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その18 黒瀬直宏・訪問記（2022年11月)/ Part 18 : Visit by Kurose Naohiro (November 2022)
"社員の子供たちも働きたいと思う企業に"
Ⅰ．経営の特徴
１．デザイン性の高い商業店舗
スタプラニングの中心事業は建築の設計・施工で、インテリアデザイン業務、不動産事業、飲食店開業支援も行っている。設計・施工業務の対象は、飲食店・物販店、オフィス・クリニック・教育施設、ホテル・公共施設・住宅系に及んでいる。特に、建築の元請けとして行うデザイン性の高い商業店舗の企画、提案に関して高い評価を得ている。同社ホームページの「コンセプト」のサイトでは「決して創り手の押し付けでなく、住む人訪ねる人、使う人の立場にたって、私達は、個性的なデザインを提案してきました」とある。ホームページの事業実績の紹介コーナーには、ある車両販売店のインテリアコーディネートが載っている。「ショールームには、若い世代からファミリー層まで幅広い世代のお客様が訪れますが、今回、いただいたご要望は『女性が足を運びたくなるようなアットホームな雰囲気』。そこで、既存の家具・床とのバランスを考慮しながら、ナチュラルで可愛らしい雰囲気のコーディネートをご提案させていただきました」とある。「創り手の押しつけでなく使う人の立場に立った個性的なデザイン」が、スタプラニングの強みである。
同社の年商はピーク時2014年の売上は5億円だったが、５年後の2019年に選別受注（後述）と入札ミスによる指名停止で半年近く従業員を遊ばす結果となり、売上を２億円まで落とした。しかし、その後2020年11月期2億5,200万円、 2021年3億3,100万円、2022年3億5,700万円と好調に推移しているのは、この強みが発揮されているからである。
２．専門家集団
同社の強みは社員の各種専門能力に支えられている。設計部門では一級建築士を初め13名の有資格者、施工部門では一級建築施工管理技士2名を初め15名、その他の部門を含むと合計42名の有資格者がいる。従業員数は15名だから複数の資格を持つ人が少なからずいる専門家集団がスタプラニングである。会社として社員が国家資格を最低２つは取得する支援を行っている。知識や経験値ゼロの状態から国家資格を取得する社員もいる。ある女性社員のブログには資格獲得への奮闘が記されている。
「先日、二級土木施工管理の合格発表があり、無事に合格しました！１０月に受けてからドキドキだったのですが、本当に良かったです「次は二級建築士に挑戦だ！」「二級建築士の試験が近づいてきてます！週末過去問したら、あり得ない点数で焦ってます…。前回は構造で落ちたので、今から！そこを補強していく予定ですが…文系の私には難しすぎる世界です。慌てて、二日間有休の申請して追い込みすることにしました。あ～どうなるかな～」「ご無沙汰しております！ご無沙汰していた中で色々あり、何から報告していいやら…。ということで、直近の嬉しかったこと！二級建築士に合格しました♪製図の勉強本当に苦しかった。受かって本当に良かった。サプライズで、会社の皆からケーキもいただいちゃって、本当に嬉しかったです♪これからも、仕事頑張るぞ～！(笑)」
社員が率先して能力を磨いている姿が浮かんでくる。そのために有給休暇も自由に取れるようだ。サプライズでケーキのお祝いが出るのは、能力を磨きあうことが組織風土になっているからだろう。スタプラニングはこのような社員の成長重視を初め、社員視点に立ち社員が経営の主体となって運営されている。だが、こういう現在の姿が当初から出来上がっていたわけではない。
３．創業からの経緯
赤嶺社長夫妻は共に店舗の設計・施工を行う企業に勤務、最初に夫人が独立してスタプラニングを設立、1年後に赤嶺社長が加わった。30歳の時だった。30歳の独立は赤嶺氏が旧勤務企業に入社するときにつけた条件だった。独立開業は19歳の時から準備をしており500万円を貯金していた。だが、経営の知識はなく、利益と資金繰りは別ということさえ知らなかった。顧客の倒産で資金繰りに窮し、ジーパン姿で銀行に飛び込んで相手にされず（中小企業支援の行政窓口に行けと言われた）、妹さんから1000万円借りてしのいだこともあった。元の会社では営業や現場管理をやっていたため、独立した時は図面も引けず、30歳から学校に通った。今では一級建築施工管理技士等5つの国家資格を持っている。
４．アトリエ系の企業、仕事は拡大
当初は他企業の名で行う下請仕事だったが受注は順調だった。沖縄では住宅系の設計・施工事務所が多く、専門知識の必要な店舗系の設計・施工事務所は少なかった。口コミで次々に仕事が舞い込み、夫妻で働いても寝る時間がなく、体がもたないので人を雇った。
企業設立には夢もあった。5～10人程度の社員で腕を磨きあうアトリエ系の企業にし、世界で羽ばたくようなデザイナーを輩出することである。このため、中途採用者には３年で独立出来るような気持ちで取り組んで欲しいと伝えていた。仕事も、一人が設計と施工を一貫して担当する仕組みを取った（現在は人には向き・不向きがあるので設計と施工は分離しているが、設計部門希望の新入社員は基本３年間、施工部門に配属し、実践的な設計が出来るようにしている）。自分自身は社員に独立してもらったら、40～45歳で引退するつもりだった。
仕事は拡大した。店舗は5~7年でリニューアルするが、店舗のデザインには流行があり、東京から1年半~2年の遅れで沖縄に伝わる。赤嶺社長は東京、大阪、福岡に視察に行き、沖縄にも広がるだろう流行を前もって把握した。このため、リニューアル店舗に流行の最先端を提案できたので、他の設計事務所より優位に立てた。仕事は沖縄以外にも広がり、東京、大阪、名古屋、福岡、宮崎、さらには香港、福建省でも店舗設計を行った。忙しかったが仕事は楽しかった。皆で新しい素材の実験をしたり、デザインの研究もした。社員のチームワークはよく、飲み会もよくやっていた。赤嶺社長は自らもプレ―ヤ―として突走っていた。しかし、ある時転機が訪れた。
