How to Cultivate a DEI-Driven Corporate Culture: The Case of Amazon Japan

Human capital management, employee diversity, inclusive value delivery... For companies, the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives continues to grow from various perspectives: customer-facing, employee-facing, shareholder-facing. However, it is also true that many companies in Japan have yet to fully embed DEI into their culture and work environment. Therefore, we are launching a series to explore hints on "cultivating a DEI-focused corporate culture" by interviewing companies that are already vigorously implementing DEI initiatives and fostering an inclusive corporate culture.

For this first installment, we will hear from Amazon Japan, whose recent sponsorship as a Gold Sponsor at Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2024 is still fresh in our minds.

Interviewees: Eiko Shiozawa (Amazon Japan Glamazon Japan Co-lead), Moe Aoki (Dentsu Inc., Amazon Japan Account Producer)

Interviewers: Shoko Hase, Erina Hanzawa (both from the Coco Color editorial department)

*This article is edited and published based on content from Coco Color.

Glamazon, a volunteer group supporting LGBTQIA+

──Please tell us about your mission in your role.

Shiozawa: Currently, I serve as the Japan representative for Glamazon, an affinity group*1 at Amazon Japan. Glamazon is a volunteer group that supports LGBTQIA+ individuals working at Amazon. It's made up of interested employees who come together to sponsor events like Tokyo Rainbow Pride and organize various LGBTQIA+ focused events within the company.

※1=Volunteer employee groups spanning domestic and international locations. They play important roles in building internal networks and leading service activities. Amazon currently has 13 Affinity Groups. https://www.aboutamazon.jp/affinity-groups
 

Going back a bit, I joined Amazon Japan five years ago as a DEI Program Manager. Amazon believes "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" are crucial pillars supporting the company and has established roles dedicated to advancing DEI across all businesses. At Amazon Japan, this role was newly created five years ago. When I took the role, as one of the first DEI Program Managers, I didn't know the best path forward. There was little Japanese literature on DEI at the time, so I searched online articles, read Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In"... I gathered hints from sources like these and worked through trial and error from scratch to figure out how to embed DEI within the company.

On the other hand, Amazon's leadership and executives place tremendous importance on DEI, which made my job of embedding it much easier. Typically, DEI tends to get buried in daily operations, often overshadowed by sales objectives or profit priorities. At Amazon, however, the company maintains an annual diversity calendar. Each month has designated initiatives: March always focuses on International Women's Day, April on Earth Day actions, May on support initiatives for people with disabilities aligned with GAAM (Global Accessibility Awareness Month), June on Pride Month... and so on. Within this framework, I felt incredibly fortunate to have a system and position dedicated to constantly thinking about DEI, researching various materials, and proposing and implementing initiatives to senior leadership. I believe it's crucial whether the organization fundamentally recognizes the necessity of a dedicated DEI Program Manager position from the outset.

──What was the background for creating the DEI Program Manager position in the first place?

Shiozawa: There are times when cross-functional programs are needed that individual teams can't solve on their own. For example, when someone working at a logistics hub wants to transfer to headquarters but struggles because there's no suitable position available or they don't know what skills to develop. In those cases, the Program Manager's role involves creating cross-departmental training and programs focused on skill development and career building, or setting up internal talk sessions. The DEI Program Manager role was created partly because various situations requiring cross-functional solutions were emerging within the DEI domain.

While working as a DEI Program Manager, I developed a desire to specialize in supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals. This led me to volunteer with Glamazon, an internal company group, separate from my main job. I have served as the representative for Glamazon Japan for the past three years.

Tokyo Rainbow Pride as a crucial platform

──Glamazon was a Gold Sponsor for this year's Tokyo Rainbow Pride (TRP). Could you share the reasoning behind deciding to sponsor Rainbow Pride?

