Ringisho: The Consensus Approach to Decision-Making

Introduction

Ringisho, or the approach to decision-making, is more fitting to Japan’s culture of introversion, which is characterized by high context and high uncertainty avoidance, as well as a long-term time orientation. It also helps moderate Japan’s power distance, which is otherwise quite high in a status-conscious society (Pantelides, 2019). The consensus approach to decision-making in Japan, known as rings, reflects the country’s unique group-oriented cultural values.

Discussion

Ringisho is a Japanese consensus approach to decision-making that emphasizes group cooperation and coordination. The term reflects Japan’s cultural values of ‘wa’ and ‘amae.’ ‘Wa’ emphasizes the importance of combining energies and working together (Kyambalesa, 2018). Meanwhile, ‘amae’ values the responsibility of individuals to the group and their dependence on the group for support. ‘Tatemae’ and ‘honne’ play a role in this practice as individuals balance their public face (‘tatemae’) with their true feelings (‘honne)’ in order to reach a consensus that satisfies the needs of the group.

In this approach, decision-making is viewed as a collaborative process involving many people, which frequently entails several rounds of discussion and negotiation before a final decision is reached. In the ringisho approach, middle-level managers are stimulated to produce innovative ideas or suggest new projects. Additionally, these managers should propose a plan for how these ideas or projects should be implemented (Kyambalesa, 2018). At first, the proposal is distributed among the manager’s peers so that they can express their comments and suggestions. Then, if the proposal is accepted, it is sent to the top managers (Kyambalesa, 2018). The proposal can be sent to top management either in its original version or with modifications in case any have been suggested by middle-level managers’ peers or sponsors. The goal of this process is to reach a decision that all parties can accept, even if they do not fully agree.

Furthermore, it is important to focus on ‘tatemae,’ which refers to the formal or official stance, while ‘honne’ refers to a person’s true feelings. In the ringisho process, people may express their ‘tatemae’ publicly while keeping their ‘honne’ private in order to preserve group harmony (Kyambalesa, 2018). Therefore, it is possible for team members to both share ideas and preserve friendly relationships with their colleagues. If ‘tatemae’ allows one to express professional ideas and agreements or disagreements, ‘honne’ makes it possible to keep one’s personal opinions, which do not relate to the work processes directly, to oneself. This reflects the cultural importance placed on avoiding conflict and maintaining social stability.

The ringisho approach is well-suited to a culture of introversion, as it allows for quiet, indirect communication and the consideration of multiple perspectives. It is also a high-context concept that possesses high uncertainty avoidance (Pantelides, 2019). This means that people place a high value on stability and security and are willing to take their time to reach a decision that is in the best interest of the group.

At the same time, the ringisho practice helps employers and employees to moderate the power distance typical of Japanese society. This becomes possible since ringisho gives an equal voice to all parties and promotes collaboration rather than a hierarchical decision-making process. As a result, Japan has a moderate ranking in terms of Hofstede’s power distance. Practices used in Japan and the United States are different. The American practice of huddling, on the other hand, is characterized by a focus on individual opinions and a faster, more efficient decision-making process (Kerns, 2019). One should state that this practice reflects America’s cultural values of extroversion, low context, low uncertainty avoidance, and short-term time orientation. The reason for this is that ringisho is a consensus-based decision-making process used in Japanese companies, where all stakeholders are consulted before a decision is made. This practice reflects the cultural values of Japan, such as group harmony, consensus, and attention to detail.

Huddling, on the other hand, is a faster decision-making process used in American companies, where decisions are made quickly and often by a small group of people. This reflects American cultural values of individualism, speed, and informality. There is no such intimacy, attention to detail, and secrecy of personal opinions in American management as there is in Japanese. It is possible to assume that huddling is more fitting for American culture, which values extroversion and can be described as low context with a low level of uncertainty avoidance and short-term time orientation. However, there are some aspects that American companies could learn from the Japanese ringisho practice, such as the importance of considering the opinions of all stakeholders and the emphasis on consensus. This approach can lead to more well-rounded and well-thought-out business decisions.

Conclusion

In terms of learning from each other, companies in both cultures could benefit from understanding and incorporating elements of the other’s approach to decision-making. American companies could benefit from the more thorough and group-oriented approach of ringisho, while Japanese companies could benefit from the faster pace and individual focus of huddling. Therefore, ringisho is a valuable tool for Japanese companies to utilize and American organizations to borrow from due to its focus on cooperation and involvement.

References

Kerns, C. D. (2019). Managing teamwork: A key leadership practice. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 16(1), 40-53. Web.

Kyambalesa, H. (2018). The keys to success in management. Routledge.

Pantelides, A.  (2019). Characteristics and origins of modern and enduring Japanese managerial practice. American Journal of Management, 19(3), 137-152. Web.