Konnichiwa-!

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who attended last night’s event :

ドネーション式 英語レッスン:$$The Investors’ Lounge $$:BBC ニュース記事: Toshiba’s Lauded Reputation Tarnished After it Admits to Doctoring the Books.

Loads of people came. It was great to see you all!

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I’m not a natural when it comes to public speaking, so to stand and speak in front of so many people is quite daunting(緊張するんです!) for me, actually. But I gain strength from knowing that everyone who attends is very enthusiastic and passionate about learning and educating themselves which gives me the confidence necessary to push through!
Last night we talked about a company that’s been dominating the headlines lately: Toshiba.

regret
Toshibaのサイトより抜粋

The CEO admitted that the books were cooked(粉飾決算), giving investors the impression that Toshiba was more profitable than it is in reality.

What was more disturbing was that there was a pervasive(浸透した) culture within the company that facilitated, encouraged, and ultimately rewarded unethical(不正な) behavior. One of obedience, unwavering loyalty to the Daimyo (or CEO), and of doing whatever it takes to please him.

After the lesson, one of the founders of 80’s Cafe, a language cafe in Akihabara, told me in person that the old CEO of Toshiba, Mr. Sasaki, had basically formed a gathering of loyal followers called “The Sasaki Family”. Promotion was not based on performance or ability but on one’s ability to ingratiate himself to (or brown-nose, more crassly – 汚い言葉だけど) Mr. Sasaki. つまりごますりの事ですね。

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And that included delivering on unrealistic profit targets set by the CEO.

It’s funny how loyalty, fear, and working within a group affects the behavior of otherwise honest people.

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It made me think of the days I worked at an old-school Japanese company. How there was an undercurrent of fear dominating the way people behaved. I remembered how out of place I felt.

Perhaps it was because I react to fear differently. Some freeze (like a deer in the headlights). Some fight (like wolves). Some flee (like rabbits).

恐怖に対するリアクションは人それぞれだと思います。ある人は凍結したように固くなる(車にはねられる直前の鹿のように)。ある人は戦う(狼のように)。ある人は逃げる(ウサギのように)。英語のレッスンでこういった記事を解説して、分析すると、西洋文化と日本の文化の違いを色々と考えさせられます。

さて、Toshibaではどういった人間が昇格していたのでしょう。
Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Julian

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