2025 Emilija’s Blog

  Hofstede’s sixth dimension is basically about whether a society gives people free rein to enjoy life (Indulgence) or pushes them to suppress desires through strong social rules (Restraint). I’d suggest that both Lithuania and Japan sit closer to the restraint side: people tend to prioritise duty, save more, and keep emotions fairly controlled. That shows up in everyday stuff, restrained cultures often associate professionalism with seriousness, as an example. If we were to analyse deeper, we could notice some differences. For one, Japan pairs restraint with highly ritualised customer service and polished public behaviors (as we mentioned in our previous classes - omotenashi and obsessively neat packaging) - a structured, service-oriented restraint.  Lithuania, as part of Eastern Europe, reflects restraint through frugal spending habits and stronger social norms shaped by history and economic caution, that being more plainspoken and less performance-driven than Japanese publi...

This week’s lesson looked at how shopping shows cultural values, especially omotenashi (deep politeness), careful packaging, special store types like depāto and konbini, and shopping etiquette. Comparing Japan and Lithuania, there are some evident similarities and differences. Both places care about good products and polite service, but Japan’s service feels more formal and ritualized (bows, “Irasshaimase!”, careful wrapping), while shopping in Lithuania is usually more casual. Japan’s konbini and depachika make everyday shopping very convenient and food-focused, and while it exists, it is something less common in Lithuania. Video insights reminded me that small actions (using cash trays, avoiding bargaining, protecting wet umbrellas) are not random: they reflect respect, efficiency, and attention to detail. For extra research I looked into a relevant concept: omnichannel retailing. Omnichannel retailing means stores let customers shop in different ways (in person, online, or a mix)...

In this Lesson we dug into the concept of Long-Term vs Short-Term Orientation, for Japan being a great example of a Long Term Orientation, and Western countries - opposite. Hofstede defined LTO as “the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular, perseverance and thrift.” It means that long-term oriented societies teach and reward habits like perseverance and thrift - people accept short-term sacrifice and hard work now so they get bigger rewards in the future. For the STO, he explained that it is a “<…>fostering of virtues related to the past and present, in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of 'face,' and fulfilling social obligations” ( https://www.jmu.edu/global/isss/resources/global-campus-toolkit/files/hofstede-orientation.pdf ). As I already mentioned, Japan comes about as a textbook long-term example: projects, education and policy often look years (even decades) ahead and patience is built into school, business and social li...

Since I was absent this week, I will use the material for my today’s blog solely from our class’ “weekly materials” folder. As far as I understood, Japan’s political culture centers on harmony ( wa ) and slow, careful decision-making. Everyday practices like nemawashi - quietly building agreement before meetings - help avoid public conflict and preserve group solidarity. Looking further, The Liberal Democratic Party’s long dominance, a powerful professional bureaucracy, and commitments like Article 9 and the Three Non-Nuclear Principles all reinforce a predictable, stability-first political rhythm. This follows often long-term thinking: big projects (like mentioned Shinkansen, Maglev) and policy concerns about an aging society and carbon neutrality by 2050. Now, comparing Japan with Lithuania, I think it shows both differences and surprising echoes. Lithuania’s post-Soviet experience produced more open partisan competition and public debate, while Japan leans toward internal cons...

This week we looked at how different cultures handle the unknown - Hofstede’s idea of Uncertainty Avoidance. In simple terms - some societies hate surprises and build lots of rules to feel safe, while others roll with the punches and improvise. Japan is a classic example of high uncertainty avoidance. In my experience (and from our class videos), Japanese workplaces love clear plans, formal procedures, and careful consensus-building. Meetings can be long because people want everyone on the same page - it’s about predictability and keeping harmony. When it comes to Lithuania, I think we sit somewhere in the middle-high range. I believe many people here value structure and clear expectations, especially in traditional companies. But I also feel Lithuanians can be more flexible than the Japanese - younger businesses and startups are willing to experiment, change quickly, and accept a bit more ambiguity. The “10 Minutes With…” video really showed how much this comfort level with uncertai...

This week’s lesson on Business Culture helped me understand how Japanese workplaces focus on harmony 和 ( wa) , respect for hierarchy, group orientation, and very high levels of punctuality and detail. These points from our 8th lesson made me reflect on similarities and differences with my own culture, Lithuania. While Lithuanians value respect and teamwork, daily life is generally less formal and group decisions are usually quicker and more direct. The video " A Day in the Life of a Japanese Retail Worker"  clearly showed how important customer service and precision are in Japan. The worker checked every detail, greeted customers politely, and followed routines very carefully. In Lithuania, customer service matters too, but the expectations are not usually as strict. For extra research, I looked at the famous Japanese concept Kaizen 改善, which means "continuous improvement." It focuses on making small, steady changes every day. As Sarah Harvey (2019), a writer on K...