Comparison between power distance in Japan and the United States.

     The distance between power in the workplace is fundamentally different based on culture. I noticed that in the west, japanese workplaces are depicted as super strict and cutthroat, or even militaristic and because of this I thought it was a culture that was exclusive only to Japan. I realized, while reading the supplementary text and thinking back to a discussion I had with a japanese student in a different class, I realized that the high power distance in Japan depends on the company. From the conversation I noted that the newer companies have a lower power distance and the older/family owned companies have a higher power distance with the majority being a higher power distance. From one of the discussions in one of my other classes, I realized that a possible reason why the power distance in Japan is wide is due to the fact that the past eras of japan had strict power structures, and although the shogun eras have passed, the strong hierarchy in the workplace has persisted due to their lasting impression on the culture. 

    In comparison to workplaces in the US, it depends solely on the company. Another quality of the workplace culture in the US is that depending on the company, it can shift easily from a high power distance to a low power distance depending on whether or not the employees feel like they are being represented or treated well. Most americans place a lot of value on hearing everyone out and finding a solution together, but this is not the case for every company.  For example, the recent SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood were because they did not accept the high power distance and were being paid low wages and were unable to come to an agreement with the production higher-ups as they were not being listened to. This represents a shift from a high power distance to a lower power distance. 

    In conclusion, the difference between the culture of the power distances of Japan and the United States is that in Japan, the power distance has been high for a few hundred years and it would be hard to change unless the company has shifted towards a modern approach, whereas in the United States, the high power distance exists, but it can be easily changed because of the workplace culture US has. 

Comments

  1. ZimnakoOctober 13, 2025 at 11:11 PM

    Nice blog Felicia. I didn´t know about the SAG-AFTRA strikes, learned about it from your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. WilliamOctober 13, 2025 at 11:13 PM

    Well written blog post with a lot of info and comparisons! Nice job🫡

    ReplyDelete

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