Feedback in Japan flows according to hierarchical relationships. Superiors appropriately evaluate subordinates—parents to children, teachers to students, managers to employees. Feedback in the opposite direction—subordinates evaluating superiors—is structurally difficult. Even when subordinates have legitimate concerns, expressing them requires careful framing and appropriate channels.
Peer feedback exists but tends toward supportiveness. The language itself makes upward criticism linguistically awkward. When operating in Japanese contexts, understand the hierarchy and what feedback you can appropriately give based on your position.
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