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Hi.. I came across with an interesting tale in Far Eastern Economic Review,
have u enjoyed reading it!!! Here you are:

"Japanese factory worker A-San was surprised to get an invitation from his
employer to attend a seminar which would teach him how to write business
correspondence correctly. He duly turned up at the company's seminar room at
8:30 a.m. the next morning, and found nine other employees of the
machine-making company inside.
"The first lesson will be how to write a letter asking for permission to
leave early", said the boss. That sounded worthwhile, so the 10 staff wrote
the suggested letter. But all were rejected on the grounds of "poor
penmanship". The letter was rewritten repeatedly until the boss pronounced
himself satisfied, the Daily Mainichi reported.
The business letter-writing exercises continued all day and through the
evening. By midnight, A-San and his fellow employees were feeling tired and
groggy.
That's when the boss slipped them the final exercise. Each staff member
would now practice writing a sample letter of resignation. This would ensure
that they would have a full repertoire of business letters to use whenever
they needed them. A-San and colleagues duly composed the required missives.
The boss picked them up. "I accept your resignations", he gloated, and sent
them home - forever.

Why such a devious route to down-sizing? Companies do not have to meet
certain obligations, such as granting severance pay, for individuals who
resign. "It's a low-down dirty trick but it works", said the Asahi Evening
News. The company, unnamed in press reports, has adopted the letter-writing
seminars as a regular practice." (FEER, April 8, 1999, p34)

What do you think? :)

Anwar Hasim

It's shocking to think that these kinds of things actually happen, that
deception like this is somehow justified just to achieve desired ends. It
also runs against everything many of us teach our students. I hope that
none of them ever engage in this kind of thing.

Larry

At 05:49 PM 4/7/99 +0700, you wrote:
>Hi.. I came across with an interesting tale in Far Eastern Economic Review,
>have u enjoyed reading it!!! Here you are:
>
>"Japanese factory worker A-San was surprised to get an invitation from his
>employer to attend a seminar which would teach him how to write business
>correspondence correctly. He duly turned up at the company's seminar room at
>8:30 a.m. the next morning, and found nine other employees of the
>machine-making company inside.
>"The first lesson will be how to write a letter asking for permission to
>leave early", said the boss. That sounded worthwhile, so the 10 staff wrote
>the suggested letter. But all were rejected on the grounds of "poor
>penmanship". The letter was rewritten repeatedly until the boss pronounced
>himself satisfied, the Daily Mainichi reported.
>The business letter-writing exercises continued all day and through the
>evening. By midnight, A-San and his fellow employees were feeling tired and
>groggy.
>That's when the boss slipped them the final exercise. Each staff member
>would now practice writing a sample letter of resignation. This would ensure
>that they would have a full repertoire of business letters to use whenever
>they needed them. A-San and colleagues duly composed the required missives.
>The boss picked them up. "I accept your resignations", he gloated, and sent
>them home - forever.
>
>Why such a devious route to down-sizing? Companies do not have to meet
>certain obligations, such as granting severance pay, for individuals who
>resign. "It's a low-down dirty trick but it works", said the Asahi Evening
>News. The company, unnamed in press reports, has adopted the letter-writing
>seminars as a regular practice." (FEER, April 8, 1999, p34)
>
>What do you think? :)
>
>Anwar Hasim
>

The word that immediately comes to mind to describe the seminar firing is
"spineless."

Ted Rosen
THRosen@aol.com

Downsizing is painful enough without resulting to cruelty and deception in
the process. It would be hard to describe in polite terms how I feel about
this company and the person who knowingly conducts this "training." But
beware, our workforces have already started planning their revenge. They may
have the last laugh.

nancy

Of course this story is horrible, but for me, it seems incredibly
similar to an urban legend.

Please, I'm not calling the original poster a liar, but is the ultimate
source of this reliable?

Doug

--
Douglas M. Max
Managing Director
LR Communication Systems, Inc. http://LRcom.com

Get free writing tips on proofreading, style, and grammar at our site!

Training in business writing and presentation skills. Seminars, distance
learning/correspondence programs with personal feedback. Online options.
Editing services. Founded in 1969.

