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2016 MTPC keynote speech
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themselves. To this end, the more menus that workers have to choose from, the better. In
other words, it is necessary to reconsider working styles and work systems from the
viewpoint of “diversity”. Although a certain amount of short-term costs may be incurred in
terms of management, from a long-term standpoint, the introduction of diversity enables
outstanding human resources to establish roots in the company and, by extension, can be
expected to ultimately increase productivity and profits.
In pursuing these three steps, a point to note is that constant monitoring is required for
the situation in which the vast majority of workers want to choose a single working style,
even if many options are available. Currently, many companies are providing multiple
options of working styles, but in many cases, workers do not necessarily make sufficient use
of these options. From the standpoint of management, whichever working style a worker
selects, management must not neglect to inform him or her about the merits and demerits of
that particular working style with sufficient transparency. Moreover, from the standpoint of
workers, there may be a need to consider maintaining an attitude of proactively trying out
and utilizing various systems that are provided by the company, rather than taking it as a
given the uniform working style that was the natural premise under previous “Japanese
management”. In moving towards the realization of “a society in which a diversity of work
styles and lifestyles can be selected”, aimed at through improvements in work-life balance,
further continuous efforts by both labor and management are needed, as well as a long-term
outlook and vision aimed at improving the current situation.
4. Towards the Sustainable Development of Individuals, Businesses,
and Society
Recently, Japanese businesses have tended to focus on an excessive degree on trends in
Western (especially American) companies as models for human resource system reform.
There are many points for which the business management systems of other countries may
serve as a useful reference, and there is no problem with Japanese companies intending to
introduce such systems in Japan, as long as the intention and potential outcome of that
introduction is thoroughly scrutinized beforehand. However, could it be that, as a result of
this trend, companies’ eyes are focusing on the excess on short-term income-expenditure
balance? A “system” is ultimately something that is used by humans, and “human resource
systems” in particular are important systems that profoundly define people’s everyday