A thought-leadership piece by Neil Cantle, Regional Head, EU, Rakuten Insight
Rakuten Insight partnered with GRBN on the 2021 Diversity, Inclusivity and Equality Survey, with 1,000 participants coming from Rakuten Insight’s own proprietary panel in Japan. Interpreting the data through a local lens in Japan is key, too often stereotypes can affect how the data is interpreted. For example, the recent Olympic Games committee scandal put gender equality in Japan in the global spotlight.
GRBN’s Trust Survey 2020 can also help to understand DE&I in Japan. The report found that Covid-19 had negatively impacted trust in sectors such as media & election polling companies. However, on a global basis the public avows trust in organisations & professionals. This trust in private enterprise is a great opportunity to drive positive DE&I change in Japan.
Within DE&I, gender stands out as a priority area to change, with Japan ranking 120th out of 156 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report*. With increasing competition in the search for global business talent, Japan may lose out. Ambitious female entrepreneurs will increasingly look elsewhere for equal opportunities unless there is positive change. For example, Japanese businesses meeting gender equality targets & providing support to ensure proper representation at a senior level.
From a cultural viewpoint, it could be argued that Japanese organisations have some deep, cultural advantages in being able to drive that positive change.
1.. Kaizen: Is a well-known but still misunderstood, Japanese business philosophy meaning “change for the better” or “continuous improvement.” Through the Kaizen ideal, improvement is always possible which in turn questions the Western business concept of finality. Consider all the times the term ‘final’ is used in Western organisations whether for a questionnaire, discussion guide, presentation, or decision. The genuine kaizen approach would be to never stop looking for improvements.
2. Omotenashi: Is another ideal to strive to achieve through Kaizen. It loosely translates as ‘the art of selfless hospitality’. In business, omotenashi is the genuine intention to provide the best possible customer experience. It can be interpreted as: ‘Going the extra mile’, ‘delivering beyond expectations’ and ‘customer first mindset’. However, a key difference from these terms is ‘genuine’ & ‘always improve’.
These cultural advantages may be critical in making positive DE&I advances. Change can only occur in DE&I when there is step by step improvements (Kaizen) combined with genuine intention (Omotenashi). Trust is greatly impacted when DE&I is communicated for show or to present an organisation in a positive light. Kaizen & Omotenashi can be at the heart of driving positive change, firstly in Japanese organisations and then the wider society.
In summary, private enterprise and market research organisations can be the catalyst for positive change in DE&I, one small, genuine step by step.
In other words, by placing Kaizen & Omotenashi at the heart of your market research organisation, there is a huge opportunity to drive wider societal change.
* https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2021
Neil Cantle
Regional Head at Rakuten Insight
