Circled wagons.
http://dot.asahi.com/wa/2015063000099.html
[this translation begins mid-article, skipping all the recitations of background facts in its first paragraphs]. Usual disclaimer on translation quality. This is really more opinion than reporting...
捜査の行方はさておき、苦境に立たされたのはトヨタだ。4月に就任したばかりのハンプ容疑者は広報の責任者で、トヨタ初の女性常務役員。抜擢した豊田章常務役員。抜擢した豊田章男社長は逮捕翌日の19日に会見し、「私にとってもトヨタにとってもかけがえのない仲間」「捜査を通じて、法を犯す意図がなかったことが明らかにされると信じている」と、かばった。この会見に違和感を覚えたと語るのは、危機管理コンサルタント会社「リスク・ヘッジ」の田中辰巳代表だ。
Setting aside the investigation's direction, it is Toyota that is in dire straits. Suspect Hamp was just recently appointed to be in charge of public relations, and was Toyota's first female Managing Officer. Akio Toyoda, who handpicked her, had a press conference on the 19th, the day after her arrest, backing her by saying "for me she is an irreplaceable friend." "I believe that the investigation will clarify that there was no intention to break the law." We asked Tatsumi Tanaka, representative of Risk Hedge, a crisis management consultancy, to comment on what he was uncomfortable with in this press conference.
「問題は意図があったかではなく、逮捕されたという事実。コンプライアンスの対外的な責任者である広報担当役員が逮捕されたのに、事態を重く受け止めていないようなメッセージになってしまった。『お友達内閣』と言われた第1次安倍政権で、不祥事を起こした閣僚をかばった安倍晋三首相を連想しました」
"The problem is not whether there was intent, the problem was the fact that she was arrested. Even though the arrest was made of a public relations officer who is excluded from responsibility for compliance, it sends a message that the situation is not being taken very seriously." "It reminds me of when members of PM Shinzo Abe's first Cabinet members were disgraced, but the cabinet was spoken of as his "Cabinet of friends."
東京商工リサーチの友田信男情報本部長の評価も厳しい。
「『あくまで個人の犯罪』と説明すべきだった。ハンプ容疑者が有罪となった場合、『会社ぐるみでかばっていた』と思われかねない」
間の悪いことに、24日にトヨタが公表した有価証券報告書から、章男社長に前年度を約1億2千万円上回る3億5200万円の報酬が支払われたことが報道された。配当金との合計では約12億7千万円となり、日産自動車のカルロス・ゴーンCEOの約11億4千万円をも上回った。
Nobuo Tomoda, information HQ chief at Tokyo Shoko Research, also provided a severely critical assessment.
"It should have been described as 'only a crime by an individual.' If suspect Hamp is found guilty, the company could be seen as 'having defended its own.' "
Making a bad situation even worse, Toyota's June 24 securities report disclosed president Akio Toyoda's annual compensation of 352 million yen, substantially more than the 120 million yen he earned the previous fiscal year. [note: remember that during this year's Japan Toyota workers union negotiations, the workers demand for higher wages was refused by Toyota representatives who said that it was "totally impossible"] Together with his dividends, he will be receiving about 1.27 billion yen, surpassing even the 1.14 billion yen received by Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's CEO.
「他国と比べて極めて閉鎖的だった日本の自動車業界で、いち早くグローバル化を目指した人事自体は画期的だった。この失敗も今後の糧になるのでは」（友田氏）
コンプライアンスも、カイゼン方式で復活を！？
Although the compensation may reflect the company's strong performance, perhaps this arrogance has led to the trip-up this time.
Mr. Tomoda comments: "The Japanese auto industry was very closed compared with other countries, and the personnel itself was revolutionary, with the aim of quick globalization. This failure may also become the seed of the future."
Maybe the "kaizen" method should also be applied to compliance!?