E-mail: DMax@LRcom.com voice (908) 464-1231 fax (908) 464-1350

139 Dogwood Lane * Berkeley Heights, NJ * 07922-0264 * USA

In a message dated 4/7/99 3:19:09 PM, dmax@BELLATLANTIC.NET writes:

<< but for me, it seems incredibly
similar to an urban legend. >>

That's my take on it too. It's too diabolical.

Martha Finney
Find Your Calling, Love Your Life (Simon & Schuster)
www.heartlandatwork.com

Hang the boss upside down and skin him alive over the priod of a week!!!

Anwar Hasim wrote:
>
> Hi.. I came across with an interesting tale in Far Eastern Economic Review,
> have u enjoyed reading it!!! Here you are:
>
> "Japanese factory worker A-San was surprised to get an invitation from his
> employer to attend a seminar which would teach him how to write business
> correspondence correctly. He duly turned up at the company's seminar room at
> 8:30 a.m. the next morning, and found nine other employees of the
> machine-making company inside.
> "The first lesson will be how to write a letter asking for permission to
> leave early", said the boss. That sounded worthwhile, so the 10 staff wrote
> the suggested letter. But all were rejected on the grounds of "poor
> penmanship". The letter was rewritten repeatedly until the boss pronounced
> himself satisfied, the Daily Mainichi reported.
> The business letter-writing exercises continued all day and through the
> evening. By midnight, A-San and his fellow employees were feeling tired and
> groggy.
> That's when the boss slipped them the final exercise. Each staff member
> would now practice writing a sample letter of resignation. This would ensure
> that they would have a full repertoire of business letters to use whenever
> they needed them. A-San and colleagues duly composed the required missives.
> The boss picked them up. "I accept your resignations", he gloated, and sent
> them home - forever.
>
> Why such a devious route to down-sizing? Companies do not have to meet
> certain obligations, such as granting severance pay, for individuals who
> resign. "It's a low-down dirty trick but it works", said the Asahi Evening
> News. The company, unnamed in press reports, has adopted the letter-writing
> seminars as a regular practice." (FEER, April 8, 1999, p34)
>
> What do you think? :)
>
> Anwar Hasim

--
Dick Montgomery, General Manager
21st Century Co-operative
Our Mission - "Help You Increase Sales"
http://www.chemmgrs.com

If this happened in the USA and if I were an attorney, I would love to
represent this group of people. This is a clear violation of our labor
laws.

Larry Pate wrote:
>
> It's shocking to think that these kinds of things actually happen, that
> deception like this is somehow justified just to achieve desired ends. It
> also runs against everything many of us teach our students. I hope that
> none of them ever engage in this kind of thing.
>
> Larry
>
> At 05:49 PM 4/7/99 +0700, you wrote:
> >Hi.. I came across with an interesting tale in Far Eastern Economic Review,
> >have u enjoyed reading it!!! Here you are:
> >
> >"Japanese factory worker A-San was surprised to get an invitation from his
> >employer to attend a seminar which would teach him how to write business
> >correspondence correctly. He duly turned up at the company's seminar room at
> >8:30 a.m. the next morning, and found nine other employees of the
> >machine-making company inside.
> >"The first lesson will be how to write a letter asking for permission to
> >leave early", said the boss. That sounded worthwhile, so the 10 staff wrote
> >the suggested letter. But all were rejected on the grounds of "poor
> >penmanship". The letter was rewritten repeatedly until the boss pronounced
> >himself satisfied, the Daily Mainichi reported.
> >The business letter-writing exercises continued all day and through the
> >evening. By midnight, A-San and his fellow employees were feeling tired and
> >groggy.
> >That's when the boss slipped them the final exercise. Each staff member
> >would now practice writing a sample letter of resignation. This would ensure
> >that they would have a full repertoire of business letters to use whenever
> >they needed them. A-San and colleagues duly composed the required missives.
> >The boss picked them up. "I accept your resignations", he gloated, and sent
> >them home - forever.
> >
> >Why such a devious route to down-sizing? Companies do not have to meet
> >certain obligations, such as granting severance pay, for individuals who
> >resign. "It's a low-down dirty trick but it works", said the Asahi Evening
> >News. The company, unnamed in press reports, has adopted the letter-writing
> >seminars as a regular practice." (FEER, April 8, 1999, p34)
> >
> >What do you think? :)
> >
> >Anwar Hasim
> >

--
Dick Montgomery, General Manager
21st Century Co-operative
Our Mission - "Help You Increase Sales"
http://www.chemmgrs.com

Thought you might find this interesting. Some on the list think it must be
an urban legend. It was sent to a list you are NOT on by someone in
Indonesia.

