Secrecy

Combating the Prejudice that Japanese Businesses Hide Behind Secrecy

Most Americans and many Europeans have a prejudice that Japanese business people are secretive and use secrecy to hide unfair business behavior. This kind of anti-Japanese prejudice is evident in movies and televison where bad people are often protrayed as Asians, and bad people are played by actors with make-up that makes their eyes look small.

This general prejudice against Asians and Japanese in particular, results in Japanese businesses being unfairly singled out for spying against non-Japanese businesses, for stealing business secrets and for stealing national government secrets.

The best preventive protection that a careful business can take is to communicate the opposite information with their own non-Japanese employees. The communication should emphasize that the Japanese business does not take advantage of secrecy. When non-Japanese employees believe their own company is telling the truth, they will convince their neighbors and their friends that anti-Japanese prejudice is wrong. Slowly, over many years, the prejudice will decline.

The three most effective practices to combat the anti-Japanese secrecy prejudice are: (1) Employment Contracts, (2) Corporate Policy Statements and (3) Open Business Practices.

(1) Employment contracts are commonly signed by new employees at the time they are hired. These contracts should clearly state that no employee will divulge business secrets learned at a previous company. All prospective employees, all new employees and all existing employees should see signs on many walls that say "No employee will divulge any business secret learned at a previous job."

(2) Published Corporate Policy statements should include similar wording. Corporate Policy statements should be publicly posted announcing: the prohibition against using information obtained from corporate espionage, illegal research or outside vendors. Policy statements should include provisions to fire any employee for violating these rules.

Many companies have similar policies to these, but my advice is to make a deliberate point of posting these anti-secrecy policies prominently in the workplace.

(3) There is a management movement in the United States called "Open Business" which encourages openness in management records and internal business information. The internet is a source of books and consultants on this subject. A Japanese business that is a participant in the Open Business Movement will be wisely protected from anti-Japanese secrecy prejudice.

Sometimes preventive measures are not effective in protecting a Japanese business from being sued for violations of business secrecy or being publicly attacked for compromising national security. The best protection is to hire a law firm that has good connections with the FBI and the CIA in the U.S. and their equivalents in Europe. Hire this law firm in advance to consult with on a regular basis. If the law firm already knows your corporation, they will be better prepared to help your business if an unfair attack does occur.

Japanese businesses are unfairly criticized and publicly attacked in the U.S. and Europe for using secrecy to hide unfair business practices. Many of these attacks are the result of anti-Japanese prejudice. One of the most effective ways to combat prejudice is to publicly display the opposite quality. Japanese business can use preventive measures to combat prejudices about secrecy. Japanese businesses can be visible inside their companies in opposing the misuse of secrecy and be assertive in stating their corporate opposition to the stealing of business and governmental secrets.

 

Michael Phillips 2001, August. 613 words