I. Management Features
1. Well-designed commercial stores
The core business of STAPLANNING is the design and construction of buildings. They also do interior design, real estate business, and support of restaurant opening. The targets of design and construction work include restaurants, retail stores, offices, clinics, educational facilities, hotels, public facilities, and housing. In particular, they are highly evaluated for the planning and proposal of well-designed commercial stores as the prime contractor for construction. On the company's homepage, the "concept" site says, "We have never forced our creators' ideas, but have proposed unique designs from the standpoint of people who live, visit, and use." In the section that introduces the company's business performance on the homepage, there is an example of interior coordination for a certain vehicle dealer. It says that, “Our showrooms are visited by a wide range of generations, from young people to families, and the request we received this time was "a cozy atmosphere that makes women want to visit. Therefore, while considering the balance with the existing furniture and floors, we proposed coordination with a natural and cute atmosphere.” It is the strength of Sta Planning to "individually design from the user's point of view, not forcing the idea of creator". The company's annual sales peaked at 500 million yen in 2014, but five years later, in 2019, it dropped to 200 million yen due to Selection of Orders (to be described later) and the suspension of appointments caused by bidding errors resulting in the idling of employees for nearly half a year. However, the sales are now trending favorably to JPY252mn in FY11/20, JPY331mn in 2021, and JPY357mn in 2022 by demonstrating the strengths of the company.
2. Group of Experts
The strength of the company is supported by the various specialized skills of its employees. There are 13 qualified persons, including first-class architects, in the design division, and 15 persons, including two first-class construction management engineers, in the construction division. The number of employees is 15, so STTA PLANNING is a group of professionals with more than a few people with multiple qualifications. The company support employees to acquire at least two national qualifications. Some employees acquire national qualifications with zero knowledge or experience. A female employee's blog describes her struggle to qualify.