Jean

----- Original Message -----

> Hi.. I came across with an interesting tale in Far Eastern Economic
Review,
> have u enjoyed reading it!!! Here you are:
>
> "Japanese factory worker A-San was surprised to get an invitation from his
> employer to attend a seminar which would teach him how to write business
> correspondence correctly. He duly turned up at the company's seminar room
at
> 8:30 a.m. the next morning, and found nine other employees of the
> machine-making company inside.
> "The first lesson will be how to write a letter asking for permission to
> leave early", said the boss. That sounded worthwhile, so the 10 staff
wrote
> the suggested letter. But all were rejected on the grounds of "poor
> penmanship". The letter was rewritten repeatedly until the boss pronounced
> himself satisfied, the Daily Mainichi reported.
> The business letter-writing exercises continued all day and through the
> evening. By midnight, A-San and his fellow employees were feeling tired
and
> groggy.
> That's when the boss slipped them the final exercise. Each staff member
> would now practice writing a sample letter of resignation. This would
ensure
> that they would have a full repertoire of business letters to use whenever
> they needed them. A-San and colleagues duly composed the required
missives.
> The boss picked them up. "I accept your resignations", he gloated, and
sent
> them home - forever.
>
> Why such a devious route to down-sizing? Companies do not have to meet
> certain obligations, such as granting severance pay, for individuals who
> resign. "It's a low-down dirty trick but it works", said the Asahi Evening
> News. The company, unnamed in press reports, has adopted the
letter-writing
> seminars as a regular practice." (FEER, April 8, 1999, p34)
>
> What do you think? :)
>
> Anwar Hasim

I sincerley apologize for my too fast trigger finger (sometimes it really is
an advantage to be a slow typist!). I meant to forward the message and
instead I pressed reply, quickly typed my message and pressed send - just as
I saw that it was addressed to the wrong party! Again, another practical
lesson in making sure you REALLY ARE sending a message to the person you
think you are.

Jean

Douglas Max (of New Jersey) wrote "is the ultimate source of of this
reliable". I thought that Anwar was careful to attribute it to the Far
Eastern Economic Review. It is actually in this week's issue, go to:
http://www.feer.com/Restricted/index_inreview.html
and then click on "this week's issue" and then "Travelers' Tales".
Which in turn notes that it was originally from the Asahi Evening News, the
current issue of which is at:
http://www.asahi.com/english/english.html
Unfortunately, I don't know how to access the archive (the main page is in
Japanese) to locate the original article.
In any case, I think it is credible and I certainly not improper of Anwar
to consider as such.
Cybercollegially,
Charlie Wankel
listmaster mg-ed-dv
wankelc@stjohns.edu

Anwar Hasim wrote:

> Hi.. I came across with an interesting tale in Far Eastern Economic
> Review,
> have u enjoyed reading it!!! Here you are:
>
> "Japanese factory worker A-San was surprised to get an invitation from
> his
> employer to attend a seminar which would teach him how to write
> business
> correspondence correctly. He duly turned up at the company's seminar
> room at
> 8:30 a.m. the next morning, and found nine other employees of the
> machine-making company inside.
> "The first lesson will be how to write a letter asking for permission
> to
> leave early", said the boss. That sounded worthwhile, so the 10 staff
> wrote
> the suggested letter. But all were rejected on the grounds of "poor
> penmanship". The letter was rewritten repeatedly until the boss
> pronounced
> himself satisfied, the Daily Mainichi reported.
> The business letter-writing exercises continued all day and through
> the
> evening. By midnight, A-San and his fellow employees were feeling
> tired and
> groggy.
> That's when the boss slipped them the final exercise. Each staff
> member
> would now practice writing a sample letter of resignation. This would
> ensure
> that they would have a full repertoire of business letters to use
> whenever
> they needed them. A-San and colleagues duly composed the required
> missives.
> The boss picked them up. "I accept your resignations", he gloated, and
> sent
> them home - forever.
>
> Why such a devious route to down-sizing? Companies do not have to meet
>
> certain obligations, such as granting severance pay, for individuals
> who
> resign. "It's a low-down dirty trick but it works", said the Asahi
> Evening
> News. The company, unnamed in press reports, has adopted the
> letter-writing
> seminars as a regular practice." (FEER, April 8, 1999, p34)
>
> What do you think? :)
>
> Anwar Hasim

