This was confirmed by CEO CEO Wu Po-hsuan yesterday, saying that adopting English as Sharp’s official language is essential in ensuring that Sharp can attract a globally competitive talent pool. Sharp, a major supplier in automotive electronics, especially for digital instrument display panels, touch screens, air-conditioning, and cameras for advance driving assistance systems, is the latest company to join the list of Japanese manufacturers adopting English. Nissan, when it was under Carlos Ghosn, came to that conclusion more than a decade ago, so did Honda. Some manufacturers have come to conclusion that to solve its talent shortage problem, Japan needs to drop its pride and adopt English as their official working language so it can attract more foreign talent. In fact, hiring the right talent is one of the biggest challenges for Japanese manufacturers. Japan’s ageing population, coupled with its poor job outlook for whatever little young population Japan has left, means that many bright graduates are leaving Japan to take more lucrative jobs in Taiwan, mainland China, and USA. The other remaining car makers in Japan have either been absorbed into Toyota’s universe ( Isuzu, Mazda and Suzuki), or are tied up to a foreign manufactuer, like Mitsubishi and Nissan with Renault, Honda with GM. Honda, the last of Japan’s independent car manufacturers, is now working with America’s GM.
ISPEAK CHINESE IN JAPANESE SOFTWARE
The once-in-a 100 years pivot towards electrification also means that car manufacturers (and its associated suppliers) have to expand into areas they are not familiar with – software and chemistry – which also means that they need to hire talent from outside the automotive industry, and work with companies from other countries. We have already discussed about Japan’s Galapagos syndrome in an earlier editorial.īut today's Japanese manufacturers know that they operate in a very volatile, globalized era, where cross-border partnerships are essential for survival, which also implies the need for multi-cultural awareness. The country is relatively insular, with a very male-centric, monoculture that takes great pride in doing things its own way. Depending on what it’s trying to achieve, Japan’s strength is also its weakness.
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