家業は日本とスペインの発展の原動力です

“Despite the great differences between the economic magnitudes of Spain and Japan and their different business ecosystems, these countries have a common nexus: family businesses are a fundamental actor in the economy of both and generate ¾ parts of employment in these countries ”. This is the main message launched by the president of the Japan Spain Business Circle, Jorge Lasheras, during his participation this Tuesday afternoon in the round table The Family Business in Japan and Spain, on the common and differential aspects in family organizations in both countries. A meeting that has had other leading voices in the panorama of the family business at an international level, such as François Vilaprinyo, Managing Director of Casio Spain, Fernando Calpe, Sales & Business Development Manager of Costa Brava Mediterranean Foods, Mª Angeles Juan, Vice-president of the Grupo Industrial JJuan, and Jose Manuel Rigueiro, General Director of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Spain. This event, organized by the Japan Spain Business Circle and the ESADE Alumni Family Business Club, highlighted the main characteristics of this type of organization in both countries, such as their longevity and the characteristics of the Japanese market.

The values of the Japanese family business

Japan is known for hosting a large number of long-term companies in its business fabric. In 2019, there were more than 33,000 companies in Japan over a century old, according to research firm Teikoku Data Bank. In fact, the average longevity of family organizations in this country is double that of the US or Europe. Rigueiro, CEO of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, has stated that “Japanese companies are not usually bought, they tend to remain in time. Sometimes they merge, but the loss of family ownership, even if they are listed companies, is not common. This is because, in Japan, the family is due to the company and it is not well seen to sell a family company, that is why the longevity of these companies is so high ”.

Regarding decision-making in these companies, the Vice President of the JJuan Industrial Group, Mª Angeles Juan Verdejo, stressed that “the Spanish family business has a greater competitive advantage, at least in the short term. Here we are a bit Latino, a bit Quixotan, and we are able to react and make decisions in a short space of time. When it comes to presenting solutions, here we are very efficient ”, compared to Japanese companies that“ make very thoughtful decisions as a team, putting the company ahead of everything, that is why the longevity of Japanese companies is very difficult to find in Europe”.

The Japanese market for Spanish family businesses

Spain has a high incidence of family businesses. According to data from the Family Business Chair of the University of Valencia (CEF-UV), 90% of private companies in our country are. These contribute close to 60% of GDP and generate almost 70% of private employment.

In this regard, Vilaprinyo, Managing Director of Casio Spain, intervened, who highlighted that “although we are a subsidiary, Casio Spain is still 100% Japanese and 100% family-owned. The family business spirit is never lost, no matter how high sales or turnover may be, we continue to use Japanese concepts ”. Vilaprinyo continues, “they are companies that seek constant innovation and the creation of new products that do not yet exist, this is the characteristic of Japan and the Kashio brothers”.

For his part, the Business Development Manager of Costa Brava Mediterranean Foods, Fernando Calpe, has highlighted Japan as a very attractive market for Spanish family corporations, both in terms of volume and value, since “the food sector in Japan it is immense, with large corporations that can be manufacturers, distributors or specialists in the management of restaurant chains that can accumulate up to 16,000 points of consumption. In addition, the very high quality standards that this market demands, are in themselves a continuous quality audit and force the company to reorganize itself to exceed them “

Common and cross-cutting factors in both countries

As values common to both cultures, the meeting highlighted the generational value of family organizations, where the care of companies and their employees is of great importance, and the objective of passing it on to the next generations. In this context, the event has confirmed the importance and the work of associations such as CEJE that allow the corporations of both countries to be connected, given the current challenge of establishing solid links between Japanese and Spanish companies and developing commercial or strategic alliances.