The attributes of a leader who motivates employees differ according to their culture; a Japanese employee who works for his company more than achieves personal success cannot be motivated by disbursing a personal benefits package away from the continuity of the company's entity. I will discuss Hofstede's cultural dimensions between the United States and Japan in this paper. According to Module 2, I will discuss the traits a leader needs to motivate both teams and what opportunities and challenges exist.
Hofstede's cultural dimensions between the USA and Japan:
According to (Hofstede Insights, nd), we will find the following:
1. POWER DISTANCE
Japan: 54—The functional hierarchy is essential, but the leader cannot make decisions alone.
United States: 40 - Equality, decentralization, and sharing responsibilities and decisions.
2. INDIVIDUALISM
Japan: 46 - The principle of self-denial and employees are loyal to their companies until the end of life.
United States: 91 - Great individualism and a clear affirmation of equal rights, freedoms, and justice.
3. MASCULINITY
Japan: 95 - The motivation of employees towards excellence and perfection is excellent.
United States: 62- The drive for success is highly individual.
4. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
Japan: 92 - Employees are prepared for sudden situations and accustomed to Japan's volatile weather.
US: 46 - Acceptance of new ideas, innovative products, and desire to try something new or different.
5. LONG TERM ORIENTATION
Japan: 88 - Employees serve corporate sustainability, not quarterly profit.
United States: 26—They tend to profit more quickly, but they analyze the information to ensure it is correct.
6. INDULGENCE
JAPAN: 42 - Employees adhere to social norms and feel it is wrong to indulge their personal preferences.
United States: 68 - Work, play, and enjoy yourself.
Traits a Leader Needs to Motivate:
Since the question deals with the attributes of a leader to motivate employees away from packages of benefits and bonuses, the characteristics of the leader can be limited to two methods of dealing, one for the American employees and the other for the Japanese:
United States: According to (Yancey & Watanabe, 2009), among American employees, a leader must be strong in character, he/she must affect individuals and be ultimately connected to them; the leader must have the inspiration to pass on his vision to the team, the leader demonstrates the strength of his passion for his vision and ideas, everyone around him/her is affected by, and they seek to implement his/her vision, the leader must be honest, take decisions and take responsibility for himself, motivation depends on the development of the American employee's challenge to himself and his ability to get the work done, also, every American is treated according to his personal culture.
Japan: According to (Drucker, 1971), the leader must be flexible, teamwork and harmonious, and lay the foundations that do not contradict the culture of the Japanese; he understands that he is part of the decision-making mechanism and not the controller; he must consult with those around him, and he knows that the decision takes a long time to implement, that is after he reaches the point of total agreement on the decision, a leader must have patience and exert more effort in influencing and persuading, motivation always lies in helping everyone around him to understand the decision and its consequences and the ability to change for the better.
Challenges and opportunities for leadership motives:
Because of the big difference between the leadership styles between the United States and Japan, the challenge is that the leader must deal with the Japanese and American teams according to their culture. Still, there are opportunities for the leader to use them appropriately; for example, an American employee works more for himself than for the benefit of the team or the company; if the success of the company is linked to his success, his salary and incentives increase, the employee will make every effort for that, the opposite of the Japanese employee who puts the company's interest ahead of his own, therefore, the leader must show the benefits of his decisions to the Japanese employee about the continuity of the company and its ability to survive (FUKUSHIMA, 2001).
Conclusion
A leader should be open to the difference between American and Japanese culture; knowing the different needs of the employees will make the process of motivating them to achieve their goals easier; motivation is an essential factor for a leader and a team; an effective leader must have an accurate knowledge of the motivating factors of the work team, a leader must ensure that the company has the same goals and ethics that he pursues in his employees.
References
Drucker, P. (1971). What We Can Learn from Japanese Management, https://hbr.org/1971/03/what-we-can-learn-from-japanese-management
FUKUSHIMA, G. (2001). Understanding 'leadership' in Japan, https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2001/03/28/commentary/understanding-leadership-in-japan/#.XnlVPYhKg2w
Hofstede Insights (nd). Compare Countries: Retrieved from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/
Hughes, R., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (1996). Leadership. Chicago, Irwin.
Yancey, G. B., & Watanabe, N. (2009). Differences in perceptions of leadership between US and Japanese workers. The Social Science Journal, 46(2), 268-281.