“The other day, the results of the second-class civil engineering construction management exam were announced, and I passed! I've been nervous since I took it in October, but it was really good ♪ I'm going to challenge the second-class architect next time!” "The second-class architect exam is approaching! When I checked the past questions over the weekend, the score was impossible, and I was shocked." Last time I failed in "structure", so from now on! I plan to reinforce it...It's a world too difficult for me as a literary person. In a hurry, I applied for two days of paid leave, and have decided to push myself. Ah, what will happen?" "There are various things that have been going on for a long time, and I don't know what to report... So, the most recent thing that made me happy! I passed the second-class architect certification♪ Learning to draw was really hard. I'm so glad I passed. As a surprise, everyone in the company gave me a cake, I was really happy♪ I will continue to work hard! (smile)"
I can see that employees are taking the initiative to hone their skills. For that reason, they seem to be able to freely take paid holidays. The reason why there is a surprise cake celebration is probably because the organizational culture is to polish one's abilities. Starting with this emphasis on employee growth, STTA PLANNING is managed from the employee's perspective, with employees as the main members of management. However, this current state was not created from the beginning.
3. History from Founding
President Akamine and his wife both worked at a company that designed and built stores. First, his wife founded STTA PLANNING on her own, and Mr. Akamine joined the company a year later at the age of 30 years old. In fact, when Mr. Akamine joined the company he used to work for, he had agreed with the company to become independent at the age of 30. Since19 years old, he had been preparing to open his own business and had saved 5 million yen. However, he had no knowledge of management nor he even knew that profits and cash flow were separate. Due to the bankruptcy of a customer, he rushed to a bank in jeans and was ignored, then he was told to go to the administrative window for small business support. He borrowed 10 million yen from his sister to make ends meet. At his former company, he worked in sales and on-site work management, so when he became independent, he could not even draw blueprints, so he went to school from the age of 30. He now has five national qualifications, including first-class construction management engineer.
4. As an atelier-type company, works expanded
He started with a subcontract work under the name of another company, but the orders went well. In Okinawa, there are many residential design and construction offices, however, there were few atelier-type design and construction offices that required specialized knowledge. Information spreads, and jobs come in one after another, and even though they worked as a couple, they didn't have enough time to sleep, so they hired employees.
He had a dream to create an atelier-type company with about 5 to 10 employees who hone their skills and produce designers to spread their wings around the world. For this reason, he told the mid-career hires to work with the feeling that they will become independent in three years. As for work, he adopted a system in which one person was in charge of both design and construction. (Currently, design and construction work are separated because there are people who are suitable and unsuitable, but new employees who wish to be in the design department are assigned to the construction department for three years in principle so that they can do practical design.) He himself planned to retire at the age of 40-45 when the employees became independent.
His work expanded. The stores are renewed every 5 to 7 years, but there is a trend in the store design, and it is transmitted to Okinawa one and a half to two years later than Tokyo. President Akamine visited Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka for inspection, and grasped in advance the epidemic that would spread to Okinawa. This gave him an edge over other design firms, as he was able to propose cutting-edge trends for the upcoming store renovations. His work has expanded beyond Okinawa, and he has designed stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Miyazaki, Hong Kong and Fujian Province, China. was busy but he enjoyed his work. He experimented with new materials and researched designs with his employees. He had good teamwork among his employees and often went to drinking parties. President himself was rushing forward as a player. However, a turning point came at some point.
