#Japan #Human Capital #Shinjuku #Marui Group #Nobuya Harada

Transforming Human Capital Management with Marui Group

The Protean Career Association, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, is dedicated to fostering better relationships between organizations and individuals, while supporting proactive career development. As organizations grow increasingly focused on disclosing information regarding human capital management, many still face the challenge of moving beyond mere indicator creation to actual organizational transformation and enhanced corporate value.

In response to this need, the Protean Career Association has released a series of YouTube discussions with Nobuya Harada, the HR Director at Marui Group, highlighting practical examples of human capital management. This three-part video series utilizes data that illustrates a notable internal rate of return (IRR) of 12.7% from human capital investment, framing the continuous reform of corporate culture as a key driver for successful human capital management implementation.

Marui Group's Commitment to Cultural Reform

Following the economic stagnation that followed the burst of the asset bubble in Japan, Marui Group adopted a transformative perspective, claiming that the root of their issues lay within corporate culture rather than external circumstances. Over the last decade, they have been committed to reforming corporate culture, successfully earning numerous awards related to human capital management.

Notable Awards for Marui Group's HR Initiatives:

• - Best Award in Corporate Culture Transformation at the Career Ownership Management AWARD 2023
• - Leadership & Governance of a Public Company Award (2025)
• - Human Capital Disclosure Award (2023)
• - Platinum Eruboshi Certification (2024)
• - PRIDE Index: Gold certification for nine consecutive years
• - Health Management Company Designation: Highest rank from DBJ

Marui Group's future initiatives aim to cultivate an organization that nurtures autonomous individuals through a 'raise-your-hand culture' and cross-departmental rotation systems. Notably, they view human capital investment not just as a cost but as a strategic investment in future business opportunities, demonstrating a robust return on investment.

In this video series, Harada delves into how Marui Group has positioned corporate culture as a 'management operating system' and the processes through which they have embedded human capital management into organization processes. Recorded within the ‘Co-Creation Lounge’ at Marui Group’s headquarters, the discussions cover various elements of human capital management, including structural design as well as transformations in organizational culture and working methods.

Overview of the Video Series:

Episode 1: Revamping Corporate Culture as a Management OS
In the first episode, Marui Group addresses their internal issues post-bubble burst by recognizing corporate culture as a core problem. Harada shares insights on the dialogues and cultural transformations initiated by a letter from the president, which set the groundwork for over ten years of reform.
Watch here

Episode 2: Fostering Autonomy with a Raise-Your-Hand Culture
The second episode focuses on Marui Group’s innovative systems that encourage employee participation, including a raise-your-hand system involving 89% of employees and rotation systems across roles that enhance individual autonomy. The episode discusses the required elements of career independence in the AI era.
Watch here

Episode 3: Quantifying the Return on Human Capital Investment (IRR 12.7%)
In the final episode, Harada discusses how dialogue with investors led to the quantification of human capital investments. He explains Marui Group's unique logic of viewing existing business personnel as investments in future new business and elaborates on the internal consensus-building processes.
Watch here

Profile: Nobuya Harada

Nobuya Harada joined Marui Group in 1999. After experiences in store sales and management, he took on the role of area manager and buyer for private apparel brands at headquarters. Harada was involved in product development in collaboration with customers before moving on to strategic planning and management roles. Since 2021, he has served as the Director of Human Resources, advocating the philosophy that the growth of individuals equals the growth of the company.

Overview from the Interviewer, Tohru Ariyama

As the dialogue around human capital management evolves, it is essential to ask not just about 'disclosure' but about 'how to implement it within organizations.' Marui Group's approach intertwines cultural reform with human capital management, serving as an advanced case study. It is hoped that this video series will provide concrete insights for organizations striving to advance human capital management.

About the Protean Career Association

Founded in March 2020 and located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, the Protean Career Association supports dialogue-based organizational development services and individual career support initiatives. It is under the leadership of Kenosuke Tanaka, a professor at Hosei University, and Tohru Ariyama, CEO of 4designs, Inc.
For more information and resources, visit our website: Protean Career Association.
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