A society which functions by avoiding direct interaction (especially on
unhappy news), may need to do something like this. Certainly, after the
first time everyone will know what the seminars really mean. Will
people find ways to avoid attending?

In the US, where direct discussion and interaction is valued (if not
fully practiced), the above procedure would not be allowed to work. The
employees would be within their rights to sue, on the grounds that the
practice letters were not, in fact, bonifide letters of resignation.
Word would get out quickly, and the company would have trouble down the
road in recruiting, as well.

I suspect that which cultural behavior you wnat depends in great measure
on where you grew up. The hand that rocks the cradle is stronger than
we think.

Jay
--
Jay Warner
Principal Scientist
Warner Consulting, Inc.
4444 North Green Bay Road
Racine, WI 53404-1216
USA

Ph: (414) 634-9100
FAX: (414) 681-1133
email: quality@a2q.com
web: http://www.a2q.com

Power to the data!

In a message dated 4/7/99 6:47:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
spa711@CENTRIN.NET.ID writes:

> resign. "It's a low-down dirty trick but it works", said the Asahi Evening
> News. The company, unnamed in press reports, has adopted the letter-writing
> seminars as a regular practice." (FEER, April 8, 1999, p34)
>
> What do you think? :)
>

I'm not a lawyer, but I expect that in the US this would be consider fraud
and the company would find itself open to both civil and criminal sanctions.
Perhaps someone with a better background in business law would know more.

Dear all,

A surprise to me to see the list's responses on this "old tricks" of firing
employee.
It is a true story, and it is still rolling up to now, esspecially in
countries where the bargaining position of the employee are still very weak.

And the HR Practitioners in these countries are taught to do such kind of
tricks, it even becomes a special competency which is valued with high price.
The competency to fire employees at the lowest cost and at the lowest
impact, and usually disregarding the employee's right.

These practices exist and even growing because the industrial relation
courts are also very weak and full of corruption.

So the discussion among Eastern HR Practitioners can be very different with
you have in this list.
The main issues are in how to put employee to the same level with their
employer, and we found it very complex, it deals with the government
regulation, the paradigm of the employer on how to treat their employee and
how to empower the workforce itself.

Here are e few of the surprising responses on Anwar's story:

- It's too diabolical.
- Hang the boss upside down and skin him alive over the priod of a week!!!
- This story is horrible but is the ultimate source of this reliable?
- It would be hard to describe in polite terms how I feel about it.
- The word that immediately comes to mind to describe is "spineless."
- I expect that in the US this would be consider fraud and the company
would find itself open to both civil and criminal sanctions.
- In the US, where direct discussion and interaction is valued (if not
fully practiced), the above procedure would not be allowed to work.
The employees would be within their rights to sue.
- and many other to come...


M. Adriyanto

----- Original Message -----
From: Jean V. Dickson <dicksons@BRUNNET.NET>
To: <MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 1999 10:38 PM
Subject: Re: Write and Wrong


> Thought you might find this interesting. Some on the list think it must
be
> an urban legend. It was sent to a list you are NOT on by someone in
> Indonesia.
>
> Jean

This is an example of a prejudice attitude. Does it have any correlation
with someone's EQ (Emotional Quality)? Regret, it's not supposed to be sent
by someone who is considered as a WELL EDUCATED person. Right or Wrong?

Peace be with you,
Anwar

It seems to me that I remember learning years ago in my MBA business law
class that "fraud in the inducement" is an absolute defence against a
"contract"...these resignation letters are clearly induced fraudlently (not
to mention anything about morality!)