Ⅱ．労働に関するマネジメントの特徴
１．大量退職、管理の不在、第2創業へ
思い通り、独立開業者も今までに10数人現れた。コンペに参加した3社が当社と当社出身者だけだったこともある。香港で活躍してる人もいる。だが、同時に疲れてやめる人も多かった。月平均の残業時間は80時間を超え、100時間になったこともあった。社員の募集も「365日、24時間闘えますか」という感覚で行っていた。家庭を持っている社員の中には離婚の危機に陥る人も出た。赤嶺社長自身も忙しさのあまり、「飛行機が落ちてくれないか、死んだほうが楽だ」と思うことがあった。
2006から07年にかけて、1年で半分の社員が辞めた。しかし、残った社員との面談で、「スタプランニングで一生働きたい！この会社がすきです！」と言った新卒採用した入社5年目の女性社員がいた。長く働く社員の数名からも、やはり同じような回答があった。修行や学校的な場として３年で卒業（独立）するのではなく、企業と共に成長して、生きていく事が求められていたのだ。今まで、こういう人のことを考えていなかった。社員の一言はうれしいと同時に恥ずかしく、申し訳なかった。自分の思いで前に走るだけで、社員を見ていなかった。
中小企業家同友会の先輩からは、毎日遅くまで、大学のサークル活動のようで楽しそうだが、経営者として仕組みを創ることが大事だ、そこから逃げてはだめだと助言された。当社では役職は一応決めていたが、名だけで役割や権限を明確にしておらず、労働組織としての仕組みのはっきりしない集団だった。長時間労働も労働管理不在の結果だった。経営者の役割は仕組み作りだと意識した。
２．創業企業の罠
当社のこの状況は実は創業期の企業にはありがちである。ラリー・E・グレイナー「企業成長の“フシ”をどう乗り切るか」は、創業期の企業を創造性による進化の時期とし、「企業の創始者は、通常、技術志向あるいは企業家精神志向で、マネジメント活動を軽べつする。彼らの肉体的・精神的エネルギーは、新製品の生産及び販売にすべて向けられる」「従業員間のコミュニケーションはひんぱんに行われ、形式にとらわれないものである」「活動の統制は、市場の影響を直接受け、マネジメントは顧客の反応に応じて活動する」等を特徴としてあげている。
グレイナーの言うマネジメント不在がスタプラニングの場合は長時間労働、従業員の疲弊、大量退職として現れた。「この企業で働きたい」という社員の言葉に応えるには、経営を抜本的に変える必要があった。しばし模索する中、社長はマネジメントに専念することにし、経営の目的を「社員が長く働きたいと思う企業」に置くことにした。スタプラニングの第2の創業である。
３．選別受注
まずは、週休二日制を提案した。社員からは形だけやっても意味はない、日曜も出勤しているのに社長、何を言っているのですかと反対された。それでも、実施したところ、3か月経ったころ、休めるようになった。
次に、夜中まで仕事をするようなことをやめることにした。人手を増やし一人当たりの労働量を減らす事にもチャレンジしたが、社員の技術力をあげる仕組みも時間もなく、雇っては、辞めの無限ループに陥った。そこで、それまで「イケイケどんどん」で仕事を断ったことはなかったが、選別受注に切り替えた。繁忙期の受注は時期をずらす交渉を行い、無理のない納期の公共JV工事を選んだ。結果、2013年の売上は前期の3億から３億７千万に上がったが利益は減り、3,100万円の赤字となった。経営者としてはきつく、「死ぬのではないか」と思ったがやるしかなかった。
選別受注しても残業は思うほど減らなかったので、時間が来たら社員を帰らせるために、社屋の鍵を社長が握り、自分で開け閉めした。残業が減らなかったのは、働き方にも問題があったからだ。当社は社長夫妻が第一線で仕事をしていた。夫妻はおしゃべりをしながらサークルのノリで仕事をし、仕事をいつ終えるかという意識はなかった。当然、他の社員も同じノリで仕事をした。あとから入社した社員は先輩より先に帰るわけにはいかなかった。強行的な労働時間短縮が社員の意識を変えるきっかけになった。おしゃべりは減り、子供のある先輩の社員が進んで帰宅するようになった。後輩もならった。できないと決めつけたことができた。当社社員の労働は設計業務を初め自律度が高い。労働時間の管理は仕事量を除けば、自分自身でしか行えない。仕事量は選別受注で制限され、それに社員の意識変化が加わり、月平均残業時間は現在5時間と劇的に減った。
有休休暇を取りやすくするため1時間単位でとれるようにした。また、部署内でお互いに相談しあって有休予定を決め、部署ごとの事業計画に組み込むことにした。このため、有給消化率は60%以上、100%取得の社員も出ている。
４．社員視点、社員主体の経営
スタプラニングのマネジメント強化は、社員視点に立ち、社員主体の経営組織をつくり上げる方向に向かった。
