After a quick two weeks full of adventure, our trip in Japan is over. Having very limited experience and interaction with Japanese business and culture, I relied heavily on my initial expectations and impressions. Fortunately, my initial impressions proved to be accurate throughout the entire trip, no matter which part of Japan we visited. The underlying themes of business and social interactions were based on respect and trust. Hearing from both American and Japanese companies, as well as American and Japanese employees working in these companies, was interesting to see the dynamic in which they carried themselves and their work. The Americans working in these companies had to make social shifts to adapt to the Japanese culture and business practices. For example, when making a certain decision, they had to take a step back and account how much their Western mindset was influencing the decision and whether or not it was in the best interest of Japanese customers. The Japanese employees working in American companies played an unspoken role in connecting with local audiences by making necessary adjustments to align the company socially. Going on this trip has changed my perspective on global business and what it means to understand the audience you are trying to reach. Beforehand, I believed I could understand a particular audience at a satisfactory level by doing research and interacting with that audience in the United States. This assumption was terribly wrong. While that can be a good starting point, I learned that you need to travel and indulge completely in an environment to begin to understand the people. Without this step, you aren?t able to appreciate and realize what motivates people, what they value, and how they interact with one another. For anyone on the fence about studying abroad, I highly encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and experience the beauty that comes with the nature and cultures different than what you?re accustomed to.
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