A comprehensive information-sharing mechanism has been established to dismantle "information silos" in workplace transparency. A multi-tiered democratic decision-making process ensures regular employee feedback, while a full-cycle supervision and accountability system promotes transparent leadership appointments. At Panasonic Electrical Appliances (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Panasonic Beijing"), a "multi-scenario, multi-level, and systematic" workplace transparency framework fosters a governance model that benefits both labor and management. This approach transforms employees' rights to know, deliberate, and supervise into endogenous drivers for high-quality corporate growth, offering a replicable model for modern enterprise democratic management.
The right to know is the foundation for employees to exercise democratic participation. An Menghao, Chairman of Panasonic Beijing's labor union, explained that the company has implemented an all-encompassing information disclosure mechanism covering all employees, processes, and domains, eliminating potential information gaps and ensuring transparency between management and staff. Innovatively leveraging monthly all-hands meetings, the general manager directly communicates business updates to employees. Unlike traditional hierarchical reporting, executives—as "primary responsible persons"—interpret key details such as quarterly financial reports, market strategy adjustments, and technological innovation plans, ensuring unfiltered understanding of corporate developments.
To address geographical dispersion and shift variations across Panasonic Beijing’s branches, the company utilizes DingTalk’s live-streaming feature via its "Panasonic Intelligence Platform" to broadcast and archive policy announcements and procedural updates, ensuring universal access. Additionally, the OA system hosts dedicated departmental modules for workplace transparency, categorizing and consolidating 12 types of policy documents—from HR and health to safety, finance, and taxation—with multi-dimensional search functionality.
The right to deliberate embodies employees’ substantive involvement in major corporate decisions. Panasonic Beijing has designed differentiated democratic pathways based on issue significance, creating a three-tiered deliberation system: top-level decisions by employee congresses, routine consultations via union channels, and in-depth engagement by specialized task forces.
During the 2025 revision of the "Special Rights Protection Agreement for Female Employees," proposals from employee representatives—such as establishing lactation rooms in regional branches and upgrading existing facilities—were fully incorporated, achieving 100% approval. "Proposals are collected 30 days before the employee congress, followed by group discussions and Q&A sessions. Post-meeting, resolutions are documented and progress publicly tracked, maximizing collective decision-making," An Menghao noted. For routine matters like cafeteria menus, shuttle route optimizations, and recreational activities, the union operates a "proposal-feedback-evaluation" loop, with monthly democratic forums ensuring timely responses to branch-submitted suggestions.
Effective supervision is critical to preventing power misuse. Panasonic Beijing embeds oversight mechanisms into leadership appointments, policy enforcement, and compliance audits, fostering a transparent, feedback-responsive, and rectification-driven ecosystem.
For instance, its "Open Recruitment System for Management Roles" mandates a three-step process—qualification review, competitive interviews, and pre-appointment disclosure—for all mid-to-senior positions. Criteria, benchmarks, and eligibility are publicly shared, allowing qualified employees to apply. Final selections, validated by interview evaluations, are made by a review committee.
Panasonic Beijing’s union representatives highlight that workplace transparency has not only enhanced employee engagement and accountability but also yielded measurable economic and social benefits. Over three years, employee suggestions have consistently generated annual profits of 20–30 million yuan, while labor disputes remain rare, with most resolved internally through union mediation. These outcomes underscore how democratic management fuels sustainable corporate advancement.
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