The rapid liberalization of the U.S. electric power industry and the worldwide development of information technology are prompting key Japanese industries to change their structure and management styles.
"Job changers," once branded with contempt as "job hoppers," are being promoted to challenging positions in new businesses, while new salary systems are being adopted that reward ability and accomplishment rather than longevity.
"We don't think that staff planners recruited upon university graduation could have come up with such a new business idea," said a top executive of Kansai Electric Power Co., referring to Kepco's Delaware subsidiary, Naniwa Energy LLC, which will begin generating power in Nevada in June.