Contrary to the ultramodern image of Japan, many Japanese lack the basic tools needed to work from home during the pandemic.
When the Japanese government declared an emergency to curb the spread of the coronavirus this month and asked people to work from home, crowds rushed to electronics stores.Many Japanese lack the basic tools needed to work from home. Contrary to the ultramodern image of Japan Inc. with its robots, design finesse and gadgetry galore, in many respects the country is technologically challenged.
One factor, says Yuri Tazawa, a pioneer in Japan of “teleworking,” or working from home, is that Japanese workers often do not have clearly defined jobs like Americans do, so companies expect their staff to be in constant communication with one another, working as teams. A lack of up-to-date IT systems means Japan lags in nurturing flexible work practices, office rules, management methods and even attitudes toward remote work. It’s one factor contributing to relatively low labor productivity.
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