Theme

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to improve productivity, help create internationally competitive businesses, and are a key to social and organizational reforms. While Japan has the most advanced broadband infrastructure, and excellent entertainment services, comparable progress in reforming business and society is lacking. This forum explores the idea of “Japan 2.0”. Based on discussion of the Obama Administration’s aggressive use of ICTs and pioneering cases of Internet businesses in Japan, we will examine the potential of ICTs to reform Japanese organizations and society.

It is well known that President Obama used ICTs very effectively during his presidential campaign, now in power his administration is making aggressive use of the Web to develop stimulus policies and other governmental operations. Here, ICTs are not just a tool for election campaigns, but for realizing civic participation and transparent policy-making. Also important is the vibrant blogosphere where experts engage in discussions about the future of media industries, business models of Internet companies, among others, which is gaining influence on corporate strategies, via media coverage and other routes. We can see an emergence of a pattern in which corporate and policy decision-making are shaped by open discussions and ideas on the Internet. Is this going to serve as a source of new competitiveness for the United States?

In contrast, in Japan ICTs are playing a limited role in decision-making in politics and business, although we have excellent tools for entertainment and everyday life. Studies find that corporate ICT solutions are particularly effective when combined with organizational reform, but Japanese companies tend not to implement reforms. In Japan, understanding the Internet is less helpful for managerial decisions and one’s career development, and it is less valued by society. The long-term employment characteristic of Japanese organizations creates an institutional environment in which reputation within the organization carries much more weight than public reputation gained by online presence. It is widely recognized that speaking in public is not valued or welcome in Japanese culture. Do these factors imply there is a chance Japan will continue to face difficulties in making effective use of ICTs? Is there an alternative path, such as in intelligent transportation systems and smart grid, where ICTs do not have to do with interpersonal communication? What do corporate executives, business people, citizens and the government have to do to realize the potential of ICTs? This forum gathers speakers from the forefront of ICT-related business and research, and discusses how Japan should take advantage of ICTs, and what kind of institutional and psychological barriers for the effective use of ICTs.