I worked for Japanese automakers. Just a couple of observations. There is a collectiveness that is not as common in the US. I think that there may be some parts of what I wrote that may still be puzzling to them.

That said, I think that they have a mix — because there is a heirarchy in their culture. Respect for elders, parents, bosses, etc. is a very big deal. But there is also a sense of “togetherness” too. While Americans will now fight while the ship is sinking and continue even though the water is up to their shoulders, Japanese tend not to fight the same way and will recognize more quickly the ship is sinking and work together — understanding common fate.

(These are generalizations of course.)

I took this part out of the do original document above but in one Japanese company I worked for, one of the key principles was respect for the individual which was important in Japan in the 1950’s (when the company was created) because there was a tendency to conform and not accept those who spoke out. It was a reminder to give people space.

Those principles migrated with the company when it expanded to the US. One of my managers noted (accurately) that in the US, may be there should have been a reminder to “respect the team”. Americans don’t need to be reminded to respect the individual and don’t need to be given space. We will take it — we expect it. It was the team that some struggled with. (Another observation — some people used “respect for the individual” like a battering ram. A constant reminder when they did not get their way. These were the people that needed to be reminded that “team was critically important too”.)