STAKEHOLDERAKEHOLDERDIALOGUE
OGUEFifth Sumitomo Electric Group Stakeholder Dialogue
Basis for Management
Business Outline

To Make Sumitomo ElectricGovernancea Company Where Women
Can Work at Their BestElectric also recognizes the significance of supporting women in playing important roles and developing themselves. To
this end, it is crucial to establish an environment where they can continue their career through various events in theirlife. This fifth Stakeholder Dialogue was held for discussions with active female employees to gain an understanding ofthe current situation and present challenges so that we can further help women play important roles.

After joining the Sumitomo Electric Group

Venue: Tokyo Head Oﬃce of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.

Products & Services

Date: June 5, 2015 (Fri.)
Kunii: I am Kunii from the Diversity &Inclusion Promotion Group of Human■ Participants

Resources Department, and will be your

Masatoshi Nakata (General Manager, Human Resources Department,
HR & Administration Division)
Resources Department, HR & Administration Division)

Keiko Iwai (Group Manager, Quality Control Group 1,
Yokohama Production Department,
Lightwave Components Division,
Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.)

Kokoro Miyake (Business Legal Group, Legal DepartmeDepartment)
Risa Tachibana (2nd Sales Group, 2nd Sales Department,
Departmen Sales Div.

moderator today. I have mainly been incharge of supporting women in playing
important roles since October 2014.
First, please introduce yourselves.
Nakata: I am Nakata, General Manager of Human Resources

Supply Chain

Miwa Kunii (Manager, Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Group, HumanCore
Category■ Outline of the Stakeholder Dialogue

Group's CSR Activities

While the birthrate is declining steadily in Japan, it is a social challenge to secure quality human resources. SumitomoDepartment. I look forward to hearing you freely exchange
ideas today.
Iwai: I am in charge of quality control of opticalcommunication devices at Sumitomo Electric Device
Innovations, and have been a section manager for almost twoyears. I have three children.

energy team in the Business Legal Group of Legal
Department. This is my 11th year in the company.
Dep
Tachibana: I am a sales staﬀ member in Automotive Business
Tach

Environmental
Preservation

Miyake: I am in charge of legal aﬀairs of the environmental

Human Resources(Eastern Japan), Automotive Business Unit)
UnUnit. This is my ﬁfth year.
Unitas your impression of the company after actually
as wellw
joining it.
joini

Social Contribution

Kunii: Next, please tell us why you joined Sumitomo Electric,
Kuni＊ The titles/posts of the participants are those at the time of the stakeholder dialogue.

CSR Report 201554

Miyake: When I was looking for a job, I wanted to work for ais that people outside the company tend to think thatcompany in which I can be involved in international projects,

Sumitomo Electric is a company where women are working

which is a manufacturer oﬀering products that contribute toenergetically, rather than those within it. I also hear aboutsociety and which has a sound foundation so that I can work

women who actually want to join our company.

there for a long time, as the three main conditions. Anotherkey to selecting a company was its systems and education

Kunii: While I am the only female manager in the HR groups

programs that would make me grow. After joining Sumitomo

at present, I think women's perspective can be introduced inElectric, I was assigned to Overseas Contracts & Legal Aﬀairsa meeting even with only one female participant.

Department, and also had an opportunity to work overseas. I
have never felt discriminated against based on gender but feel

Nakata: There is a trend to support thethat all of my aims have been achieved.

success of women in the workplacethroughout the Japanese society. I hope

Tachibana: I had wanted to be in chargethat all female workers are conscious ofof sales since my college days. During

aiming to be leaders.

my job hunting, however, I focused moreon what people were working in thecompany than on what job I wanted todo. I remember that the atmosphere in
Sumitomo Electric was very good. I am now working in a

Various challenges are becoming visible

sales team with the support of senior and junior colleagues. I
feel that the environment is better than expected.

Miyake: I am now pregnant and going to
be a mother next month. I will need to

Iwai: I also joined Sumitomo Electric because thework reduced hours later. As it inevitably

representatives of the company in the company informationaﬀects my work, I am nervous about

session made a good impression. While 22 years have

whether I can do my job satisfactorily. I

passed since then, I have never thought that my choice washope there is a teleworking systemwrong.

although it is diﬃcult to introduce it shortly. Meanwhile, ourdepartment has no female section or group manager like Ms.

Kunii: Ms. Iwai, you have been a section manager for twoIwai, so it is not very clear what career I can develop in theyears. Do you still feel that the atmosphere of Sumitomo

future.

