世論 What Japan Thinks

With the new batch of graduates joining companies this month, here’s a look by goo Ranking at what people want to warn new starts about. In addition, more experienced pople are expected to teach them the ropes, so there’s also look by goo Ranking at what business manners people are not confident they do correctly.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Seating order is an important topic – in a Japanese room the most senior sits opposite the door, so that when the ninja come it’s just the plebs that get chopped up. However, there’s different rules for where everyone goes depending on whether it’s a round or rectangular table. Seating order on an airplane is a new one on me, and probably a very rare occurance.

Ranking result

Q: What do you want to warn new starts about? (Sample size=1,123)

Rank		Score
1	Taking days off without permission	100
2	Not greeting people	88.4
3	Not worrying about spending too long on breaks	74.0
4	Lateness	73.0
5	Not replying	71.2
6	Flippant use of language	70.3
7	Not answering the telephone	70.1
8	Not turning mobile phone off during meetings	62.6
9	Sleeping in the office	57.8
10	Not repecting deadlines	55.7
11	Visiting work-unrelated web sites	55.1
12	Lots of private murmurings during work	54.1
13	Sleeping during meetings	53.8
14	Talking about internal matters outside work	51.1
15	Using own mobile phone at work	51.0
16	Not taking notes	48.9
17	Not putting mobile phone into manner mode	48.5
18	Only doing what they are told to do	48.4
19	Making excuses for mistakes	47.4
20	Not using polite language properly	47.1

Q: What business manners are you not confident you use correctly? (Sample size=1,123)

Rank		Score
1	Writing a business letter	100
2	Seating order in an airplane	76.1
3	Use of polite language	71.2
4	Business technical terms	70.1
5	Seating order in a train	65.2
6	Seating order in a Japanese room	59.2
7	Making small talk at drinking parties, receptions, etc	58.9
8	Standing order in a lift	57.8
9	Seating order in a meeting room	53.3
10	Seating order in a taxi	50.4
11	Dealing with customers	48.4
12	Telephone manners	48.0
13	How to write, send emails	46.9
14	Manners when leaving the office	46.4
15	Introducing oneself	44.9
16	How to make an appointment	42.9
17	How to serve tea, coffee	41.3
18	Exchanging business cards	39.3
19	How to address a fax	37.9
20	Addressing people	31.7