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不可解な形のビジネスの仕方、「総会屋」
総会屋がからむスキャンダルが日本の金融界を騒がせている。だが、在日外国人の間では、総会屋が受けていたという高額な賄賂や優遇措置より、総会屋という存在が多大な影響力を持っていることに対して驚いている人が多い…。
Many foreigners were more scandalized by the very idea of "sokaiya" and their influence on companies than by the amount of the bribes or the kind of favors given. It's hard for us to imagine the institutionalization of sokaiya and the extent of their unofficial power over legitimate business.
A Kyodo News survey revealed that out of 50 major Japanese companies, 34 had been on the lookout or were still watching out for sokaiya.
Many firms conduct activities behind the scenes and some of these dealings concern things they would prefer not to disclose publicly. Some managers, on the other hand, fear that anything irregular at a public event ― such as a loudly voiced complaint, whether true or not ― will have a negative impact on them or their firm.
Sensitive Japanese companies with secret activities are easy targets for sokaiya, who threaten to somehow mar the company's good reputation or reveal information publicly. Some sokaiya coerce companies simply by threatening to shout and get angry at the shareholders' meeting, which otherwise lasts less than 30 minutes if the agenda proceeds smoothly.
Foreigners view this situation differently.
Corporate extortionists are found all over the world. However, few countries regularly worry about them on such a large scale.
In most developed countries, large companies that offer their shares for sale are required by law and by shareholders to maintain all activities open for public scrutiny.
Companies and managers in these countries are also more used to differing opinions, inquiries or criticism from shareholders, the media, unrelated observers and even their own employees. The latter parties all believe that they have the right to speak their minds because "it's a free world and I have every right to be heard."
The liberal atmosphere can be unpleasant, but most people realize they have no choice but to be confident about their decisions and thick-skinned regarding other people's opinions of them.
In fact, shareholders' meetings usually go on for hours because so many people have questions or comments about company performance. If everyone were so satisfied with a firm that they had nothing to ask or say and a meeting finished in 30 minutes, the management would be very surprised and happy indeed.
The latest financial scandal in Japan concerns the alleged payment of hush money to professional racketeers by Nomura Securities Co., the country's largest brokerage, and by Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, a major financial institution. These two companies reportedly paid money and provided favors to corporate extortionists to prevent them from disrupting their respective annual shareholders' meetings.
Many foreigners were more scandalized by the very idea of "sokaiya" and their influence on companies than by the amount of the bribes or the kind of favors given. It's hard for us to imagine the institutionalization of sokaiya and the extent of their unofficial power over legitimate business.
A Kyodo News survey revealed that out of 50 major Japanese companies, 34 had been on the lookout or were still watching out for sokaiya.
Many firms conduct activities behind the scenes and some of these dealings concern things they would prefer not to disclose publicly. Some managers, on the other hand, fear that anything irregular at a public event ― such as a loudly voiced complaint, whether true or not ― will have a negative impact on them or their firm.
Sensitive Japanese companies with secret activities are easy targets for sokaiya, who threaten to somehow mar the company's good reputation or reveal information publicly. Some sokaiya coerce companies simply by threatening to shout and get angry at the shareholders' meeting, which otherwise lasts less than 30 minutes if the agenda proceeds smoothly.
Foreigners view this situation differently.
Corporate extortionists are found all over the world. However, few countries regularly worry about them on such a large scale.
In most developed countries, large companies that offer their shares for sale are required by law and by shareholders to maintain all activities open for public scrutiny.
Companies and managers in these countries are also more used to differing opinions, inquiries or criticism from shareholders, the media, unrelated observers and even their own employees. The latter parties all believe that they have the right to speak their minds because "it's a free world and I have every right to be heard."
The liberal atmosphere can be unpleasant, but most people realize they have no choice but to be confident about their decisions and thick-skinned regarding other people's opinions of them.
In fact, shareholders' meetings usually go on for hours because so many people have questions or comments about company performance. If everyone were so satisfied with a firm that they had nothing to ask or say and a meeting finished in 30 minutes, the management would be very surprised and happy indeed.
Shukan ST: July 11, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- The latest
- 一番最近の
- financial scandal
- 金融スキャンダル
- concerns 〜
- 〜 に関係する
- alleged 〜
- 申し立てられている 〜
- payment
- 支払い
- hush money
- 口止め料
- professional racketeers
- 職業的ゆすり屋(総会屋のこと)
- brokerage
- 証券会社
- major
- 大手の
- financial institution
- 金融機関
- reportedly
- 報じられるところによると
- provided favors
- 便宜をはかった
- corporate extortionists
- 企業に対するゆすり屋(総会屋のこと)
- prevent them from 〜
- 彼らが 〜 するのを防ぐ
- disrupting
- 紛糾させる
- respective
- それぞれの
- annual shareholders' meetings
- 年次株主総会
- were more scandalized by 〜 than by 〜
- 〜 より 〜 に憤慨した
- the very idea of 〜
- 〜 という概念そのもの
- influence
- 影響力
- amount of the bribes
- 賄賂の額
- institutionalization
- 慣行化すること
- extent
- 程度
- unofficial
- 影の
- legitimate
- 合法的な。
- survey
- 調査
- revealed
- 明らかにした
- had been on the lookout or were still watching out for 〜
- 〜 を排除すべく気を配っていたことがあるか、現時点で警戒している。
- conduct
- 行なう
- behind the scenes
- こっそり
- dealings
- 取り引き
- concern things they would prefer not to disclose publicly
- 表には出したくないようなことにかかわっている
- irregular
- 異例な
- public event
- 公の行事
- loudly voiced complaint
- 声高な苦情
- negative impact
- マイナスの影響
- Sensitive
- 傷つきやすい
- easy targets
- カモ
- threaten to somehow mar 〜
- 〜 を何らかの形で傷つけるといって脅す
- reputation
- 評判
- coerce(by 〜 )
- ( 〜 によって)威圧する
- agenda
- 議事
- proceeds
- 進行する
- shares
- 株式
- maintain 〜 open for public scrutiny
- 〜 を一般の人々の監視のもとにさらしておく
- inquiries
- 質問
- criticism
- 批判
- unrelated observers
- 直接かかわりがないが会議に出席を許された人々
- latter parties
- 株主、マスコミ、かかわりのない出席者、従業員など
- speak their minds
- 意見を言う
- be heard
- 意見を聞いてもらう
- liberal atmosphere
- 自由な雰囲気
- be confident
- 自信を持つ
- (be)thick-skinned
- 面の皮を厚くする
- regarding 〜
- 〜 に関して
- performance
- 業績
- management
- 経営陣