Blue-Eyed Salaryman: Reflections on two decades working in Japan Inc.

This lecture explored how ‘salarymen’ in large Japanese corporations have changed over the last decade. It questioned whether the image of a conformist workaholic and loyal company man is still valid or whether he has become more individualistic and corporately mobile. To what extent non-Japanese are making their presence felt amongst the ranks of traditional salarymen was also addressed.

 

Niall Murtagh was for fourteen years a salaryman at Mitsubishi Group, a company which represents many of the core values of Japan Inc. Based on his experiences as a Westerner in a Japanese corporate culture, Niall talked about the changes that have occurred in recent years and where they will lead in the coming decade.

 

Dr Niall Murtagh arrived in Japan as a government-sponsored student in 1986 and has lived there ever since. After receiving a PhD from Tokyo Institute of Technology, he was an engineer and later a senior research scientist at Mitsubishi Electric before embarking on a solo career as a translator and consultant in 2005. He has written for mainstream media on a variety of topics including corporate culture and travel, in addition to publishing numerous academic papers. His recent book on his career as a salaryman in Mitsubishi has been featured by BBC Radio, Newsweek, Bloomberg, the Sunday Times, and numerous other publications.

 

This lecture was arranged in association with Japan Airlines