社員視点は労働時間短縮を強力に推進したことにも現れているが、次のようなことも行われている。社員は全員が「人生20年計画」を作成し、毎年改訂する。ある人は「仕事の目標」として会社の売上目標と人員を勝手に決めている。7億円（社員20人）、10億円（25人）、３0億円（30人）というように。「個人の目標とビジョン」では「子供とのふれあい」「自然との共生」の項目をあげ、具体的に行動予定を書いている。「資金計画」では家を買うために貯金の予定を、「ライフワーク」では趣味、NPO活動、ボランティア活動について記されている。個人の計画は皆の前で発表される。赤嶺社長は、計画をつくると将来が見えて来、不安がなくなる。不思議なことに書くと実現されると言う。人生計画を勤務先という場で皆と一緒に作成するのは、企業を社員の人生計画実現の場と位置づけているからだろう。
社員の成長を経営の大きな目標としている。年間で新入社員・一般社員・熟練社員・幹部社員と教育計画を立てており、外部での勉強会を含めて、積極的にキャリア教育に取組んでいる。国家資格等の受験に対しては、部署の社員同士で相談し、有給休暇を主に利用して、１～２ヶ月、試験休みを取れるようにしている。この模様は先述のとおりだ。国家資格以外の勉強の費用は、基本会社持ちで、勤務時間としている。資格によって1,000円から30,000円の手当が毎月つく。
子育て支援もしている。社員の7割近くが女性なので、何かがあれば子供を会社に連れてくるのをokにしている。会社で宿題をするので、放課後、子供教室状態になる。子供が勉強しているそばで顧客との打ち合わせが行われている。子供たちも会社のボランティア活動に参加し、夏休みには会社の朝礼にも参加、今日の勉強予定を話したりする。そんなふれ合いの中で2018年、社員の子供が大工さんになりたいと話したので、赤嶺社長は「それじゃお母さんと一緒にスタプランニングで働いたら」と言った。これがきっかけで「社員の子供たちも働きたい思う企業」にという目標を持つようになった。そうしたら、朝礼でこの会社に入りたいと言う子が出た。うれしく、本当に期待している。22歳まで続く子供手当も特筆される。1人目には5,000円、2人目には8,000円、3人目12,000円、4人目15,000円である。
スタプラニングの経営計画は、前年度に4回開く全社員による経営計画会議で決まる。財務的な計画の他、人の採用計画もこの場で決められる。これに基づき部署ごとのの事業計画も決められる。そのために終業後社員同士で勉強会も行っている。財務情報は個人の給料以外は完全に公開されており、経営情報の保有に関しては社長も社員も全く同等である。社員が経営主体になっていると言える。
５．必要なものがあればよい
赤嶺社長は会社には粗利で1,000万円残ればよく、他は社員で分け合えばよいと言う。「金を追っかけても意味はない。そんなに儲けてどうするの？どれだけ欲をかけばいいの？金はあくまで道具にすぎない。投資に金は必要だが、会社は身の丈に合った成長をすればよく、投資は少しずつでよい」。
これは貨幣的価値のあくなき追求に導かれる資本主義的な経営の否定と言える。赤嶺氏の育った家庭は父親が「家出」をし、氏には日に3回食事ができ、一家でクリスマスを楽しめるような普通の家庭があこがれだった。この幸せ感が企業経営にも持ち込まれ、必要なものがあればよいという使用価値的価値観に基づく経営を行わせた。この経営観が社員視点の経営と結びついている。
II. Features of Labor Management
1. Mass resignation, Absence of management, To the second founding
As expected, more than 10 independent practitioners have appeared so far. There was a time when the only three companies that participated in a competition were his company and former employees from his company. Some were active in Hong Kong. But at the same time, many people got tired and gave up. The average monthly overtime hours exceeded 80 hours, and at times reached 100 hours. Recruitment of employees was also done with the feeling of "Can you fight 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?" Some of the employees who have families were in danger of getting divorced. President Akamine himself was so busy that he sometimes thought, "I'd rather die or let the plane crash."
