A survey of managers conducted in September 2025 found that more than half of senior managers, including those at department-head level, perform the same practical work as section managers. The phenomenon is attributed to structural problems in authority structures and performance evaluation systems unique to Japanese companies.
In September 2025, an awareness survey conducted by リデザインワーク株式会社 of 516 managers revealed that many senior managers perform practical work at a level equivalent to that of section managers. The results showed that 53.9% of senior managers are deeply involved in frontline operations.
This phenomenon is referred to as the “super-section-manager” phenomenon. Senior managers, whose proper role should be to bridge the frontline and executive management, are described as becoming bottlenecks in organizational management.
Rather than attributing the phenomenon to individual abilities or motivation, the article presents an analysis from the perspective of structural problems, including authority structures and performance evaluation systems unique to Japanese companies.
Institutional reforms, including the appropriate allocation of authority and a review of evaluation systems, are considered necessary going forward. The article is expected to develop specific reform proposals aimed at strengthening the momentum for organizational change.