Shiozawa: As Glamazon, we conduct an annual employee survey to assess various aspects of whether Amazon is a supportive workplace for LGBTQIA+ employees. Amazon Japan opted not to participate in TRP during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. When we reviewed that year's survey results, we saw overwhelming feedback expressing disappointment. TRP is such a major event, and having Amazon Japan sponsor it is a crucial opportunity to demonstrate the company's genuine commitment. Armed with that feedback, I directly appealed to President Jasper Chan, explaining that TRP holds significant importance for employees and that we should sponsor it. Jasper readily agreed, and last year we achieved Silver Sponsor status, allowing us to participate in the parade.

However, after the event, we received numerous critical comments from employees about the booth size and design, saying things like, "We wish the Amazon booth had conveyed a bit more seriousness." I relayed this employee feedback to leadership again, and this year, we were able to participate as a Gold Sponsor for the first time.

──I see. So you place great importance on internal feedback and surveys.

Shiozawa: At Amazon, being data-driven is highly valued. When making any proposal, it's crucial to back it up with relevant data and facts.

──I think this applies equally to Japanese companies—when trying to influence management, you need to persuade them using numbers and evidence. It's very insightful.

DEI Initiatives That Convey Amazon's Value

──Could you also share what message you aimed to convey when exhibiting at TRP this time?

Aoki: Amazon's logo features an arrow stretching from "a" to "z," symbolizing that Amazon offers everything from A to Z. Simultaneously, it represents a "smile expressing customer satisfaction." This applies equally to LGBTQIA+ related products and services.

For those who once struggled to find what they wanted, Amazon now makes it easy for anyone to access any product or service. Offering every product for everyone is the inclusivity Amazon provides through its business, and how Amazon supports the LGBTQIA+ community. This time, our booth featured the message "Unbox Our Pride! Let's open up every day that's true to ourselves." We had Glamazon members select actual LGBTQIA+ related products sold on Amazon.com. We introduced these to visitors while conveying Amazon's commitment.

As a result, this year's survey of TRP Amazon booth participants showed that 94% agreed with the statement "They offer products relevant to me."

—Ah, I see. It makes perfect sense that this was an initiative true to Amazon's spirit.

Continuing to expand our DEI team

──As you mentioned earlier, Glamazon plays a significant role within Amazon. Do you see any challenges in how the Glamazon team is currently managed?

Shiozawa: One constant challenge we face is high member turnover. Ultimately, since it's a volunteer effort driven by enthusiasts, there's no coercive force, and work commitments inevitably take priority. We're thinking about how to retain members or how to consistently attract new participants.

In this context, the TRP event is undoubtedly a major cornerstone. Creating something together and experiencing success builds that sense of achievement, which fosters team unity. Of course, there are many challenges, but I think we've managed to build a bond strong enough to overcome them. This year's Glamazon TRP members really get along well; even after TRP ended, we all went out for drinks together. I think everyone genuinely wants to gather. I hope we can maintain that atmosphere.

Culturally, many Japanese people haven't come out, and even among Amazon employees, some find it difficult to proudly say they're part of Glamazon. I'm an ally※2, not a member of the community myself. That's partly why I'm in the representative position, showing my face and appearing in media. But the reality is, many members of the community still hesitate to do such things.

※2 = An ally is someone who strives to understand LGBTQIA+ people and takes action within their capacity to address societal disadvantages.
 

Our mission going forward is to steadily increase the number of allies. My hope is that not only those directly affected, but also allies, will join us. Of course, there is absolutely no requirement to disclose whether you are directly affected or an ally to become a member. You don't have to come out, and the premise is that anyone can participate with peace of mind.

One thing we do to continuously grow our membership, including allies, is participate in new graduate employee orientations. As Glamazon members, we conduct internal PR activities saying, "We have this affinity group. If you support our activities, please join us." Many new graduates join upon learning, "Oh, the company has this kind of initiative." We also receive requests from various departments to present about Glamazon's activities at company-wide meetings.

──Presenting at the new graduate orientation is definitely a great idea.

