86% of Companies Face Generational 'Perspective Gap', Yet 70% Lack Countermeasures—Survey of HR and Management

The Digital Editorial Unit of Nikkei Inc. conducted a survey on the organizational impact of the 'perspective gap' that occurs between management, middle management, and younger staff. The survey, targeting HR and development managers as well as corporate executives, revealed that while 86% of companies perceive a gap in perspectives between generations, only 33% have undertaken countermeasures.

The fact that there is a difference in the 'perspective'—the viewpoint from which business and management are perceived—between generations is a challenge that many organizations have recognized. However, this issue has not been sufficiently visualized until now. Against this backdrop, a survey was conducted among HR, development managers, and executives. Based on 217 responses, the survey results were summarized into four categories: 'spread of awareness', 'impact on leadership development', 'delay in countermeasures', and 'direction of solutions'.

■ 86% perceive a gap in perspective; areas of serious concern are 'long-term perspective' and 'company-wide optimization'
86% of companies perceive a generational gap in perspective, a proportion that is consistent regardless of company size or industry. Perspectives with particularly large gaps were 'long-term perspective' (72%) and 'company-wide optimization' (61%), areas directly linked to the core of business strategy.

■ About 90% are concerned about the impact on leadership development, yet only one in three companies have countermeasures
While 88% of respondents answered that the perspective gap affects the quality of leadership development, only 33% of companies are actually implementing countermeasures. There is a gap of approximately 50 points with the 84% of companies that recognize it as a business issue. This 'gap between awareness and action' is leading to an organizational risk of leader absence in 10 years.

■ The key to essential solution is 'routinization'—Growing recognition that current training is insufficient
The factor most cited as necessary for an essential solution to the perspective gap was 'mechanisms to encounter management perspectives on a daily basis' (66%). Rather than one-off training or events, there is a demand for mechanisms that embed management perspectives into daily routines.

▼ Nikkei Electronic Edition Corporate Subscription: Building a 'Daily Information Environment' to Shrink Perspective Gaps
Based on these survey results, Nikkei Inc. supports the resolution of perspective gaps through corporate subscriptions to the Nikkei Electronic Edition.

1. Mechanisms to encounter management perspectives on a daily basis
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun is written from a management perspective, covering fields such as politics, economy, corporate activity, and society. Hundreds of articles are delivered daily, and by registering industries, companies, and keywords, relevant information is automatically delivered. Creating an environment where 'reading today's news from a management perspective' becomes a daily habit is the first step toward shrinking the perspective gap.

2. Access to high-quality external information
In addition to domestic and international economic trends, industry trends, and business strategies, the edition covers content that explains the basics. Perspectives with particularly large gaps in this survey—'long-term perspective' (72%), 'company-wide optimization' (61%), and 'understanding external environments' (47%)—are areas that the Nikkei Electronic Edition consistently covers.

3. Support system unique to corporate contracts to build a 'reading as a team' culture
The corporate desk provides consistent support after introduction, including reading workshops, mini-quizzes, Nikkei journalist seminars, and usage reports. We support the fostering of an organizational culture where all levels, from new employee training to next-generation leader development, continue to encounter management perspectives.