ERABLE FAVOR BY THE AMERICAN EMPLOYEE OF THEJAPANESE COMPANY BECAUSE HE TAKES IT AS EVIDENCE THAT THE MANAGEMENT REALLY CARESABOUT HIS OWN WELFARE. IT CAN TURN INTO A VERY GOOD THING INDEED IN TERMS OF LABORRELATIONS. JAPAN IS BY NO MEANS A HARMONIUS WHOLE. BITTER COMPETITION EXISTS WITHIN JAPAN-ACCORDING TO STRICTLY DEFINED RULES-BUT IS SELDOM PERCEIVED BY THE WESTERN OBSERVER.THESE ATTITUDES SOMETIMES MAKE FOR CURIOUS RELATIONS BETWEEN GROUPS OF COMPANIESWHICH, IN PREWORLD II DAYS, WERE REFERRED TO AS ZAIBATSU. COMPETITORS WILL OFTEN SEE TOIT THAT NO ONE "BREAKS THE OTHER MAN'S RICE BOWL." THE SCOPE OF THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PERMIT AN EXPLORATION OF THESE FASCINATINGINTERLOCKINGS WHICH CAN BE QUITE MYSTERIOUS TO THE NON- JAPANESE. THE PURPOSE OFRAISING THE ISSUE HERE IS SIMPLY TO ADVISE YOU THAT YOU MAY FIND IN YOUR NEGOTIATIONSWITH A PARTICULAR JAPANESE COMPANY, THAT FOR REASONS NOT CLEAR TO YOU, YOU WILL BEASKED TO ENGAGE SIMULTANEOUSLY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH EITHER OTHER COMPANIES,GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES, OR EVEN PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE ROLES DO NOT SEEM TO BERELATED TO THE PARTICULAR SELLING PROGRAM ON WHICH YOU MAY BE ENGAGED. HESE ACTIONS, WHICH MAY BE MYSTERIOUS TO YOU, ARE ALL AIMED AT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THEJAPANESE COMPANY'S GOALS. THESE GOALS ARE OFTEN QUITE DIFFERENT IN DEGREE AND KINDFROM WHAT A WESTERN MANAGER MIGHT IMAGINE HIS OWN TO BE IF HE WERE IN THE PLACE OF HISJAPANESE COUNTER- PART. THE JAPANESE ARE MANY TIMES AS FRUSTRATED WITH TRYING TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE WEST ASTHE WEST IS WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOME COURSE OF ACTION THATIS SO OBVIOUS TO A JAPANESE ...
