and personal advice presented and explained with a very deep understanding of Japanese culture....Highly recommended. (Choice, June 2008 )

About the Author

James Day Hodgson was U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1974 to 1977 and U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1970 to 1973. He has been corporate director and consultant to companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Toyota. He has published in International Public Relations Journal and the Washington Post. Yoshihiro Sano is president of Pacific Alliance Group, a consulting firm specializing in cross-border mergers and investments. He is the coauthor with John Graham of Smart Bargaining: Doing Business with the Japanese (Harper & Row, 1989). John L. Graham is professor of international business and marketing at the graduate school of management at the University of California, Irvine. He is coauthor of International Marketing (Irwin, 1999) and coeditor of Global and International Marketing (Irwin, 1997). He has published in the Harvard Business Review, the Sloan Management Review, the Columbia Journal of World Business, the Journal of Marketing, Strategic Management Journal, Marketing Science, the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of International Business Studies, the Journal of Higher Education, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times. He has been a consultant to Toyota, the Foreign Service Institute, Hyundai, Ford, AT&T, Prudential, Intel, and Rockwell International.

James Day Hodgson was U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1974 to 1977 and U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1970 to 1973. He has been corporate director and consultant to companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Toyota. He has published in International Public Relations Journal and the Washington Post. Yoshihiro Sano is president of Pacific Alliance Group, a consulting firm specializing in cross-border mergers and investments. He is the coauthor with John Graham of Smart Bargaining: Doing Business with the Japanese (Harper & Row, 1989). John L. Graham is professor of international business and marketing at the graduate school of management at the University of California, Irvine. He is coauthor of International Marketing (Irwin, 1999) and coeditor of Global and International Marketing (Irwin, 1997). He has published in the Harvard Business Review, the Sloan Management Review, the Columbia Journal of World Business, the Journal of Marketing, Strategic Management Journal, Marketing Science, the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of International Business Studies, the Journal of Higher Education, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times. He has been a consultant to Toyota, the Foreign Service Institute, Hyundai, Ford, AT&T, Prudential, Intel, and Rockwell International.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (April 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847699285
• ISBN-13: 978-0847699285
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,587,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, August 23, 2000

By 

Aaron Graham (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doing Business with the New Japan (Hardcover)

I'm working in Silicon Valley for a company that deals regularly with the Japanese. Personally, I have lived and worked in Japan, so I am not completely new to the complex culture. Recently, I've been searching for a current book that addresses specifically problems that can arise and solutions to those problems in negotiations between Americans and Japanese. This book does just that.

The first portion of the book compares Japan and the US in cultural terms. Newcomers to Japan will find this section very useful. I enjoyed the section, as it allowed me to review material that I had learned through reading other books on Japan and through personal experiences. The second section, the Business of Face-to-Face Negotiation, was the reason I bought the book. It provides a detailed analysis of negotiating with the Japanese - who to send, what character traits are effective in dealing with Japanese, timing, process, etc. In addition, all of the information is supported by anecdotes of the authors, who all have long, impressive careers in working with Japan.

Overall, it think the book is excellent and would recommend it to anyone who negotiates with the Japanese - whether that person is a newcomer to the Japanese culture or a Japanophile.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're working with Japan you need this book, October 23, 2007

By 

Ian R. Gilyeat (Gilbert, Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doing Business with the New Japan (Hardcover)

I spent the last three years working with a Japanese client and leading a joint software development team with engineers in Japan and the U.S. This book was very helpful to me in helping me understand the nuances of Japanese culture and how to do business with them. Understanding the importanct of gifts, saying "no" , loyalty and other subtleties will be very important if you want to succeed in your relationships with Japan. I found this book to be extremely helpful.