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Executive summary
The purpose of doing this assignment is to understand and compare between 2 countries and how
the organizations able to make decisions does. If the company wants to invest at certain
countries, they might have to look at its customs, beliefs, values, culture and legislation.
Therefore, the organizations must study and understand the demographics and people itself in the
country they are investing or targeting.
Customs refers to the traditions or practice made by a group of community or country. A belief is
an acceptance or faith such as religions. Next, values can also be described as beliefs shared with
the community about what is good or bad. Culture can be in the forms of language, religion, arts
and music that have been passed on from generations to generations. Lastly, legislations are a
law made by the government to control and protect human rights. Each country has its own law
that suits the community or country.
For this assignment, Japan and United States of America were chosen in comparing its customs,
belief, religions, values, culture and legislation.
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Table of contents
No. Contents Page
1. Introduction 3
2. Japan 4-5
3. United States of America 6-7
4. Company decisions 8
5. Conclusion 9
6. References 10-11


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Introduction
An organization must consider about the countrys current issues they intended to invest in.
There is no point investing in a country that did not give profit. Therefore, current issues are
important for organizations in making decisions. For example, the current issue in Japan right
now is the anti-nuclear protest to shut off its nuclear reactor plant.
According to the Reuters dated March 10, 2013, thousands of Japanese are protesting against the
nuclear industry in Japan. The nuclear energy has long started since 1973. Its main objective is to
generate electricity as the country is too dependent on the imports of oil for its primary energy.
But it seemingly impossible to bear such a high cost in year 1973 as the price of the oil rose due
to the oil shock. At that time, Japan has already embraced the use of nuclear technology that is
believed to provide adequate amount of electricity for the whole country in the future. From that
day onwards, the nuclear power has been expected to play an important role in Japan growth
even though the country has a black history of nuclear weapons that have killed over hundred
thousand of its people during wartime. Its establishment has been driven by considering of
energy securities and reducing the dependence of import energy source (Mari & Sophie, 2013).
As time passes, the Japanese realized that the nuclear reactor has done more damage than good.
The nuclear meltdown in Fukushima two years ago has forced 160 thousand people away from
their homes and many will never return as they are scared about the effects of nuclear power.
Japan has lost nearly 15 thousand lives due to the tsunami and earthquake recently. Furthermore,
the country has been greatly affected by the nuclear weapon in the past and its after effect have
not dispersed completely (Nuclear Power in Japan, 2012).
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Japan
Japan is an island nation separated from the east coast of Asian and the Sea of Japan. It
comprises four main islands named Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku together with many
small islands. Moreover, it has four season climate that has different attractions each year. Japan
is famous with its tourist attractions as it has cherry blossoms during spring season, several hot
springs and breathtaking scenery of volcanic mountains (JapanFactSheet, 2011). Japan is in the
top ten largest populations which are about 127 million people in year 2011 (Data: World Bank,
2013).Japan ranks in number 24 on the ease of doing business index (Doing Business, 2013).
Japan is an Asian country that is rich in its custom, beliefs, values and cultures. Japanese bow to
each other as a sign of greetings. The degree and duration of the bow depends on the person you
are addressing as it shows respect to someone of higher social status. A deep bow (Dogeza)
shows a formal apology or request. Japanese are very shy towards strangers and usually mingle
with their own groups. Wearing shoes are prohibited in Japanese house and temple. When
entering a Japanese house (Ryokan), shoes are replaced with indoor slippers (Japan : Culture
Crossing, 2013). The Japanese usually eat using chopsticks. Furthermore, they also practice gift
giving when invited to a Japanese house. Tipping is uncommon in japan and it the workers did
not take any tips. Slurping a noodle is not considered rude as it indicates that the meal is tasty
(Fodor's Travel Intelligence, 2013).
In addition, the Japanese has shown various positive values in workplace. When a meeting is
being conducted, they are always punctual. It is considered as norm for Japanese to show up for
works and meetings early (Common Customs in Japan, 2013). Wearing a uniform to workplace
is common as children in early age have been taught wearing uniforms to school. Business cards
(meishi) have to be handed using both hands and it is rude to put the card straightaway in a
pocket. It is also rude to stare directly in the eyes when you are in a conversation (Fodor's Travel
Intelligence, 2013).
Shinto and Buddhism are Japans two major religions. Both religions have complemented each
other harmoniously as most Japanese considers themselves as Buddhist, Shintoism or both
(Japan guide, 2013). The value and belief in Japan are highly on creating harmony and peace.
They rely highly on social interactions and children are taught manners and respect from a very
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young age. Human fulfillment comes from having a good relationship with the society. As they
value harmony and peace, open confrontation and competition are always avoided. Japanese
highly respects each other and tries to maintain a close relationship with each other (Japanese
Culture : Iniside Japan, 2013). For example, when a gift is given, a gift is returned in kind
manners.

Japan is a country with a unique and attractive culture. Their cultures mainly are influenced from
the traditional Chinese culture that can be traced back from thousand years ago (Japanese Culture
: Iniside Japan, 2013). Traditional sports such as sumo is still popular until now. Sumo is
Japanese style of wrestling and has becoming national sports and practiced in various countries.
A kimono and yukata are traditional Japanese clothing and are made of silk. The traditional
clothing is often worn at formal or traditional occasions. A tea ceremony is an art of preparing
and drinking tea. It is popular among foreigners and is mostly included in their travelling
itinerary for them to experience the rich culture in Japan. Geisha are professional entertainers
that are trained in various traditional Japanese arts such as dance, music and communication (Go
Japan Go:Mi Marketing Pty Ltd., 2012).