===================================================================
Chris Poulson
Professor of Management and Human Resources
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
Pomona, CA 91768

cfpoulson@csupomona.edu
cpoulson@deltanet.com
909-869-2415 office
909-869-4353 office fax
909-624-0874 home
909-624-9906 home fax
http://www.csupomona.edu/~mhr/cfpoulson/

Mail: P.O. Box 339, Claremont, CA 91711-0339

===================================================================

The Japanese do have a saying, " The nail that sticks up gets hammered
down." The different outlook may suggest some of the differences.

Tim Edlund, Morgan State

On Wed, 7 Apr 1999, Jay Warner wrote: [in part]

>
> I suspect that which cultural behavior you wnat depends in great measure
> on where you grew up. The hand that rocks the cradle is stronger than
> we think.
>
> Jay

M. Adriyanto wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> A surprise to me to see the list's responses on this "old tricks" of
> firing
> employee.
> It is a true story, and it is still rolling up to now, esspecially in
> countries where the bargaining position of the employee are still very
> weak.
>
> And the HR Practitioners in these countries are taught to do such kind
> of
> tricks, it even becomes a special competency which is valued with high
> price.
> The competency to fire employees at the lowest cost and at the lowest
> impact, and usually disregarding the employee's right.
>
> These practices exist and even growing because the industrial relation
>
> courts are also very weak and full of corruption.
>
> So the discussion among Eastern HR Practitioners can be very different
> with
> you have in this list.
> The main issues are in how to put employee to the same level with
> their
> employer, and we found it very complex, it deals with the government
> regulation, the paradigm of the employer on how to treat their
> employee and
> how to empower the workforce itself.
>
> [snip]

M. Adriyanto's comments clearly reveal the cultural gulf involved. I
was told once that in Laos, before 'the' war, employees were virtually
hired for life. If this was so also for other areas in that part of the
world, then we have the situaiton of non-fireable, un-empowered
employees being tricked into resigning. I think a whole slew of
management paradigms, philosophies, approahces, and attitudes will need
to shift to accomodate such a scenario!

Jay
--
Jay Warner
Principal Scientist
Warner Consulting, Inc.
4444 North Green Bay Road
Racine, WI 53404-1216
USA

Ph: (414) 634-9100
FAX: (414) 681-1133
email: quality@a2q.com
web: http://www.a2q.com

Power to the data!

I submitted the reference to this sotry to a Linguist who spent 2 years
in Japan, and got the following critical assessment of the reference
'quality.' Linguists may not be Anthropologists, but sometimes they
come close. So take the comments below for whatever they might be
worth. Searching the article db from Ashai requires $, or rather, yen.

> Note that the
> article only cites the Asahi Times on a couple of small points, and
> doesn't actually attribute the entire article to them, and also
> doesn't
> say when this is supposed to have appeared there. THe journal (FEER)
> publishing it also doesn't put it in as an actual news article, but in
> a
> feature section called "Travelers' tales," implying that it's not
> true.
> But more important than that, if a Japanese company was desparate to
> get
> some of its workers to quit so they didn't have to give them severance
>
> pay, I think the boss would just explain that to the workers and ask
> them
> to quit, and they probably would. Obligation is much more frequently
> used
> to get things done than trickery. I think the method described in the
>
> story would be scandalous. Besides which, I really doubt it would
> work
> twice--the eliminated workers surely have friends still in the
> company,
> and would warn them. [I agree.] I don't believe it for a second.
>

Jay
--
Jay Warner
Principal Scientist
Warner Consulting, Inc.
4444 North Green Bay Road
Racine, WI 53404-1216
USA

Ph: (414) 634-9100
FAX: (414) 681-1133
email: quality@a2q.com
web: http://www.a2q.com

Power to the data!

Has anyone thought about the proximity of the dates of this story (and
presumably the Asahi Times original) to April 1st?

Regards,

BEVIS ENGLAND
Box 60-469, Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand
Ph: +64-9-811 8024 Fax: +64-9-811 8014
bevis@voyager.co.nz or bevis@telework.co.nz