Jinmyaku (Japan)
| Jinmyaku | ||
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| Location: Japan | ||
| Author: Sven Horak | ||
| Affiliation: The Peter J Tobin College of Business, St John's University, New York | ||
Original text by Sven Horak
The Japanese term jinmyaku (人脈) loosely translates as ‘personal connections’. The word jin stands for ‘person’ and myaku translates as ‘vein’, as in a geological vein of mineral deposits. Jinmyaku is of paramount importance in business and politics and is vital in other aspects of life. Members of a jinmyaku network support and help each other in terms of career progression and in making decisions. Having a large jinmyaku network consisting of influential members is said to be ‘a symbol of security and status’ (Erez 1992: 57[1]). Establishing jinmyaku is a lifetime process which starts early in life at a child’s school. Whereas the Japanese are known to be rather reserved towards people they do not know, an introduction by a third person through jinmyaku can open doors and help in debates or negotiations where rational arguments alone cannot secure an agreement (Mitsubishi Corporation 2011[2]).
References and Bibliography
Gilbert, D. 2003. 'Strategic Decision-Making in Japanese Trading Companies: Case Studies of Information Search Activities', Journal of Management & Organization, 9(1): 27–40. Kevenhörster, P., Pascha, W., Shire, K. 2003. Japan. Wirtschaft Gesellschaft Politik. Opladen: Leske & Budrich. Kumon, S. 1992. 'Japan as a Network Society', in S. Kumon and H. Rosovsky (eds.), Political Economy of Japan (3), Cultural and Social Dynamics (pp. 109–41). Stanford: Stanford University Press. Nakane, C. 1965. 'Towards a Theory of Japanese Social Structure. An Unilateral Society', The Economic Weekly, 17(5-6-7): 197–216. Scarborough, J. 1998. The Origins of Cultural Differences and Their Impact on Management. Westport, CT: Quorum. Suzuki, N. 1989. The Attributes of Japanese CEOs: Can They be Trained?', Journal of Management Development, 8(4): 5–11. Van Wolferen, K. 1993. The Enigma of Japanese Power. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle.
Notes
- ↑ Erez, M. 1992. 'Interpersonal Communication Systems in Organisations, and their Relationships to Cultural Values, Productivity and Innovation: The Case of Japanese Corporations', Applied Psychology, 41(1): 43–64.
- ↑ Mitsubishi Corporation. 2011. Japanese Business Language. An Essential Dictionary. Oxon: Routledge.