What hurdles do American businesswomen face in doing business with Japanese firms?
Foreign women are typically seen by the Japanese as foreigners first, and then as female, and so cannot be compared with Japanese women. That being said, American business women do face some unique challenges in Japan. Most Japanese men have never worked with women in positions of management, and are unfamiliar with what the woman’s true role is. They will be looking for clues on the American business woman’s position and ability. Competency counts, so the success or failure of the American woman in Japan depends more on ability and personality than gender. Japanese place much stock in titles, and although they may never have worked with female managers before, if the business card says Vice President, they they will most often treat her as a Vice President. Japanese men will also take clues from the other members of the American team as to how the woman should be treated. It is important for American men to support their female colleagues in meetings. For example, Japanese men often w
