世論 What Japan Thinks

With the Japanese version of the SOX, or Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which provides a framework for corporate governance, due to be introduced on the first of April 2008, japan.internet.com, in conjuction with JR Tokai Express Research, looked at J-SOX and compliance issues surrounding the law. Their full report, which may be purchased through this link (Japanese only), goes into much more detail on the subject. This article just touches awareness issues.

Demographics

On the 10th of April 2007 330 people from JR Tokai Express Research’s monitor panel and employed in public listed companies completed a private online questionnaire. 80.0% of the sample was male, 13.3% in their twenties, 52.4% in their thirties, 27.9% in their forties, 5.2% in their fifties, and 1.2% in their sixties.

I have only heard about J-SOX compliance from work in respect to password policy for our intranet, and perhaps interestingly enough, searching my employer’s Japanese web site turns up about 26 hits for SOX (once I eliminate pages on NOx and SOx pollutants), but our US web site has just seven hits.

The Japanese term is SOX 法, SOX hou, merely SOX law in English. However, a frequently-heard complaint from the poll-takers was that SOX law or J-SOX does not really mean anything (confusion with Dice-K at the Boston Red Sox, perhaps!) so they wish there was a more Japanese name for it.

Research results

Q1: Have you ever heard or read about “SOX Law”? (Sample size=330)

Never seen nor heard of it	46.4%
Sometimes see or hear of it (to SQ)	35.2%
Recently been frequently hearing or seeing it (to SQ)	18.5%

Compared with the last time that this survey was conducted, the number who have not heard of it has increased by less than one percentage point, within the margin of error, but suggesting that awareness has not increased at all.

Q1SQ: Where have you heard or read about “SOX Law”? (Sample size=177, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Newspapers, magazines, other print media	111	62.7%
In conversation with colleagues, boss, or subordinates	88	49.7%
From online news media	72	40.7%
From television	55	31.1%
Talking with friends	7	4.0%
Talking with family	1	0.6%
Talking with relatives	1	0.6%
Other	4	2.3%

Q2: Do you think a Japanese “SOX Law” is necessary in the workplace? (Sample size=330)

Yes	39.4%
No	12.4%
Don’t know	48.2%