Cover not available

Article published In: Journal of Asian Pacific Communication
Vol. 28:2 (2018) ► pp.303–322

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Expected feedback and successful adaptation to a multinational organization (MNO)

A comparison between American and Japanese employees

 | Western Kentucky University
Published online: 10 August 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.00014.ish
Abstract
This study examined expected feedback and employee adaptation to a multinational organization (MNO). The survey data were collected from 262 American and Japanese members from Japanese MNOs in the U.S. The results revealed that American employees valued feedback and expected both direct and indirect styles of feedback more than Japanese. Although there was no difference in the expected frequency of direct feedback, American employees expected to receive a higher frequency of indirect feedback than Japanese members. Further, a high frequency of direct feedback contributed to successful adaptation of both American and Japanese members. These findings provide guidance for an increasing number of MNO managers.
Article outline
  • Literature review
    • Theoretical framework
    • Communication differences between Japanese and American people
    • Cultural differences in feedback styles
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Procedures
    • Measures
      • Expected feedback-receiving style
      • Frequency of feedback received
      • Value of feedback
      • Adaptation to an MNO
    • Data analyses
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Practical implications
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (77)
References
Allen, D. G. (2006). Do organizational socialization tactics influence newcomer embeddedness and turnover? Journal of Management, 321, 237–256. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ando, N. (2014). The effect of localization on subsidiary performance in Japanese multinational corporations. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 251, 1995–2012. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Andrews, M. C., & Kacmar, K. M. (2001). Confirmation and extension of the sources of feedback scale in service-based organizations. The Journal of Business Communication, 381, 206–226. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Arasaratnam, L. A. (2009). The Development of a New Instrument of Intercultural Communication Competence. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 20, 2.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ashford, S. J. (1986). Feedback-seeking in individual adaptation: A resources perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 291, 465–487. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ashford, S. J., & Taylor, S. M. (1990). Adaptation to work transitions: An integrative approach. In K. M. Rowland & G. R. Ferris (Eds). Research in personnel and human resources management (Vol. 81, pp. 1–39). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Avtgis, T. A., & Rancer, A. S. (2004). Personalization of conflict across cultures: A comparison among the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 331, 109–119.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Babbie, E. (2011). The basics of social research (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bolkan, S., & Daly, J. (2009). Organizational responses to consumer complaints: An examination of effective remediation tactics. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 371, 21–39. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bresnahan, J. B., Shearman, S. M., Lee, S. Y., Park, C. Y., Mosher, D., & Ohashi, R. (2002). Responding to a friend: Social appropriateness and liking in Japan, Korea, and the United States. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 311, 127–145.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bullis, C. (1999). Mad or bad: A response to Kramer and Miller. Communication Monographs, 661, 368–373. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Burgoon, J. K. (1978). A communication model of personal space violations: Explication and An initial test. Human Communication Research, 41, 129–142. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(1993). Interpersonal expectations, expectancy violations, and emotional communication. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 121, 30–48. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Burgoon, J. K., & Hubbard, A. S. E. (2005). Cross-cultural and intercultural applications of expectancy violations theory and interaction adaptation theory. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing about intercultural communication theory (pp. 149–172). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Burgoon, J. K., & Walther, J. B. (1990). Nonverbal expectancies and the evaluative consequences of violations. Human Communication Research, 171, 232–265. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Caligiuri, P., & Lazarova, M. (2002). A model of the influence of social interaction and social support on female expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 131, 761–772. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2005). Foundations of Intercultural Communication. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cho, J. (2014). Impacts of information-providers’ perceived cultural backgrounds on information-seeking behaviors: Investigation of American employees’ information-seeking behaviors in a Korean multinational corporation in the US. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 411, 66–79. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Du-Babcock, B., & Tanaka, H. (2013). A comparison of the communication behaviors of Hong Kong Chinese and Japanese business professionals in intracultural and intercultural decision-making meetings. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 271, 263–287. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Firth, B. M., Chen, G., Kirkman, B. L., & Kim, K. (2014). Newcomers abroad: Expatriate adaptation during early phases of international assignments. Academy of Management Journal, 571, 280–300. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fisher, C. D. (1986). Organizational socialization: An integrative review. