How to Cultivate a DEI-Focused Corporate Culture: The Case of Panasonic Connect

This series explores insights on "cultivating a DEI-focused corporate culture" by interviewing companies vigorously implementing DEI initiatives and fostering inclusive workplaces. The second installment features Panasonic Connect, which positions DEI as one of its core management strategies.

Interviewees: Sanae Aburada, Yuya Furuya, and Naho Ikematsu, DEI Promotion Office, Human Resources & General Affairs Division, Panasonic Connect

Interviewers: Sayuri Nakagawa, Shoko Hase, Miyu Suga (all from the Coco Color editorial department)

※This article is edited and published based on an article from Coco Color.

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DEI Promotion is the Foundation of the Company

──Please give us an overview of Panasonic Connect's DEI initiatives.

Yuda: Since 2017, when our current CEO, Higuchi, became president of our predecessor company, Panasonic Connected Solutions Company, we positioned organizational culture as the source of our corporate competitiveness and began communicating this both internally and externally.

This is the three-tiered corporate reform we've been advancing since 2017. We call the foundational first-tier cultural reform "Culture & Mindset Reform," which we've been promoting for over seven years. DEI is one of the three pillars of this Culture & Mindset Reform.


──So DEI promotion is the foundation of the company. Why is DEI recognized as such a crucial initiative?

Yoda: There are two main perspectives. First, "enhancing corporate competitiveness." For example, it's said that organizations with greater diversity are more conducive to innovation and higher-quality decision-making. In Japan today, many companies are advancing DEI from this perspective.

However, equally important—or even more so—is the perspective of "respecting human rights." Respecting human rights means establishing fair working conditions, creating a workplace free of discrimination, and addressing truly fundamental issues. We consider these two perspectives—"respecting human rights" and "enhancing corporate competitiveness"—as the prerequisites for advancing DEI.

──So it's a shared understanding within the company that DEI cannot be achieved without respecting human rights. Are there any other characteristics unique to Panasonic Connect?

Yuda: A frequently noted characteristic is that executives outside HR are responsible for DEI. Currently, CMO Yamaguchi, CFO Nishikawa, and CLO Tamada serve as DEI executive officers. This structure allows us to advance DEI not just from an HR perspective, but as a whole Panasonic Connect initiative.

Another distinctive aspect lies not only in leadership but also in our field structure. We have numerous locations from Kyushu and Okinawa to Hokkaido, with diverse roles including manufacturing members, engineers, sales staff, and SEs. Given that DEI challenges vary by workplace and site, there are limits to what our DEI Promotion Office can achieve through company-wide, uniform initiatives. Therefore, we have established DEI promotion leaders called "Champs" within each business division.

Career Ownership Leads to DEI Advancement

──So having both top-down and bottom-up approaches makes DEI easier to advance. Specifically, what kind of DEI promotion activities are you conducting? Please tell us about the main activities.

Yoda: We hold an annual event called the "DEI Forum," where we invite various guests and all employees learn about DEI together. Last year, we focused on caregiving for the first time.

Ikematsu: We really felt that the caregiving theme broadened the audience's interest. Even people not currently facing issues likely sense it will soon become relevant to them. Interest in DEI varies greatly among individuals, and many think "DEI = women's/LGBTQ+ issues, not my concern." By choosing caregiving—an issue relevant even to the majority—we successfully conveyed that "you are a stakeholder too." That was a significant achievement.

Yuda: Starting last October, we also introduced an egg freezing subsidy program. It's a one-time benefit covering up to ¥400,000 of the costs for egg retrieval and freezing. Interest from employees has been very high, and more people are utilizing it than we anticipated.

Ikematsu: However, to avoid the message being misinterpreted as "Freeze your eggs and work harder," we make sure to communicate that it's intended for those who independently consider and wish to try egg freezing. Underlying this is the concept of career ownership, which Panasonic Connect values. We encourage individuals to consciously consider "how they want to be" throughout their lifelong careers, take proactive steps toward realizing that vision, and develop autonomous life plans.

Transforming Field Voices into Action

──It's fascinating that career ownership underlies DEI initiatives. It seems like it could inspire people to think about their future careers beyond just advancing DEI. Have these DEI efforts sparked any changes within the company?

Yoda: One example is how our annual DEI Caravan, held since 2017, evolved into a company-wide project. This initiative involves our DEI executive visiting locations once a year to hear firsthand feedback from the field and translate it into action. Each year, we change the theme and participants to create a relaxed space for sharing thoughts, which often yields candid opinions.

The 2022 Caravan targeted women, and many voiced, "I don't want to become a manager or supervisor." Digging into the reasons revealed that the immense workload associated with managerial roles was a key factor. Recognizing this wasn't just a DEI issue but one requiring company-wide involvement, the two responsible officers proposed it to the management meeting, launching the "Manager Workload Reduction Project."

Furuya: We involved various functions, including HR and accounting, to review business processes. This led to several concrete improvements, such as streamlining approval processes and reducing meeting times. I believe it's crucial not to just listen to employee feedback from the DEI Caravan but to translate it into concrete next steps.

