Miss Universe and Global Human Resources

Following essay was posted to monthly magazine "Staff Adviser " home page.
http://www.staffad.com/business/shinbori05_02.html

Miss Universe and Global Human Resources

●Dinner with Miss Universe Korea.
It was three years ago, while I was working as a managing director of a satellite broadcasting company of Korean TV drama programs.
By chance, I had an opportunity to have a dinner with the Korean representative to the Miss Universe pageant at an Italian Restaurant in Azabu.
Just being able to meet the person elected as Miss Universe Korea brought me great excitement, but to have dinner with her － that’s not the sort of thing that happens everyday.
I went out giddy with excitement.
I guess you could call it one of the perks of the job.
As you'd probably expect, Miss Universe Korea was tall, had a small face, and had big bright eyes.
She talked to me about what she was doing and her career during the meal.
According to her, she graduated high school in Korea, and went to Canada to study English.
She was elected as the Korean representative for the Miss Universe pageant while studying abroad.
When I met with her, she was taking training lessons in Japan in preparation for the Miss Universe pageant held in July.
She explained that she was living with Miss Universe Japan in an apartment in Aoyama, and that both of them were taking lessons together from Ms. Ines Ligron, a French woman.

● Miss Universe Japan crowned Miss Universe
I first heard of Ms. Ines Ligron by seeing her on a TV program by chance.
Japanese representatives had tended to have little success at the contest in the past.
However, Ms. Ines Ligron has achieved unprecedented results since starting to train Miss Universe Japan representatives, guiding five Japanese representatives into the top 15 from the implementation of her training until 2008, including Ms. Kurara Chibana, first runner-up in 2006 and Ms. Riyo Mori, winner in 2007.
To tell the truth, Ms. Kurara Chibana and Ms. Riyo Mori’s success at the Miss Universe pageant surprised a lot of Japanese people.
There were people who questioned “Really? She won the Miss Universe Pageant?"
I was one of them.
The criteria for Miss Universe in Japan used to be ‘popular’ or ‘adorable,’ as decided by Japanese men and the press.
Representatives were chosen based on the average Japanese viewpoint of attractiveness.
However, a Japanese representative elected by such criteria has not seen success at the main Miss Universe pageant.

●What is the international standard of the Miss Universe pageant?
One of the judging criteria for the Miss Universe pageant is to be global.
To be considered globally active, a woman should be mature, intellectual and show their personality.
Miss Universe is chosen by judges of the main Miss Universe pageant.
The audience does not choose.
Therefore, the possibility of receiving a prize rises if Japan can put up a representative to whom the judges will score well.
To speak in extremes, all we have to do is to select a Japanese representative that appeals to the judges’ preferences.
Ms. Ines Ligron knew this well.
The key is not to model Japanese representatives based on the Japanese standard of beauty, but to rather to mold them based on the judges’ standards.
That is, to create a woman in line with global standards of chawrm and beauty.

●Global human resources in demand
The domestic Japanese market is shrinking due to an aging population, low birthrate and the relative fall of Japan’s economic power.
Japanese companies are eagerly advancing into overseas markets targeting developing nations.
Securing global human resources in order to promote this foray has become a matter of urgency.
‘Global human resources’ refer to employees with not only English communication abilities, but also employees with the capability to understand and be receptive to the culture and values of developing countries and their people.
In other words, it is vital to learn of the needs and wants of the local people by listening to them.
When I told my wife about this she agreed with me for a change.
She says “We should foster global human resources in our home. In order to do that, cross-cultural experience is necessary. You should take me abroad.”
But that's another matter entirely.
End