Managment: Japanese Culture in Western Business

Let's say you are the sales manager for a firm based in the United States that is beginning to market its products to overseas clients. In fact, several groups are visiting your firm, with the first being from Japan. To be better prepared to receive them, you want to do some research on potential areas of cultural conflict. You want to research ways they may act and think as individuals and as groups versus what you normally experience with customers that are based in the United States.

Go to the Web site listed, and can you help me answer the following questions:

What are some of the particular practices that Westerners need to be aware of when dealing with Japanese business people? The practices to comment on include the following:

A Japanese manager's approach when dealing with groups or teams

How Japanese social customs may be different than those in the United States

In your opinion, how do the different management approaches toward groups and teams (regarding the United States and Japan) add or subtract from potential company performances?