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 41, 101–145. ISBN: 0-89232-606-9Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Furusawa, M., & Brewster, C. (2016). IHRM and expatriation in Japanese MNCs: HRM practices and their impact on adjustment and job performance. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 1–25. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gallagher, E. B., & Sias, P. M. (2009). The new employee as a source of uncertainty: Veteran employee information seeking about new hires. Journal of Communication, 731, 23–46. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gomez, C. (2003). The relationship between acculturation, individualism/collectivism, and job attribute preferences for Hispanic MBAs. Journal of Management Studies, 401, 1089–1105. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gudykunst, W. B. (2005). Anxiety/uncertainty management (AUM) theory of effective communication: Making the net and mesh finer. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing about intercultural communication theory (pp. 281–322). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gudykunst, W. B., & Kim, Y. Y. (2002). Communication with strangers: An approach to intercultural communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gudykunst, W. B., Matsumoto, W., Ting-Toomey, S., Nishida, T., Kim, K., & Heyman, S. (1996). The influence of cultural individualism-collectivism, self construals, and individual values on communication styles across cultures. Human Communication Research, 221, 510–413. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gudykunst, W. B., & Nishida, T. (1984). Individual and cultural influences on uncertainty reduction. Communication Monographs, 511, 23–36. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hall, E. T. (1976) Beyond culture. New York: Doubleday.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Heyman, G. D., Itakura, S., & Lee, K. (2011). Japanese and American children’s reasoning about accepting credit for prosocial behavior. Social Development, 201, 171–184. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hofstede, G. (1980) Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2001). Cultures, consequences: Comparing values, behavior, institutions and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hofstede, G., & Hofstede, G. J., (2005). Cultures ad organizations: Software of the mind (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hughes, N. L. (2009). Changing faces: Adaptation of highly skilled Chinese workers to a high-tech multinational corporation. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 451, 212–238. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Inoue, Y. (2007). Cultural fluency as a guide to effective intercultural communication: The case of Japan and the U.S. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 151, Retrieved from: [URL].
Jablin, F. M. (2001). Organizational entry, assimilation, and disengagement/exit. In F. M. Jablin & L. L. Putnam (Eds.), The new handbook of organizational communication: Advances in theory, research, and methods (pp. 732–818). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Johnson, D. I. (2012). Swearing by peers in the work setting: Expectancy violation valence, perceptions of message, and perceptions of speaker. Communication Studies, 631, 136–151. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kameda, N. (2000). Communication competency of Japanese managers in Singapore. Corporate Communications, 51, 204–209. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Khatri, N. (2009). Consequences of power distance orientation in organisations. The Journal of Business Perspective, 131, 1–9. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Khoo, K. I. (2014). Qualitative study explains Japanese students’ reactions to American instructors’ immediacy: Effects of cross-cultural classroom communication. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 151, 17–25. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kim, Y. S. (2007). Communication experiences of Korean expatriates in the U.S.: A Study of cross-cultural adaptation. Human Communication, 101, 213–230.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2008). Communication experiences of American expatriates in South Korea: A study of cross-cultural adaptation. Human Communication. 111, 511–528.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kitayama, S., & Ishii, K. (2002). Word and voice: spontaneous attention to emotional utterances in two languages. Cognition and Emotion, 161, 29–59. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Koc, E. (2013). Power distance and its implications for upward communication and empowerment: crisis management and recovery in hospitality services. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 241, 3681–3696. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Komisarof, A. (2011). On the front lines of forging a global society: Japanese and American coworkers in Japan. Tokyo: Reitaku University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kramer, M. W. (1993). Communication and uncertainty reduction during job transfers: Leaving and joining process. Communication Monographs, 601, 178–198. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lee, H. -W. (2007). Factors that influence expatriate failure: An interview study. International Journal of Management, 241, 403–413.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