Designing Systems Based on the Future of Family Dynamics

──Besides the "Manager Workload Reduction Project," are there other initiatives reflecting frontline voices?

Yoda: In April 2023, we changed the name and details of our menstrual leave policy. We also prioritized frontline feedback during that process. At our company, women make up 6.9% of managers (FY2023), and for many women, the person they need to request menstrual leave from is a male section chief. We heard feedback that "the name 'menstrual leave' is too direct, creating a barrier to requesting it." So, the DEI Promotion Office proposed changing the name to the Labor Policy Department.

We decided to open the naming process to the public, and from many submissions, we selected "Dandelion Leave." This name draws a parallel between the dandelion, which changes form throughout the year, and women navigating daily hormonal fluctuations and menstruation. Taking the "T" from dandelion, it's commonly referred to as "T-Leave." Additionally, we expanded the leave from a full day to allow for half-day use and made it available for PMS (premenstrual syndrome) as well.

──That's a wonderful initiative. By the way, how do you gather feedback from the field?

Yuda: We have various channels, including our annual DEI Caravan, mailing lists, labor unions, and internal surveys. Additionally, since January this year, we've been running an initiative called the "Gemba Roundtable," where executives and employees selected through open recruitment discuss issues. Rather than focusing solely on immediate problems, we look ahead to future ways of working.

The theme we set is: "By 2040, will we have achieved a workstyle that assumes 'diverse family structures'?" By 2040, there may be more elderly singles, dual-income families raising children, and same-sex couples. When we re-examined our current systems, imagining employees with diverse family structures working at Panasonic Connect, a wide range of opinions emerged. Previously, it was standard practice for only the department overseeing the system to design it, and employees rarely had opportunities to contribute their own ideas. Creating this kind of opportunity was very positive.

How to make it personal

──In advancing various initiatives, do you ever feel it's not straightforward?

Ikematsu: Regarding LGBTQ+ initiatives, I find it challenging to expand the circle of people who participate and cooperate.

There are limits to what we can achieve solely through information dissemination from our DEI Promotion Office. We believe the circle can expand if each individual participating or cooperating in the initiatives finds ways to engage the people around them.

Another area where I see potential is getting people to attend events like Tokyo Rainbow Pride, which offer real-life experiences. Many who participate realize how important these issues are. So, the challenge is figuring out how to encourage real-world participation and how to sustain that sense of urgency.

Furuya: For fiscal year 2024, we've designated "disability" as a key DEI focus area. It remains one of the least understood topics within minority categories. We aim to start by raising awareness through workshops at each location, such as simulated disability experiences, to foster better understanding. We're also conducting similar workshops for executives, making this a challenge we're tackling head-on by driving progress from both the top and the bottom.

──We also feel the difficulty of expanding the circle of people who participate in or support DEI-related events, and we deeply empathize. Given that people have their regular duties, what approaches are you taking to encourage participation in these initiatives?

Yoda: Fundamentally, we emphasize that DEI activities are part of our work. That said, many people still can't participate due to work conflicts. So, we make sure to thoroughly archive everything we can, including adding subtitles, so anyone can watch it whenever they want.

Furthermore, when we held a DEI forum on caregiving, many attendees listened with a sense of personal connection. This reinforced our belief that even when busy with work, if people find a point of entry, they can see DEI as a world they can step into, recognizing it as a problem directly relevant to themselves. This entry point might spark interest in other issues, and I believe it can foster greater openness toward participating in DEI activities, both personally and among colleagues. With the hope that even one more person might take that step, I want to keep challenging myself.

Collaboration with Other Companies and Organizations

──Finally, as the person in charge, what are your thoughts and plans for Panasonic Connect's future DEI promotion?

Yuda: Since DEI covers such a broad range of areas, we want to challenge ourselves in various ways and expand our scope. Over the past few years, we've heard more and more people say, "Panasonic Connect is really advancing DEI, isn't it?" Moving forward, we want to continue being an entity that takes on diverse challenges alongside other companies. By doing so, we hope to contribute to changing society.

Furuyama: Creating an environment where people with disabilities can work comfortably ultimately leads to an environment where everyone can work comfortably. I want to pursue this deeply. However, employment for people with disabilities is a challenge for Japanese society as a whole, and there are mountains of issues that cannot be solved by one company alone. That's precisely why I want to collaborate with other companies, universities, and organizations to contribute to solving these societal challenges.

Ikematsu: Being responsible for LGBTQ+ initiatives and the egg freezing program gives me many opportunities to engage with people outside the company, and it really reinforces how important collaboration is. Beyond just exchanging information or meeting at events, I hope we can create more opportunities to take action together through initiatives like Pride Action30.

Summary: Cultivating a DEI-focused corporate culture, lessons from Panasonic Connect

This time, we spoke with Panasonic Connect and gained insights on cultivating a DEI-focused corporate culture. We hope readers find ideas applicable to their own organizations.

*About Pride Action30
https://connect.panasonic.com/jp-ja/brand/prideaction