BANDUNG – On Thursday (May 11), the Japanese Language Study Program at Widyatama University held its first offline public lecture since the Covid-19 pandemic. The lecture, titled “Horenso as a Business Communication Culture in Japanese Companies,” was held in the Seminar Room on the 4th floor of Building A at Widyatama University. The event was held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and featured guest speaker Wawan Purwanto, S.S., Senior Manager of Human Resource Development (HRD) at PT. Narumi Indonesia. The event was attended by lecturers and students from the Japanese Language Program and several students from the English Language Program. The event began with an opening by the MC and speeches.
The Head of the Japanese Language Undergraduate Program, Raden Novitasari, S.S., M.Hum, explained in her speech that HoRenSo is an acronym, short for Houkoku (報告), which means to report, Renraku (連絡), which means to communicate/inform, and Soudan (相談), which means to discuss/consult. Horenso is applied in the work culture of companies and factories in Japan. However, the concept of Horenso can also be applied to public institutions and even organizations in our environment.
Furthermore, Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Dr. H. Hendar, Drs., M.Pd, in his speech, expressed his hope that the public lecture on work culture in Japan would provide more informative knowledge to students, especially with the presence of a speaker who is a graduate of the Japanese Language Study Program at Padjadjaran University, so that it could motivate students to pursue opportunities and gain tips for success.
The main event was a public lecture on the theme of “Horenso as a Business Communication Culture in Japanese Companies,” presented by Wawan Purwanto, S.S., Senior Manager of Human Resource Development (HRD) at PT. Narumi Indonesia, and moderated by Uning Kuraesin, Dra., M.Pd., Lecturer in the Japanese Language Undergraduate Program, who also serves as University Secretary.
Wawan said in his presentation that,
“Horenso is not just a skill, but is related to culture. Horenso emphasizes responsibility for the trust given to be fulfilled through communication between team members.”
In simple terms, the Horenso concept is a communication method for resolving problems in the workplace. The goal is to ensure that communication and information transfer are carried out quickly so that work can proceed smoothly and correctly, and so that everyone is aware of the progress of a task due to regular, intensive reporting.
Horenso is closely related to the hierarchy within a company because it involves employees reporting their work results to their superiors. Then, superiors and subordinates or colleagues share information with each other, followed by consultation activities where they exchange opinions to obtain ideas/suggestions for improvement.
The most important aspects of the Horenso concept are easy and detailed communication using 5W+1H (What, Who, When, Where, Why + How) and containing a brief conclusion, delivering ideas for improvement, reporting as soon as possible, proactively asking questions, and paying attention to the timing of reporting or discussions. It is better to set aside free time to hold weekly briefings, meetings, etc. Then the event is closed with a question and answer session.
