Abstract
For the purpose of studying the problems arising from cultural and attitudinal differences between the two national groups working together in international business organizations, a survey was conducted among British local employees working in six Japanese owned financial companies and banks in the London area. The 365 valid responses on 11 bipolar semantic differential adjective items were analyzed, and the following findings were obtained; (1) British locals perceive Japanese expatriates as loyal to the organization, as trustworthy, somewhat friendly, competent, patient, and fair, on the one hand, and as secretive, hard to understand, indecisive, and untrusting of others on the other; (2) the perception of the expatriates significantly differs by position, where the locals with higher ranks are likely to perceive the expatriates more negatively than the ones with lower ranks; and (3) there are significant differences in perception as the length of contact varies. The locals who have worked longer tend to view the expatriates more negatively than those who have worked for shorter periods. Policy implications for improved interpersonal relationships between the two groups are discussed.
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