From 2006 to 2007, half of the employees quit within a year. However, in an interview with the remaining employees, there was a female employee who had been hired as a new graduate and had been with the company for five years, saying, "I want to work at this company for the rest of my life! I like this company!" Several long-term employees also gave similar responses. Rather than graduating (independence) in three years as a training or school-like place, it was required to grow with the company and live. He had never thought of someone like this before. The employee's words were both happy and embarrassing at the same time, and he was sorry. He just ran forward with his thoughts and didn't look at the employees.
A senior member of Doyukai (the Association of Small Business Enterprises) advised him that it is fun to work until late every day, like a university club activity, but it is important to create a system as a business owner and never run away from it. At the company, they had nominal positions, but their roles and authority were not clarified, and it was a group with no clear structure as a labor organization. The long working hours were also a result of the absence of labor management. He realized that the role of a manager is to create a system.
2. Trap of Startup company
In fact, this situation of the company tends to be common in companies in the start-up stage. Larry E. Greiner’s “How to survive the “turnaround” of corporate growth” describes the early stage of a company as a period of creative evolution, stating that “Company founders are usually technically or entrepreneurially oriented and disdain management activities. All their physical and mental energies are devoted to producing and marketing new products,"“Communication between employees is frequent and informal,”“The control of activity is directly influenced by the market and Management acts according to customer reaction, "etc., as its features.
In the case of STTA PLANNING, Greiner's description of the absence of management manifested itself in long working hours, employee exhaustion, and mass resignation. In order to respond to employees saying, "I want to work at this company," it was necessary to drastically change management. After searching for a while, the President decided to concentrate on management, and decided to set the goal of management as "a company where employees want to work for a long time." This is the second founding of STTA PLANNING.
3. Selection of Orders
First, he proposed a five-day work week. But employees said there was no point in doing it just for the sake of appearance when they were at work on Sundays, so what was the president saying? However, after 3 months of implementation, they were able to rest.
Next, they decided to stop working late into the night. They also challenged to increase the number of workers and reduced the amount of work per person. However, there was no mechanism or time to raise the technical skills of employees, and they fell into an endless loop of hiring and quitting. Until then, they had never turned down a job and "moved forward with momentum'', but they switched to select orders. They negotiated to shift the timing of orders during the busy season, and chose a public joint venture construction with a reasonable delivery date, so the sales in 2013 rose from 300 million in the previous term to 370 million, but profits decreased, resulting in a deficit of 31 million yen. As a business owner, he thought of dying, but he had no choice but to do it.
Overtime work did not decrease as he expected even if orders were selected. In order to let employees go home when the time came, the President held the key to open and close the office himself. However, overtime work did not decrease because there was a problem with the way of working. At the company, the president and his wife were working on the front line. The couple chatted and worked with the feeling of a club, not conscious of when they would finish their work. Of course, other employees also worked on the same vibe. Employees who joined the company later could not leave before their seniors. The forcible reduction of working hours triggered a change in the mindset of employees. Talking had decreased, and senior employees with children were willing to go home. Juniors also followed. They could do what they thought they couldn't. The work of the company's employees has a high degree of autonomy, starting with design work. Except for the amount of work, they could only manage their own working hours. The amount of work was limited by selecting orders, and with the change in employees' awareness, the average monthly overtime hours have decreased dramatically to 5 hours now.
In order to take paid leave easier, they made it available in hourly increments. In addition, they consulted with each other within their departments to decide on leave schedules and to incorporate them into the business plans of each department. For this reason, the paid leave rate is over 60%, and some employees have taken 100%.
4. Employee Perspective, Employee-Centered Management
The management of STTA PLANNING was strengthened from the viewpoint of employees and headed toward the creation of an employee-centered management organization.
