※Translated with Notion AI. (Plus version)
In response to the violent incident of attempted robbery, murder, and arson committed by a former employee, Nomura Securities took swift action.
When the company announced that ten executives, including the president, would voluntarily return their compensation, many Japanese people praised them for “fulfilling their moral responsibility.”
However, questions remain about whether this response is truly effective and appropriate from an international perspective.
The practice of executives voluntarily returning their compensation when an employee commits a crime is unique to Japan.
Valuing “moral responsibility” and “the beauty of apology” is distinctly Japanese culture. While not intending to deny this culture entirely, globally, the prevailing view is that “an apology alone is sufficient.”
The Limitations of Japan’s Unique “Purification Ritual”
When discussing this practice over the weekend with friends from various countries who work in international financial markets, they all uniformly shook their heads.