Shiozawa: Yes, it is. Since we're a company involved in so many things, the orientation lasts about a week. It starts with Amazon's history, covers acquisitions like AWS and Twitch, and explains our affiliated companies. As part of that, we introduce various employee-led groups. Not just Glamazon, but also Women at Amazon—a global affinity group for women, non-binary employees, and their allies at Amazon—PWD (People With Disabilities), an affinity group supporting employees and customers with mental and/or physical disabilities, and the recently launched Mental Health & Well-Being (MHW) group promoting mental health.

Top-level commitment is key to advancing corporate DEI

──Listening to you, I felt that the core of any initiative is how effectively you can sustain that passion and keep the flame burning, since the number of truly passionate people is always limited in any organization. Are there other considerations for advancing corporate DEI?

Shiozawa: Advancing corporate DEI isn't solely the responsibility of individuals with specific roles. Amazon's stance is that all employees should constantly keep DEI in mind while working, so fostering a mindset where everyone feels accountable for DEI is crucial.

That said, the real challenge remains balancing priorities with business demands. I've personally wondered, "Why do I have to prepare for an International Women's Day presentation when I'm swamped and can't even finish my immediate tasks?" Initiatives related to diversity often inevitably place a greater burden on minority groups. For example, in hiring interviews, there's a rule that a certain number of female interviewers holding a certain level of position must participate to ensure gender diversity. However, the current reality is that there are simply fewer women in those positions, so the burden tends to fall disproportionately on women. Even while advocating for diversity, it sometimes ends up burdening minority groups. Such contradictions arise, making it difficult to strike the right balance.

──Regarding balance, I'm curious how you reconcile DEI with sales targets. I understand it's not a trade-off where focusing on one undermines the other, but how is the responsibility for sales and the commitment to DEI explained internally?

Shiozawa: At Amazon, I believe the 16-item "Leadership Principles" code of conduct plays a major role. These Leadership Principles are communicated in every meeting and are displayed on office walls. Among these principles are "Hire and Develop the Best" (ensuring every employee has the opportunity to grow through hiring and promotion) and "Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer." Achieving these goals absolutely requires diversity, and ensuring inclusion after diversity is equally essential. Amazon places significant emphasis on fostering the mindset that everyone must consciously work to create a workplace where all employees feel included and can work with pride.

──Listening to you, I sense that behind Amazon Japan's various initiatives, the core values of the original global (U.S.) Amazon, including the Leadership Principles, are incredibly strong. It's precisely because this foundation exists that DEI tends to permeate more easily among everyone.

Conversely, for so-called Japanese companies without this global background, what advice might you offer from your perspective to help cultivate and embed a DEI culture?

Shiozawa: At Amazon, we have a diverse workforce, so we need to collaborate across race, nationality, and cultural backgrounds. In my experience, many Amazon employees recognize the importance of DEI initiatives without needing detailed explanations. There seems to be a general understanding that accepting each other's differences is essential for effective teamwork and innovation. Of course, within Japanese society and Japanese companies, there are also LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and women who, depending on their role or industry, still face fewer opportunities to thrive. I believe that when top leadership takes the lead in showing an attitude of paying attention to these minorities within their respective organizations, it creates an atmosphere where employees can follow suit.

──Indeed, having top leadership commit to DEI as a model for employees to follow feels like a potential breakthrough, even within traditional Japanese companies.

Shiozawa: We often emphasize that diversity isn't just a minority issue—it directly impacts business management. Greater diversity leads to better business decisions, higher profit margins, and other tangible operational benefits. From this perspective, we strongly encourage management to actively engage with DEI.

Summary: Cultivating a DEI-Driven Corporate Culture – Lessons from Amazon Japan

This time, we spoke with Mr. Shiozawa of Amazon Japan and gained insights on cultivating a DEI-focused corporate culture. We hope readers will find actionable ideas to implement within their own organizations.