Chapter 5. Intercultural interaction management

Recent Japanese government policy and public rhetoric focus on fostering global human resources with strong English skills and a global mindset to succeed in the globalized economy. This study investigates how Japanese and non-Japanese professionals try to deal with linguistic and non-linguistic problems when they interact with their business partners and colleagues in English. The study shows how the identification of the source of these problems can affect adjustment design. The findings reveal that although various deviations were noted, the participants were rarely able to identify the source of the problems. This inadequate identification of the source of the problem at the interactional level was seen to lead to ineffective adjustment design and implementation, including at the institutional level.