Over the Holidays while I was cleaning and sorting a lot of stuff I've accumulated over the years, I accidentally found a copy of the thesis I wrote for my MBA studies in 2000.

It was something about predicting the future of of HR management in Asia around 2020 based on parameters like economy, employment, technology, and socio-political influences. My study covered 11 AsiaPac countries including Japan and Australia and as I read the thesis again, it gave me an an opportunity to assess if my predictions are coming to past or if there is even a chance that it would actually come true. I smiled after reading it.

Hence, in the spirit of the New Year where everyone is eager to know what the future might lie ahead, I would like to share these "HR predictions" and see if they would also hold true in the case of Japanese HR management.

Download the abridged presentation version of the report. In summary, the future of Asian HR is a challenging and exciting time for HR practitioners who can adopt, manage or lead change at Internet speed by effectively tapping the resources of its knowledge workers.

What about you? As an HR professional, what is/are your own prediction(s) on the future of Japanese HR Management, say 10-15 years from now? Can you see a clear picture in your HR crystal ball? --JK