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Japan's Tycoons Abroad
It is an established fact
that throughout Asia and beyond, Japanese businessmen
are the least-liked among foreign employers. The
following article gives some reasons to explain the
image of the
"Ugly Japanese"
abroad, and how Japanese businessmen view the people
they have dealings with.
Throughout Asia and beyond, Japanese businessmen have earned a reputation for themselves as the least-liked among foreign employers. In many
important respects, that reputation is based -- with questionable validity
-- on hand-me-down memories of an earlier generation of Japanese during
World War II, and in some instances is unalterable for that reason. A
Filipino graphic designer, now in his middle 40's, refuses any business or
social dealings with Japanese because when he was a child, he had to bow
to every Japanese soldier he saw in the street. If he didn't bow, he got
kicked.
If the image of today's Japanese businessman abroad is doubtless a
highly exaggerated one, what irritates the nationals of many host countries
is the evidence that their "guests" are not only aware but oddly proud
of that image. Many Japanese executives insist that their poor image in
Asia and elsewhere is rooted in envy rather than nationalistic sensitivities.
A Malaysian Chinese executive observes that "what we outsiders see as
a sort of racial arrogance is not racial at all. It's merely a sense of
economic superiority, a sense of having done better than anyone else.
And it's not something you can argue about, because it's true".
A Malay official of the same firm agrees. "A Japanese
businessman's view of a whole country, or rather its
people, depends absolutely on just where that country
stands economically. I find that a Japanese will be
automatically in admiration of another businessman whose
country has, say, a higher per capita income than Japan.
It doesn't matter if your company is very successful, or very well managed or whatever. The Japanese
admire and love national success, not isolated corporate successes."
A Filipino academic shares this view. He observes: "The Japanese will
do business in a very respectful sort of way when dealing with a country
that is clearly more advanced economically than their own. But this
element evaporates as the gap between the two countries gets narrower.
It is beginning to happen to the Australians right now. Until a couple
of years ago, the Japanese were very polite to the Australians, not just
because they wanted raw materials but because Australia looked like a
dynamic, go-ahead economy. Now things have changed, and the Japanese
are telling the Aussies to get lost -- even though they still want those raw materials. The Japanese despise stagnation. They are incapable of seeing
an economic growth graph without translating it into an opinion of the
country and the people that the graph refers to."
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1. |
In the introduction, "Ugly Japanese" is put within inverted commas because |
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(A) |
it is a quotation. |
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(B) |
it is a derogatory term. |
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(C) |
it is a coined expression. |
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(D) |
it is a title given to all Japanese. |
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2. |
The Japanese businessman's poor image abroad is based mainly on |
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(A) |
unpleasant stories involving Japanese soldiers during World War II. |
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(B) |
their actual behaviour today. |
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(C) |
racial prejudice. |
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(D) |
their aggressive business tactics. |
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3. |
The writer is of the opinion that the reputation the Japanese have earned |
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(A) |
should not be taken seriously. |
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(B) |
is completely undeserved. |
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(C) |
can never be altered. |
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(D) |
is not soundly based. |
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4. |
The Filipino graphic designer's attitude towards Japanese is based on |
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(A) |
what he has heard about Japanese behaviour during the war. |
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(B) |
an unpleasant war experience involving Japanese soldiers. |
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(C) |
a belief in the bad reputation of Japanese businessmen. |
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(D) |
his own anti-social behaviour. |
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5. |
What does the writer say about the Japanese
businessman's reputation abroad ? |
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(A) |
It has certainly been magnified. |
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(B) |
It is without a doubt a very impressive one. |
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(C) |
It is certainly a false one. |
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(D) |
It is an unfair one. |
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6. |
According to the passage, many nationals are
annoyed with the Japanese businessmen in their country because the
letter |
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(A) |
are not ashamed of their poor image. |
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(B) |
go all out to project their poor image. |
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(C) |
seem to take pleasure in their poor image. |
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(D) |
are not aware of their poor image. |
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7. |
From the Japanese businessman's point of
view, his poor image in Asia and elsewhere is the result of |
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(A) |
nationalistic sensitivities. |
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(B) |
anti-Japanese sentiments. |
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(C) |
racial arrogance. |
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(D) |
the jealousy that people have of his economic
superiority. |
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8. |
What impresses a Japanese businessman most
of all seems to be |
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(A) |
a well-managed company. |
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(B) |
a successful national economy. |
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(C) |
corporate successes. |
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(D) |
another successful businessman. |
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9. |
There is evidence in the last paragraph to
show that the Japanese |
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(A) |
no longer wish to do business with Australia. |
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(B) |
are no longer in need of Australian raw materials. |
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(C) |
are no longer as respectful and polite to the
Australians as they used to be. |
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(D) |
despise Australia, Australian businessmen and Australian
products. |
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10. |
How have the Australians lost the respect of
the Japanese ? |
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(A) |
They are now unable to supply the Japanese with the raw
materials they want. |
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(B) |
They had projected a false image of their economy and
have been found out. |
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(C) |
Their country has had to ask Japan for loans instead of
the other way round. |
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(D) |
Their economy has failed to maintain its active and
progressive image. |
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