The employee's point of view is also reflected in the strong promotion of shortening working hours, and the following is also being done. All employees create a 20-year life plan and revise it every year. Some people arbitrarily decide the company's sales target and personnel as "work goals". For example, 700 million yen (20 employees), 1 billion yen (25 people), 3 billion yen (30 people). In "Personal Goals and Visions", the items "Contact with Children" and "Coexistence with Nature" are listed, and specific action plans are written. "Financing plan" describes how to save money to buy a house, and "life work" describes hobbies, NPO activities, and volunteer activities. Individual plans are announced in front of everyone. When President Akamine makes a plan, he can see the future and his anxiety disappears. Strangely enough, he says writing makes it happen. The reason people create their life plans together at their place of work is probably because they regard the company as a place for their employees to realize their life plans.
The growth of employees is a major goal of management. They have an annual training plan for new employees, general employees, skilled employees, and executives, and are actively working on career education, including outside study sessions. Regarding national certification exams, etc., employees in the department consult with each other, and mainly use paid leaves so that they can take one to two months off for the exams. This case is as described above. Expenses for studying other than national qualifications are basically covered by the company and are used during working hours. A monthly allowance of 1,000 yen to 30,000 yen is provided depending on the qualification.
They also support child care. Nearly 70% of the employees are women, so if something happens, they are allowed to bring their children to the office. Children do their homework at the office, so the office becomes a children's classroom after school. A meeting with a customer is taking place while the child is studying. Children also participate in company volunteer activities, participate in company morning meetings during summer vacation, and talk about today's study schedule.
In 2018, at the office after school, an employee's child said that he wanted to become a carpenter, so President Akamine said, "Why don't you work at STTA PLANNING with your mother?" This led him to set a goal to "Be a company where employees' children want to work." Then, at a morning meeting, there was a child who said he wanted to join this company. He was happy and really looking forward to it. Also noteworthy is the child allowance, which lasts until the age of 22. The first child is paid 5,000 yen, the second child 8,000 yen, the third child 12,000 yen, and the fourth child 15,000 yen.
The management plan of STTA PLANNING is decided at the meeting of all employees held four times in the previous year. Financial plans, personnel recruitment plans and the business plan for each department are also decided on this occasion, and so, they hold study sessions among employees after work. Financial information is completely open to the public, except for individual salaries, and both the president and employees have exactly the same ownership of management information. It can be said that employees are the core of management.
5. If we have what we need, that's enough
President Akamine says the company needs only 10 million yen in gross profit, and the rest should be shared among employees. "There is no point in chasing money. What do we do with that much money? How much should we desire? Money is just a tool. Money is necessary for investment, but the company only needs to grow according to its stature, and the investment can be made little by little.”
This may be a denial of capitalist management that is guided by the relentless pursuit of monetary value. Akamine grew up in a family where his father ran away from home. He dreamed of a normal family where he could have three meals a day and enjoy Christmas as a family. This sense of happiness was brought into corporate management, and management was based on the sense of use value, which means that all you need is what you need. This view of management is linked to management from the perspective of employees.