MacDonald, H. A., Sulsky, L. M., Spence, J. R., & Brown, D. J. (2013). Cultural differences in the motivation to seek performance feedback: A comparative policy-capturing study. Human Performance, 261, 211–235. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Masumoto, T. (2004). Learning to “Do Time’ in Japan: A study of US interns in Japanese organizations. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 41, 19–37. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Menguc, B., Sang-Lin, H., & Seigyuoung, A. (2007). A test of a model of new salespeople’s socialization and adjustment in a collectivist culture. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 271, 149–167. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Merkin, R. S. (2009). Cross-cultural differences in approach-avoidance communication in South Korea and the US. Human Communication, 121, 199–121.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Merkin, R. S., Taras, V., & Steel, P. (2014). State of the art themes in cross-cultural communication research: A systematic and meta-analytic review. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 381, 1–23. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Morrison, E. W. (1993). Newcomer information seeking: Exploring types, modes, sources, and outcomes. Academy of Management Journal, 361, 557–589. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Morrison, E. W., Chen, Y. -R., & Selgado, S. R. (2004). Cultural differences in newcomer feedback seeking: A comparison of the United States and Hong Kong. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 531, 1–22. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Myers, K. K., & Oetzel, J. G. (2003). Exploring the dimensions of organizational assimilation: Creating and validating a measure. Communication Quarterly, 511, 438–457. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Oetzel, J., Ting-Toomey, S., Masumoto, T., Yokochi, Y., Pan, X. H., Takai, J., et al. (2001). Face and facework in conflict: A cross-cultural comparison of China, Germany, Japan, and the United States. Communication Monograph, 681, 235–258. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Oetzel, J., Ting-Toomey, S., Chew-Sanchez, M. I., Harris, R., Wilcox, R., & Stumpf, S. (2003). Face and facework in conflicts with parents and siblings: A cross-cultural comparison of Germans, Japanese, Mexicans, and US Americans. Journal of Family Communication, 31, 67–93. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Park, H. S., Levine, T. R., Weber, R., Lee, H. E., Terra, L. I., Botero, I. C., Bessarabova, E., Guan, X., Shearman, S. M., & Wison, M. S. (2012). Individual and cultural variations in direct communication style. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 361, 179–187. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Puck, J. F., Kittler, M. G., & Wright, C. (2008). Does it really work? Re-assessing the impact of pre-departure cross-cultural training on expatriate adjustment. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 191, 2182–2197. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Reio, T. G., Jr., & Sutton, F. C. (2006). Employer assessment of work-related competencies and workplace adaptation. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 171, 305–324. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ren, R. W., & Fedor, D. B. (2001). Development and field test of a feedback seeking, self-efficacy, and goal setting model of work performance. Journal of Management, 271, 563–583. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Richardson, R. M., & Smith, S. W. (2007). The influence of high/low-context culture and power distance on choice of communication media: Students’ media choice to communicate with professors in Japan and America. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 311, 479–501. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rodriguez, A., & Brown, A. (2014). Cultural differences: A cross-cultural study of urban planners from Japan, Mexico, the U.S., Serbia-Montenegro, Russia, and South Korea. Public Organization Review, 141, 35–50. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rygg, K. (2015). Japanese and Norwegian metapragmatic perceptions of contextual factors in intercultural business communication. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 38, 7.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Saks, A. M., & Ashforth, B. E. (1997). Socialization tactics and newcomer information acquisition. Journal of Selection and Assessment, 51, 48–61. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2015). Communicating between cultures (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sato, Y. (2010). Kuki ga yomenai: Situated face-threatening act within Japanese social interaction. Research on Youth and Language, 41, 173–181.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Simosi, M. (2010). The role of social socialization tactics in the relationship between socialization content and newcomers’ affective commitment. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 251, 301–327. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Suhoyo, Y., Van Hell, E. A., Prihatiningsihi, T. S., Kuks, J. B. M., & Cohen-Schotanus, J. (2014). Exploring cultural differences in feedback processes and perceived instructiveness during clerkships: Replicating a Dutch study in Indonesia. Medical Teacher, 361, 223–229. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sunaoshi, Y. (2005). Historical context and intercultural communication: Interactions between Japanese and American factory workers in the American South. Language in Society, 341, 185–217. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sully de Luque, M. F., & Sommer, S. M. (2000). The impact of culture of feedback seeking behavior: An integrated model and propositions. Academy of Management Review, 251, 829–849. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sweeney, E., & Hua, Z. (2010). Accommodating toward your audience: Do native speakers of English know how to accommodate their communication strategies toward nonnative speakers of English? Journal of Business Communication, 471, 477–504. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Taylor, C. R., Franke, G. R., & Maynard, M. L. (2000). Attitudes toward direct marketing and its regulation: A comparison of the United States and Japan. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 191, 228–237. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tili, T. R., & Barker, G. G. (2015). Communication in intercultural marriages: Managing cultural differences and conflicts. Southern Communication Journal, 801, 189–210. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ting-Toomey, S., & Chung, L. C. (2005). Understanding intercultural communication. Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Yamagishi, T., Hashimoto, H., Cook, K. S., Kiyonari, T., Shimada, M., Mifune, N., Inukai, K., Takagishi, H., Horita, Y., & Li, Y. (2012). Modesty in self-presentation: A comparison between the USA and Japan. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 151, 60–68. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue