Unveiling the Workers’ Communication Experiences in Japanese Companies: A Phenomenological Study on Indonesian Workers

Abstract

This study describes Indonesian workers’ language adaptation and acculturation in the industrial workplace in Japanese culture, which aims to describe how workers interpret their experiences interacting with Japanese people in the workplace. The method used is a phenomenological study with in-depth interviews focusing on aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication, acculturation experiences in the work and communication system in the company. The participants consider and assess their ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally, namely 12 workers with experience working for more than two years at Japanese institutions and companies. From the analysis, the workers undergo the stages of culture shock, recovery, and adaptation. In the early days of work, they experience cultural shock and cannot adjust to a high rhythm and work ethic. They adapt to various aspects of performance, such as receiving assignments and instructions, communicating, and negotiating. The Japanese culture with detailed orientations is challenging for all participants even though they have been working for a long time. Some participants admitted that the Horenso system in most Japanese companies was considered a tradition that led to a solid system as a working group. Several aspects play a vital role in the language adaptation of Indonesian workers to Japanese communication. Along with the increasing number of foreign workers in Japan, this study is a case example of how the perspective of foreign workers when undergoing the adaptation process in the Japanese cultural environment in order to minimize the occurrence of intercultural conflict.