CROSS TALK 2
Workplaces where women can play active roles on the global stage
The creation of workplaces where women can work cheerfully and energetically is absolutely essential for companies to grow. MATSUOKA strives to make improvements for female-friendly workplaces, not only for life-stage changes, such as marriage and childbirth, but also for day-to-day activities. We interviewed three women doing their best on the global stage.
Sales Representative, Sales Division, Sales Department
IKEDA Eriko
Product Planning & Marketing Representative, Sales Division, Sales Department
OTSUKA Ayumi
Product Planning & Marketing Representative, Sales Division, Sales Department
KATADA Hisano
Adoption of systems based on worker’s thought! Creation of women-friendly environments
Tell us about your work, Ms. IKEDA.
IKEDA
I am in charge of sales. At first, I was assigned to the department in charge of samples, and I soon took maternity leave, and thereafter, I delivered my second child during childcare leave, so I was away from work for about three years in total. After that, I returned to work, and after taking charge of trade operations for 4 years and then administrative work to support sales, I became a sales representative in 2015. At first, I was not able to be confident in interacting with customers on the front lines. But I made up my mind partly because I was pleased by the encouragement provided by suppliers working together and partly because I curiously found this work to be more rewarding the more difficult it got. I think I have been able to keep going because senior members have built good relationships with our customers and there was a structure and system in place that always allowed for follow-up support. Now, I feel it to be worthwhile doing this work making products at overseas factories and delivering them according to the orders placed by our customers.
How did MATSUOKA create an environment that enables female workers to play active roles?
IKEDA
For a company to establish a structure and system that enable female workers to return to work from childcare, I think it is important to reach an organization-wide consensus. In that regard, I think MATSUOKA tries to flexibly respond to each worker’s situation. Since our company is supported by people, the culture of “valuing people” may be rooted in our company. Based on this culture, our company adopted various systems, such as a shorter working hours, flextime, and compensatory leave, etc. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, a telework structure, etc., has also been established, and this has led to a more satisfactory work environment in which we can continue to work, compared with when I took maternity leave. As we deal with a lot of women’s apparel brands, I really want female workers to actively take part in sales and play active roles in this company.
Do you have the impression that balancing your job with family life is difficult?
IKEDA
I sometimes took my job too seriously and could not give sufficient time to my family members. In my case, I could overcome this thanks to the support of my parents. It was a great help that they took my children to and from kindergarten, prepared meals, and looked after my children when they got ill. After my children entered elementary school, I could concentrate on my job, because my parents took care of my children as if they were the real parents, helping with culture lessons and homework. I am filled with gratitude for my parents. I am sure that the burdens not only of child-rearing but also from other changes in life stage cannot be understood by anybody other than the persons concerned, which is a difficult thing. Sometimes, it isn’t even a matter of time management, but of emotional capacity and work-life-balance. I hope that a system will be established, in which support will not only be provided from the aspects of business operations, but also for mental well-being. I would like to establish a structure and system in which everyone can work with satisfaction irrespective of age and gender, by solidly reconciling the company’s intent and women’s opinions, including systems and training necessary.
What kind of colleagues do you want to work with from now on?
IKEDA
Because communications are valued, bright and positive people are preferred. I think it is important to create a “sales system in which personalities and structures are well matched.” It would be ideal if each of the sales staff members could show their individuality based on rational and highly reproducible structures and an operational system that combines digital and IT technologies. Also, people would be expected not to say “I cannot do it” so easily. This is the spirit to be called our DNA, in which we search for options under any circumstances or in any situations. To this end, if we cannot think hard and think through with our colleagues, we can never grow as a company or as people. Therefore, I want to work together with people who can make combined efforts with patience.
Feeling connected to the world
Tell us about your job, Ms. OTSUKA.
OTSUKA
I have been in the Product Planning Division since I joined the company in 2010. My main job is to check the plans and product specifications received from our customers, and convey them to our factories. Conversely, I also convey concerns rising out of the factories to the customers and work together to solve them. I do not take part in the product planning itself, but rather work to create an environment in which our factories can properly concentrate on sewing by smoothing out the issues that arise while creating samples for mass production. For example, because expressions and nuances are different in a subtle way from customer to customer and there are many technical terms and formats unique to them, we happen to make mistakes unless we carefully confirm the details even in Japanese-to-Japanese communication. I think my role is to reduce errors due to such misconceptions and misunderstandings, and serve as a bridge for our customers and our factories as clearly as possible.
OTSUKA
Are there cases where you sense the global scale when working at MATSUOKA?
Is there anything you want to challenge from now on?
OTSUKA
In this company, I am already at a mid-level position, but I still have a lot to learn every day. Even though I have gained experience in materials and sewing, new products in front of me are always new challenges. That is why unexpected situations may occur no matter how much preparations are made. Since field sites are always moving, we cannot lose our concentration at any time, so there is always some sense of tension. But the sense of achievement I feel upon successful delivery is priceless. I actually feel connected with the distant field sites. What is good about this company is that all employees, whether male or female, are equally assessed and given opportunities. I guess I will have to continue to learn, but I look forward to growing through hard work!
Develop global awareness through work
Tell us about your job, Ms. KATADA.
* The departments and content of the interview are as of the time of the interview.
KATADA
I have been in the Product Planning Division since I joined the company as a new graduate in 2016. I check the patterns and specifications received from our customers, and have our factories produce samples and products. As a person in charge of four companies which mainly deal with workwear, I interact with all the factories in the respective countries on a daily basis, and I am also in charge of such things as “making products at a factory in Bangladesh, which were previously made at a factory in Myanmar.” It is pretty tough, and there are cases where the same products cannot be made at the same level of quality for some reason. In such cases, we discuss countermeasures together with the factory staff members in charge, sales representative, and our customer in question. From the standpoint of the customer, who placed orders with the same MATSUOKA, we cannot extend the delivery date or provide lower quality. As a matter of course, the costs cannot be raised, so our job requires a sense of balance in reporting and consulting at key points while having a sense of speed to some extent.
I heard that you stayed in China for training. What did you learn on-site?
KATADA
Immediately after joining the company, I received training for about one month at the factory in China. To be honest, everything was new and I do not remember what I learned at that time because it was my first time going overseas (laughs). But I had gumption as I spent every day in a reckless manner while I did not yet know the details of my work in an environment where I could not make myself understood in the local language. Thinking back, that was the most important experience. Honestly, I had a glorified image, and words like ‘apparel‘ and ‘global’ sounded appealing, but field work was tough. There were occasional arguments with local staff. However, the people were watching my usual attitude and mindset, so my feelings and intentions got across. Most conflicts arose because we were serious and passionate about what we make, but I think that was why we would eventually get a feeling of achievement together. Although we should not place excessive expectations, this company is the best for people who are really serious about wanting to making clothes.
KATADA
The spread of the novel coronavirus infection has prevented me from simply going to overseas factories, but I now feel closer to my local colleagues. They speak Japanese but they are non-Japanese. Making things together with those people in the same workplace is an important opportunity to develop global awareness in a real sense. It is not an easy job to work while always assuming unexpected situations, but looking back on my past, I realize that large parts of my gumption and growth arose from there. In the work of connecting our customers and factories, we are substantially trained in mindset as well. It is worthwhile to gain confidence in this line of work with our factories scattering around the world and being responsible for manufacturing from start to finish. I would like to work with people who are prepared to jump into the world of manufacturing. Because I am still a junior member in the Product Planning Division, I look forward to having younger members!
