1. What similarities and differences can you identify between North American and Japanese working styles?
2. In what way did this company reflect the characteristics of other Confucian Asia countries?
3. Why do you think Samira was not seen as a team player?
4. What universal leadership attributes did Samira exhibit?
5. What other suggestions would you have for Samira in this situation?
Samira Tanaka, a college student, was recently hired to work as an intern for a Japanese auto company. The company culture was a blend of Japanese and American, with a mixture of employees from both regions. Those from America were often seen as being production focused while those of Japanese origin often were viewed as team centered to the detriment of effectiveness.
During the internship, Samira often downplayed her success because she did not want to be seen as overly assertive. She sometimes initiated projects to improve processes and sought opinions and participation from others. Samira did not, however, choose to talk to other employees about her family.
On her performance evaluation, her manager praised her as being very dependable, planning deadlines well, and being very competent at her tasks overall. However, he also told her she was increasingly perceived as too pushy, not a team player, and one who often spoke out of turn. Samira was shocked at the review.