This time, I make a note of a merger of different organizations and what an organization in the IT Era should be.

Armed forces, that is a typical pyramid organization, usually consists of the army, the navy, and air force. And in the United States, in order to aim to unify the command of the operation by three forces, “Joint Chiefs of Staff” is set up as the highest organ. It belongs to the Department of Defense, and assists the President, National Security Council, and Secretary of Defense.
In Japan, in the midst of the Pacific War, Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi is said to have deplored that “the navy is fighting against the army with all its might, and fighting against the United States Navy with remaining power”. It is symbolic how a quarrel between the army and the navy was severe. With this sort of performance, the operation can’t go well. If the war situation gets prolonged and complicated, a close cooperation between organizations is more needed. However, a purpose called “winning the battle” is expected to own jointly, but it is not easy. Because a struggle for leadership between organizations “living in a bubble now” and recriminations of responsibility arise. Consequently, own organization merit tends to be given priority rather than national interest, and a situation like fruitless overlapping investment and letting the side with each other are taken place.

This is the same as the private company. Therefore, in order to cover the weak point of siloed organization and strengthen a cooperation between organizations, the necessity of cross-sectional organization is recited. As far as an organizational theory is concerned, I think it is true, but this can’t go well by theory alone. Here again, a struggle for leadership occurs. In order to function in an orderly fashion, “a clear strategy by the top management”, “a talented person taking the lead of cross- sectional organization”, and “change in a mind-set of necessity of cross-sectional organization” are essential. According to my experience, I think that cross- sectional organization should be clearly ranked as support of siloed organization. If it is equal, employees are at a loss whether they should obey which instructions to follow.

Under the Kishida administration, “Digital Agency” started by setting up abolition of siloed organization of a central government in September 2020. As for response to the spread of new coronavirus infection, delay for IT introduction of administrative organization in Japan has been exposed. A digital transformation in Japan is an urgent task. Under such viewpoint, Digital Agency is expected to role as a command center of digital era. However, about two years have passed since it started, and it was not talked about at all. I am very worried about the progress, just because I understand the difficulty of cross-sectional organization.

And in addition to IT introduction, a change of the private company organization is also needed. For instance, during my former career, once my document made by myself was uploaded by the internet, it got through instantly to employees at home and abroad. But in this case, the top’s ability of delivering a message is very important. By this, multilayering organization such as communicating information after many meetings like a bucket brigade as before is not necessary in theory. Because such role is done by the internet. And then, a role of the middle management level is not to tell the information as it is, but to add “an added value” for the information based on their knowledge and experience.

Like this, by a digitalization, information delivery from the top to the people working on-the-spot is done very speedily and efficiently. However, on the contrary it is not easy to scoop up ideas from the on-site staff. Because the clogging occurs on the way now and then. In order to avoid such situation, it is necessary to build up “a cheerful, pleasant, relaxed, and friendly organization” after all.

And in the coming era, “mutual respect” becomes important in accordance with the increase of high-tech and the business in cyberspace. Recently, various technical terms such as “well-being”, “engagement of employees”, or “purpose-driven management” are flitting about. In short, it is important to increase employee’s motivation by valuing their feelings called “they want to live like human beings”.

(P.S.) According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of Japanese students studying abroad reached a record high 115 thousand in the 2018 fiscal year, but in the 2020 fiscal year decreased to a fewest ever, a little less than 1500 due to the influence of coronavirus. According to various statistics, as far as students studying abroad from 2000 to 2019 are concerned, Chinese students and Indian students increased by 7 times, and Korean students increased by 1.5 times. But Japanese students decreased by 20 % during the same period. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is aiming to bring Japanese students studying abroad to 100 thousand level before coronavirus crisis by 2027, five years from now. Incidentally, as for the number of students studying in the United States in the 1990s, Japan was the first place, but fell back to the third place in 2019. The increase of school expenses is said to be the main reason.
On the other hand, as far as international students to Japan from abroad are concerned, a plan for increasing to 300 thousand by the 2020 fiscal year was held up, and the number reached a record high 310 thousand in the 2019 fiscal year. However, due to the coronavirus crisis, immigration restrictions had been put into effect since February 2020, and the number of international students as of May 2021 was 242 thousand, 20 % decrease from the peak. Among them, about 10 % was remote classes from their home countries.
Studying abroad and spending time with the same generation when young is an irreplaceable property. I want the public-private sector to support the youth who want to study abroad even if they borrow money.