III．PPP への進出、社会的企業への発展
以上のような社員視点・社員主体の経営、それと結びついている使用価値的価値観に立つ経営は、株主価値向上のため社員をコストとし、リストラを平気で行う巨大株式会社の貨幣価値至上的な経営の対極にある。経済格差拡大、自然破壊を引き起こした新自由主義的資本主義に代わる、ポスト資本主義への移行が要請されている現在、スタプラニングのような企業が一社でも増えることが望まれる。
同社は今また新たな道に進もうとしている。赤嶺社長の名刺には与儀小学校区まちづくり協議会副会長を初め、沖縄県アジア経済戦略構想推進・検証委員、那覇市民会館保存可能性等検討委員会委員、那覇市真和志複合施設建設委員会委員など、計11のまちづくり活動に関する肩書が載っている。
ホームページの「コンセプト」には次のような一節もある。
「アジアの中のＲＹＵＫＹＵ。かつて、我々の先祖が、世界を廻り、様々な文化を取り入れ、独自の風土を築き上げてきた。・・・・快適で充実した生活環境を造り、単なるデザインワークや空間演出だけでなく、地域に根差したプロデュースを」
以上のような地域社会建設への思い入れとこれまでの地域に根差したプロデュースの経験を活かして今、力を入れているのが、PPP（パブリック・プライベート・パートナーシップ）事業だ。行政（Public）が行う各種行政サービスを、行政と民間（Private）が連携（Partnership）し、民間の持つ多種多様なノウハウ・技術を活用することにより、行政サービスの向上、財政資金の効率的使用や行政の業務効率化等を図ろうとするもの（全国地域PFI協会ホームページより）。同社にとってその1号が、沖縄県島尻郡八重瀬町の南部総合福祉センター建て替えで、スタプランニングの提案が選定された。
2019年6月、中小企業庁は中小企業基本法の公布・施行日7月20日を「中小企業の日」とすることを発表した。中小企業家同友会の要請が実ったものだったが、発端は2016年11月頃の、政党も参加した沖縄同友会での研究会の場での赤嶺社長の発案だった。3年近くかけて実現した。沖縄同友会の政策委員長として「中小企業憲章」「沖縄県中小企業の振興に関する条例」の制定にも力を入れた。赤嶺氏は自分たちの未来は自分たちで創れることを確信した。今、琉球大学で地域社会の課題解決を実践する「初級公共政策士」の講義にも参加し、能力を磨いている。
PPPへの進出は、地域社会を中心に社会を変えていく試みの一環であろう。スタプラニングは地域を基盤に社会の問題を解決していく社会的企業への道に乗り出そうとしている。
以上
III. Entry into PPP, development into a social enterprise
The above-mentioned employee perspective/ employee-centered management, and the management based on the sense of use value linked to it, is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the monetary value-oriented management of giant corporations that use employees as a cost to increase shareholder value and are unconcerned about restructuring. At a time when a transition to post-capitalism is being demanded to replace neo-liberal capitalism, which has caused economic disparity and destruction of nature, it is hoped that the number of companies like STTA PLANNING will increase.
The company is about to embark on a new path. President Akamine's business card includes the Vice Chairman of the Yogi Elementary School District Community Development Council, member of the Okinawa Prefecture Asian Economic Strategy Initiative Promotion and Verification Committee, member of the Naha Civic Center Conservation Possibility Examination Committee, members of the Naha Mawashi Complex Construction Committee, etc., a total of 11 community development activities.
There is also a passage in the "concept" of the homepage: "RYUKYU in Asia. In the past, our ancestors traveled around the world, adopted various cultures, and built a unique climate.... Creating a comfortable and fulfilling living environment, not only design work and space production, but also production rooted in the region.
Taking advantage of his passion for building local communities and his experience in producing products rooted in the local community, his current focus is on the PPP (Public Private Partnership) business. Regarding various administrative services provided by the government (Public), the government and the private sector (Private) shall cooperate (Partnership), by utilizing a wide variety of know-how and technology possessed by the private sector, to improve administrative services, and make efforts to promote efficient use of fiscal funds and streamlining administrative operations. (From the Japan Regional PFI Association website). The first for the company is the rebuilding of the Southern General Welfare Center in Yaese Town, Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, and the STTA PLANNING's proposal was selected.
In June 2019, the SME Agency announced that July 20, the day on which the SME Basic Act was promulgated and came into force, would be designated as the “SME Day. " The request from the SME Doyukai (the Association of Small Business Entrepreneurs) came true. In fact, it all started around November 2016 when President Akamine suggested it at a study group held at the Okinawa Doyukai, in which political parties also participated.
It took nearly three years to realize. As the chairman of the policy committee of the Okinawa Doyukai, he also put effort into enacting the "SME Charter" and the "Okinawa Prefectural Ordinance on the Promotion of SMEs." Akamine was convinced that they could create their own future. Currently, he is honing his skills by participating in lectures for a "primary public policy specialist" who practices problem-solving in the local community at the University of the Ryukyus.
Investing in PPP is part of an attempt to change society centering on the local community. STTA PLANNING is embarking on the path to become a social enterprise that solves social problems based on the local community.
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