Reading Room

The Blue-Eyed Salaryman

Niall Murtagh grew up in Dublin, and led an interesting life away from home.  He hitch-hiked across Europe, walked through South America and sailed the Atlantic in a home made contraption.

Strange then that he should opt to settle down in one of the most buttoned down jobs available.  A salaryman working for Mitsubishi in Japan, awaiting promotions based on age and length of service, following traditions which make no sense to him.

This isn’t a handbook for how to survive if you find yourself posted to Japan, but it is an interesting insight into what it’s like to be a cultural outsider wanting to be on the inside whilst maintaining your own value system.

What the book does do very well is highlight how the many small things add up to make a different culture, something that is true of different countries in Europe.  Language may be a cultural signifier, but sharing one doesn’t mean sharing a culture as anyone who has worked in other English speaking countries will know well.

This book does set you thinking about the cultural differences between different employers closer to home, and even within organisations.  Behaviours, rituals, traditions and norms even vary at a team level, which can cause confusion and mis-communication leading to lower levels of performance.

To find out more about how Predaptive can help you to better understand your organisation’s values, culture and behaviours, and how they can make a difference to performance, contact:

Claudine McClean
T: +44 (0) 1789 734333
E: claudinem@predaptive.com