MS fires Japanese employees!

Article

 

Ha, so much for east meets west. hahahhaha

 

Interesting article. I myself, as some people know, can speak first hand on getting laid off in Japan. While in the states, a massive lay-off might look like a hostile takeover w/ all the security guards, this shit doesn't happen in Japan -- even in an American firm.

The firm that just shit-canned me was Bank of America (show your support by going to CitiBank!). It was a group layoff -- we found out 2 months BEFORE layoff happened... no big deal. And any of the people that got laid off could've done more damage dollar for dollar than anyone at Xbox Japan. IE - any one person could've lost the company millions with a couple of keystrokes. In the business I'm in, the copmetition is much more tight than the video game market. People have friends in other firms - you just don't talk about work when you meet. IN spite of this, there were no security guards and whatnot.

You only get that "leave now" shit when you're fired, and you don't even get to go back to your desk. The mail you your shit.

I'm very curious to see what their severance packages were. It would have to be huge. In Japan, you really do have the option to say, "sorry - I won't let you fire me. I want to work". But, they can make you work whever you want, and you won't get your severance. Generally, the company pays off huge to shut you the fuck up. I got... well... I won't disclose it, but if I didn't get another job, I'd go back to the states on a 2-year masters program, and wouldn't have to worry about dough.

 

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GaijinPunch said:

In the business I'm in, the copmetition is much more tight than the video game market.

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Try telling that to MS. One of the employees said that it was like being escorted in prison, being treated as a criminal. Most of the times when I see or have to fire people, we always offer to help them find work, and help them pack stuff up to leave.

This is probably one of the WORST business managment transgressions in Japan by an American company that I have ever seen, MS did a terrible job handling this. Out of the people fired, all of them have reported it to as many media outlets as possible. I just can't believe that the officials at MS thought that the employees would lash out, it must seem unreal for those who were fired, and what a hostile work environment for those who remain.

 

Hard times call for drastic measures.

 

Seems like a classic case of trying to change someone's culture. Even if M$ is a US company, the Japanese branches are filled with Japanese employees, and most likely Japanese-managed. Even BoA (an AMERICAN bank) was run like a Japnaese company for the most part.

As for the competitiveness. Oddly enough, they had no problems keeping me in the firm for weeks after I announced I was leaving early. The policy for traders is they don't put in notice. When they quit, they quit, and that's that. Which is stupid, b/c I could stealthly cause them lose their asses. Of course, I've got morals that forbid me to do so, but it's there job to not put me in a situation like where my ethics might be compromised... especially when I'll soon be gone anyway.

Then, don't forget about the access to proprietary code and whatnot I had.

 

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GaijinPunch said:
and most likely Japanese-managed

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Pretty sure that MS had its employees under US management, that is why things resulted the way they did.

 

To my knowledge the majority of upper management at MS Japan is actually Japanese and especially among the xbox division.

 

W/o doing any research myself, I'd bet that it was Japanese managment. US companies have learned the hard way that American management usually doesn't get far in the Japan. Even if the head of the place is foreigner, the rest of the is mainly Japanese.

Wouldn't surprise me if M$ did it their own way though.