What the Kansai Productivity Center is all about

The Kansai Productivity Center (KPC) is located in Osaka. We began back in 1956 as a non-profit organization interested in promoting business productivity. Today, our operating budget is 885 million yen and we have more than 590 member companies, representing all of the major industrial, financial and commercial enterprises in the area, and 150 member labor unions, representing a workforce of 1.2 million people, as well as scholars and other persons of vital background and experience. We have always aimed at diffusing the idea and techniques for improving productivity as well as at developing the human resources capable of taking charge of such initiatives. We have sought to attain this goal in close cooperation with Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development and the other six regional productivity centers. In addition, we play an active part in fields spanning from overall business management to socio-economic issues. We operate in seven prefectures of Kansai area: Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Shiga and Fukui. The area is the cradle of Japanese civilization and a primary pillar of the nation's economy. We Share the interests of many and are working to make business more productive. The Kansai has a population of 21.47 million or 17.1% of Japan's overall population (125.57 million). Annual gross product is 87.54 trillion yen or 17.3% of Japan's GDP. The Kansai's GDP is bigger than that of Spain and Canada.

Program

Mediation

Modern issues such as regional social development, retirement and energy resources, go beyond the capacity of any one single company, or the dealings of labor versus management. Here, we act as a a outside mediator to promote a mutual accord amongst all concerned parties. Kansai Productivity Congress Western Japan Productivity Meeting Labor Executives Forum Round-Table Talks amongst Government, Management and Labor Unions New Frontier Business Study Group Medium-size Company Executive Forum

Human Resources Development

We offer training and education programs ranging from seminars for top management to basic orientation for new employees. Through these programs, we aim to develop the human resources which will ensure a prosperous ongoing discussion between management and labor. Seminars focus on a variety of critical issues such as managerial functions and perspectives of the managerial position. Management Consultant Leaders' Training Course Self-Assessment Course of Quality of Management Management School for Executives and Middle Managers (Management Strategy, HRD, Marketing, R&D Management) Management Executive Exchange Forum Study Groups Management Human Resources Development Research & Development Quality of management Financial Accounting Physical Distribution Industrial Relations Labor Laws Union Activities Marketing

In House Training

We have developed and implemented in-house training programs for some 250 companies over the past five years.

International Exchange Activities

KPC is always promoting international communication and understanding. Some of our activities include sending fact-finding teams overseas and hosting groups from abroad. Hosting study groups and missions Top Management Round Table Conference Business Week Reading Seminar

Management Consultation and Guidance

KPC helps member companies improve productivity by consulting with them at their request. In the past five years, we have helped more than 50 companies in this way.

PR Work and Research

KPC furnishes information and news on “productivity” in retrospect of business management, economic issues in general and labor-management relations. We conduct research ourselves and in cooperation with other institutes, and publish our own periodicals and reports.

Overseas Inspections

Management Executive Study Team Young Executive Study Team to the U.S. Young Executive Study Team to Europe Kansai Productivity Mission to Southeast Asia Kansai Productivity Top Mission to Europe Kansai Productivity Mission to EC Nations Young Leader Study Team to Australia Productivity Mission to Northern Europe Kansai Productivity Mission on North American Free Trade Agreement Strategy Management Strategy Mission to China Japan-China Forum on Productivity and Labor-Management Relations Advanced Human Resource Management Study Mission to the U.S. Strategic Information System Study Team to the U.S. Kansai Productivity Mission to Vietnam Kansai Productivity Center Study Group on Labor Situation in India Logistics Strategy Mission to China Study Group on American Marketing and Business Strategy Kansai Productivity Top Mission to New Zealand and Australia Study Team on Cyberspace Age and Future Organization in Global Linkage Middle Management & Leader Study Team to the U.S. Quality of Management Study Team to the U.S.

The Three Truism of Productivity

Improving productivity can generate jobs, but everything reasonable must be done just the same to prevent unemployment, such as transferring surplus workforce to areas where needed. A concrete and rewarding approach to productivity improvement comes from joint study and dialogue between labor and management. The results of improved productivity should be commensurate with the state of the national economy and must be distributed fairly amongst management, labor and the consumer.

Productivity

“Productivity is above all things a state of mind. It is the mental attitude by which we advance the state of things or aim for continual improvement. It is the belief that it is possible to make today better than yesterday; further, it is the belief that tomorrow will be even better than today. It is the will to make improvement, no matter how superb the present condition. It is also to continuously adapt economic and social life to changing conditions and to make continual efforts to apply new techniques and methods. It is belief in the progress of mankind.” The outline of productivity and the object of productivity centers of respective countries” popularly called “Report on the Roman Conference” of the European Productivity Center in 1956.

Kansai Productivity Center