1) Rakuten made English its official language to facilitate information sharing across its growing global operations in nine countries and 30+ nationalities. 2) Having English as the official language also supports Rakuten's plans for further global expansion into 27 countries with 70% of sales coming from abroad, requiring employees to communicate in English. 3) Adopting English aims to secure top talent globally to compete with companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple, as limiting the language to Japanese would reduce the available talent pool.

1. s1180196 Naoto Furukawa
How must SONY change its business strategies
for 2010 and beyond?

2. -Rakuten to make English official language-
The Rakuten, divided into four ranks to
positioneach employees, 650 or more points were
required in TOEIC score in employees at the
bottom. Employees that could not be achieved is
divided by zone opens and target points, pay cuts
are also forced to be positioned in the "red zone"
employees that was not enough quota to more
than 200.

3. Three reasons to advance the company official language
of English.
The First.
The first is information sharing in group
companies. After the establishment of a joint
venture in Taiwan in November '07, and promote
the overseas expansion of EC mainstay in (e-
commerce) business, is currently deployed in nine
countries and regions other than Japan. Ratio of
foreign to total employees more than 10%,
amounting to more than 30 countries nationality.

4. The Second
The second, is the globalization of domestic
personnel for further overseas expansion.
Rakuten is planning the future, to advance to the
27 countries, earn abroad for 70% of sales. There
is a possibility that the visit to all employees the
opportunity to due to business expansion
overseas, speak English. It is not in time than
studied from engaged in work that requires
English emergency.

5. The Third
The third is securing excellent human resources.
It is necessary to adopt a super-talented people in
order to compete Google, Amazon, and Apple.
Human resources market would have been limited
if subject to Japanese.

6. Point 700 new employees, 800
points required for officers
English proficiency Rakuten seek is a level that can smoothly
share information related to the business between
employees.
750 senior management positions in (manager or equivalent),
700 points in a middle management position (manager or
equivalent), 650 point Beginner management positions in
(assistant manager or equivalent), 600 points in the assistant
manager. However, over 800, 600 points is also
recommended for employees of other officers.
In addition, 650 points before joining the company, new
employees last spring after seeking 700 points to new
employees this spring.

7. English Promotion Project Team
Support of learning English are substantial. In the
summer, it provides a learning opportunity for four
months total 224 hours for employees that do not
reach the reference point of the TOEIC. In
addition, I was also short-term study of several
weeks to Cebu, Philippines to some employees.
Without performing the assigned until the
reference point, it was studied English for duties.
A result that provides E-learning, we progress and
managed separately, all employees nearly clears
the reference point.

8. For officers as high as 800 points is required, directors
one by one and in '10, in '11, each half a year, sent a
day-to-day learning English and studying in the United
States.
When we first began the English of, there is a problem
you can take a long time to conference, business
operations, such as inefficient, but the communication
with employees not only is progressing smoothly with the
improvement of English proficiency, team spirit has also
been further strengthened

9. In order to improve the English proficiency
Reference point of the TOEIC starting point. To
use a business, require further improvement
We are going to make introduction conversation
using English, proposal, negotiation, and debate,
the education program more practical.

10. END
The has come up with official language of English
is not the only Rakuten........