Electric is good?
Tachibana: I sometimes talk with my boss about my career,
Iwai: I am in charge of management

but it is about career over the span of one or two years. I

while all of the other four members incannot envision my career plan from a long-term perspective

the section are older than me. I haveat present either.

support from them in various ways, andfeel that the good environment remains

Kunii: Flexible ways of working are very important. We planunchanged.

to start a teleworking system for the employees who need toengage in nursing care or childcare, as well as pregnant
employees, on a trial basis in October 2015. As teleworkingis allowed once a week in the plan, the system is aimed at

Signiﬁcance of female workers toplay important roles

expanding job opportunities for those who can work if
teleworking is available, rather than supporting workers inbalancing work and life.

Kunii: Do you think that your presence as a woman in yourdepartment has any impact on the workplace?

Miyake: I hope that the teleworking system is also used bymen, as well as women.

Iwai: I think that what matters is not gender but proper
communication.

Iwai: To support childcare, we also have the reemploymentsystem. I assume their family situation is a key to working

Miyake: I do not think that the presence of women haswomen. My personal view is that working at home is diﬃcultchanged the surroundings either. In the meantime, ourto introduce. There is an issue of whether payment should bedepartment has a working mother, and she is working

based on working hours or merit. It will be also unrealistic toreduced hours. We help her work eﬃciently by, for example,

introduce the system for factory staﬀ.

trying to hold meetings within her working hours. Her
presence may be creating a sense of teamwork.

Kunii: It is not good to give an impression that only women
receive attention either.

Tachibana: I am working in Utsunomiya Oﬃce, and two of theroughly 50 workers in the oﬃce, including me, are female

Iwai: What level of responsibility they assume is an issue

employees for main career track. I sometimes take 20 malewhen women work as members of society. It is diﬃcult toworkers or so with me to give a presentation. My impression

keep balance between work and childcare.

55 CSR Report 2015

STAKEHOAKEHOLDER
DER DIALOGUE
OGUE

Miyake: While I have learned practical skills to work at ame raising a child now, it is likely that I

satisfactory level, I am now going through the life events ofwill later consider how I can use thepregnancy and childbirth. I want to consider them positively,

systems to balance work and childcare

and seek a more eﬃcient way of working with focus on

at the turning points of my life.

quality.

Business Outline

Iwai: I have already experienced the life
events of marriage, childbirth and child

Communication is important
Kunii: Motivated women sometimes shift
their focus to home life temporarily, butsome of them cannot shift it back torearing. While the short-time work
system was not in place at the time of
my childbirth, we now have various
systems to help women continue towork. I want to disseminate the fact.

I could not apply for a business trip orinteresting project because of childcare. Superiors ofemployees who are raising children should not determinethat such employees cannot work for a new project, forexample, on their discretion but ask the employees about
their intentions ﬁrst. Communication is diﬃcult but important.

Governancework later. It is so wasteful, I think. As I
also have children, I have experience that

Basis for Management

Tachibana: Although I cannot imagine

Nakata: Gender issues are problems
unique to Japan. In the Sumitomo
Electric Group, the ratio of female
workers is higher overseas, and many
women are playing important roles froma global perspective. In the future, wehave to solve the challenges related to gender in Japan, andworking. I assume that changes in the way of working among

waiting for it. As I work longer, I feel the importance of thiswhite collar workers will allow women and non-Japanese toattitude more strongly.

work more comfortably.

Miyake: There are circumstances related

Kunii: Sumitomo Electric has arranged systems to welcome

to various life events for women. Still, I

motivated persons. We would also like to enhance thehope that women are actively invited tosupport programs continuously.

join a drinking party or other event thatis precious opportunities for

Nakata: I identiﬁed many issues that I had not noticedcommunication.

through this exchange of views. I would like to keep working
employees ﬁnd their various jobs rewarding. I hope to havemake adjustment with my family in advance.

your cooperation.

Nakata: There should be more opportunities for employees,

Supply Chain

including women, to talk about their career plans and share

Products & Services

to solve them, and maintain management activities to help
Iwai: I cannot join a drinking party often because I have toCore
Category

Tachibana: I try to make communication ﬁrst instead ofGroup's CSR Activities

men also have to change the culture and their way ofvarious situations and feelings.
Tachibana: Our department organizes lunch parties because
general staﬀ, assistants and dispatched workers cannot
attend drinking parties at night.

Human Resources

Nakata: That is a good idea also because quite a few men do
not like alcohol.

Environmental
Preservation

To make Sumitomo Electric a company
where women can take more active roles
Kunii: What roles do you want to play in Sumitomo Electric infuture?

Social Contribution

Tachibana: I hope to be a role model for junior colleagues.
While steadily dealing with the processes of marriage,
childbirth and child rearing, I want to keep working to serve
as a guide.

CSR Report 201556