午夜剧场

In my research on corporate management strategy, I have many opportunities to write and speak using management terminology. Among these terms, there are some where the matching of the written word to its meaning is exquisite, and I hope many people will use them. On the other hand, there are terms that feel somewhat off—terms I would prefer not to use myself and would rather others didn't use either. Among the latter, one that I have seen frequently lately is "professional manager" (pro-keieisha). Generally, this term refers to a type of executive who is hired from outside for their management skills and moves from company to company, rather than a homegrown executive who rose through the ranks of a single organization. In the sense that they suddenly arrive at a company as the top leader, they can also be called "parachute-style" executives.

Traditionally, the vast majority of Japanese corporate executives have been homegrown types who rose through internal promotions, making "professional managers" a minority. However, we are increasingly hearing about the successes of such executives, including Eiko Harada, who moved from McDonald's Japan to Benesse; Takeshi Niinami, who moved from Lawson to Suntory; and Akira Matsumoto, who demonstrated his skills in the turnaround of Calbee. This is a noteworthy change occurring in Japanese corporate society. Therefore, I have no objection whatsoever to applying some kind of term to distinguish these executives from traditional ones.

But is "professional" manager really the right term? To avoid any misunderstanding, let me say that the individuals referred to as "professional managers," including the three mentioned above, are undoubtedly pros in corporate management with excellent leadership skills. Therefore, my discomfort does not stem from calling them professionals. Rather, I feel a strong sense of unease about using the expression "professional"—which should inherently apply to all managers—as a term to designate only them. In Japanese, the antonym of "pro" is "ama" (amateur), and in English, the opposite of "professional" is "unprofessional." Following this logic, the term implied for the counter-concept of the traditional manager would be "amateur manager" (unprofessional manager). I am likely not the only one who feels this is a rather disrespectful expression. I strongly hope that a more appropriate term will be created and become widespread.