Atsushi SEIKE

  It is a great honor to have been chosen as the president of the Japan Society of Human Resource Management. Over the next two years I will dedicate myself to this position, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge.
  The JSHRM began in 1970. The Society is now in its 45th year and is striving to achieve the following goals: research and develop the field of human resource management; promote and facilitate mutual exchange and cooperation between HR researchers; and communicate and exchange ideas with other organizations performing HR research (Society Regulation, Article No. 2).
  JSHRM is an interdisciplinary society involving researchers from various academic fields, all with HR as their research subject. The broad range of academic fields include management, economics, sociology, psychology, law, labor studies, and organizational behavior studies. Furthermore, the members come from diverse backgrounds; some members are exclusively conducting research at universities or academic institutes, while other members perform research through practical HR experiences in companies or organizations, and others are graduate students still honing their research skills. Our members actively contribute to the Society through the annual national convention, presentations and discussions at local and regional study meetings, and submissions to the Society's journal.
  As it is a fact that all working people work under the structure of HR, it goes without saying that HR is an extremely important system. However, being a large part of our economic society, HR systems cannot avoid the influence of structural changes in the economy or society. Recent structural changes, such as the declining and aging population, rapid advancements in information technology, and ever-expanding global competition, will lead to dramatic changes in HR and force us to wonder how that will in turn change our lives and our futures.
  To know what the future may hold, the first step is to deeply analyze and research the present state of HR in various fields of study. Then through the application of interdisciplinary research and analysis, we will be able to make concrete predictions about changes in HR that go along with structural changes in our economic society.
  Yukichi Fukuzawa, the founder of Keio University, first translated the word "society" into Japanese as "human companionship." It is my understanding that he thought of "society" as a place where people should mingle and interact with each other and thereby better themselves. Just as the word "society" in the Japan Society of Human Resource Management suggests, JSHRM is a place where our members interact and inspire each other to further contribute to the well-being of human society through better HRM.
  To continue developing while protecting this great tradition, it is essential for each member to participate even more actively in the Society. As president, I would like to further promote an environment where this is possible. In addition, I will ask for more support from people outside the Society by promoting JSHRM's activities and making sure they know their support is appreciated. I will do all in my power to deepen understanding of HR through JSHRM's activities and to present an even better vision for the future.