Japan is known for being one of the safest countries in the world. The rules and regulations in
Japan do not differ so much from another country. For example, a regular citizen cannot possess
a gun or knives. The use of drugs will be punished by the law. Some of the laws are different
from other countries. For example, riding a bicycle under the influence of alcohol is prohibited
and do not take calls when you are cycling. This is because a bicycle is considered as vehicles in
Japanese law. Therefore, cyclist must cycle in the road and not on the sidewalk.

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United States of America (USA)

USA is a large nation situated in North America and the size is almost as big as China. It is the
worlds third largest population with over 310 million people. America is a federal constitutional
republic comprises of 50 states with Washington DC as the capital district. As the country is very
big, they experience different climate in different states. For example, Alaska is cold while
Florida is humid. Some of the places are dry and dessert like such as Southwest (WikiTravel,
2013). In addition, the country is considered as the world largest economic marked by steady
growth, rapid advances in technology and military power (News: BBC, 2013). United States of
America has been known as the worlds most ethnically diverse and multiracial nations. This
was due to the large-scale immigration made by British during colonization.

America is primarily a western culture but it is also influenced by other races as it is considered
as a melting pot country. Most of the citizens are from various countries that have migrated
there. Therefore, it is not easy to characterize the people and culture in the country. Their culture
also changes rapidly parallel with changes in technology. Handshake is a common way of
greetings when meeting people. The Americans is also known by their friendliness. They can
make new friends and start conversations easily. The most common cultures in United States are
tipping.

The Americans also have business etiquette and protocol but it may differ in certain regions as it
has different climate and geographic region. For example, people in the west usually dressed
casual in workplace whereas in the east, people are dressed more formally. When meeting
business partners, they usually shake hand with a firm, brief and confident manner. During
conversations, they will make eye contact. It is also common for people to keep the name card at
their back pocket and this is not considered as an insult. Getting to meetings on time and be
punctual is also a part of Americans business etiquette. They did not favor small talks during
meetings as the priority is getting the contracts rather than building a relationship (TripAdvisor
LLC, 2013).

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Christians is considered as the major religions in USA. Americans place high value on religions,
educations, freedom and the right to ones individual privacy. The highest value is the right to
individual freedom. They are also known to have strong sense of individualism. For example,
American childrens are taught to make their own decisions as they are responsible for their own
happiness and fulfillment. Students are expected to express their own views in which Asian
countries considered it as rude. The individual performance is measured with their own
accomplishment in life rather than their family or socioeconomic level (USA:Kwintessential Ltd,
2012).

USA has little or no less traditional culture in their country. However, Hawaii a part of US State
is rich in cultures. Music, photography, dance and art have been part of Hawaii culture. The hula
is a traditional dance in Hawaii and it represents the spirit of the land. Long ago, the hula dance
is actually a sacred ritual to their god ( HAWAIIAN STYLE ORGANIZATION, L.L.C., 2013).
The music in Hawaii is considered as the reflection of the island itself and most of its modern
music is a combination of both ancient and modern influence. Its musical instruments are mostly
made from plants, shells, and trees. The Hawaiians conducts various festivals celebrating its
culture full of arts, music and usually it lasted for weeks. Most of the cultures in arts can be
found in the museums and galleries (Hawaii culture:waimea, 2009).

The United States law consists of many forms of law. There are five sourced of law in the
American law which is the statutory, administrative, constitutional, common law and court
decisions. A statuary law is a written law set by the legislature. An administrative law is bodies
of laws that controls and regulate the administration and government agencies (Investopedia ,
2013). The supreme law in United States is the constitutional law and federal law. The supreme
law has the power to enact statutes (LexisNexis, 2013)


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Company decisions

In this era and age, globalization has been a major catalyst for companies to go international.
Due to globalization, a huge global marketplace has emerged from separate national market.
Globalization also has made outsourcing goods and services possible. It has attracted many
companies to invest in overseas as they guarantee a higher return and cheaper cost of production.
Therefore, what are the things a company needs to consider before making an investment
decisions?

Before starting a business in another country, the organizations must know its customs, beliefs,
values, culture and legislations. Comparisons have to be made to ensure gaining the maximum
profits. For example, when doing business in other countries, one should follow their customs.
For example, in japan, bowing is a sign of greetings whereas in America, a firm handshake is
used when greeting people.

Work etiquettes are also different in various countries. For example, when doing meetings with
Japanese, staring directly in their eyes is considered rude. But in United States, they will make
eye contacts when having conversations to show they are listening. In addition Japanese consider
it rude to keep the name card in the pocket soon after receiving it. In United States, it is typically
normal to keep name card in the pocket after receiving it.

When an international company wants to sell its product, they must consider what types of
product they can sell on the market. For example, if the company wanted to market a bicycle in
both countries. In Japan, they can sell bicycles with basket as most people are wearing it and are
considered normal. But in United States, they cannot sell the same item as Americans did not
ride as much as Japanese and they prefer mountain bike of fixie.

In a nut shell, the company must adapt to the country they are investing and consider the ease of
starting up an international business there. Different countries have different characteristics and
they are unique in certain ways.

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Conclusion

The customs, culture, values, belief and legislation varies in western based country and an Asian
based country. Before making decisions to invest, the firm must have an in depth knowledge
about the country and their legislations. By doing international business, a corporation can gain a
higher returns and broader market.

There are various challenges faced by the investor when investing in foreign country. There are
some recommendations that will minimize the problem. Before making the decision to invest,
the firm can gather all the necessary information for a better understanding about the country.
For example, if the country is not an English speaking country, the company will be having a
hard time communicating with them. For instance, in japan, they mainly speak Japanese. As
English is widely used in doing business globally, the foreign company can appoint an
intermediary to communicate with them. Furthermore, to set up a business in United States can
be troublesome as there are so many rules and regulations for a foreign company to invest in the
country. Getting a help from a lawyer will help you to understand its rule and regulations to set
up a business in United States easily.











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