The Shape of the Office in the Future
Considering the best mix between consolidation and dispersion
1. Introduction: Workstyle Reforms and the Office in Japan
Workstyle reforms have been positioned as an important national strategy in Japan, with companies also accelerating their efforts from the perspective of securing personnel and improving productivity.
The following five elements are important for companies when carrying out workstyle reforms: the commitment of management, the personnel system, investment and use of ICT, enlightenment and education of workers, and the office environment. For example, a limited range of initiatives, such as changing the system or ICT tool alone, would be insufficient; it is necessary to consider all five elements in a cross-sectional manner. In particular, designing an office environment or a workplace that supports workers’ new ways of working will be extremely important in generating synergy between other initiatives.
One such scheme that is attracting attention is telework. According to a company survey carried out by Xymax Real Estate Institute (“Xymax REI”) in October 2018,* 66.7% of companies had made some kind of ICT investment (Figure 1), while 26.6% had provided a place or program for telework (Figure 2).
- *Metropolitan Areas Office Demand Survey Autumn 2018, released on December 18, 2018
https://www.xymax.co.jp/english/research/release/181218.html
（Figures 1 & 2: n=1,352）
