Developing Human Resources for International Standards
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY TRENDS QUARTERLY REVIEW No.17 / October 2005 3 Developing Human Resources for International Standards TOSHIAKI KUROKAWA Affiliated Fellow that it is said, “whoever rules the standards rules 1 Introduction the industry”[1]. Acknowledging that historical background, this report attempts to shed new Most people would have heard the term, light on the topic of developing international “international standards*1.” However, perception standards experts for the following three reasons: of what it actually means may vary from person The first reason is economic and industrial to person. Some people may associate it with globalization. Today, companies around the world the form of mechanical parts, such as ISO are producing goods and services with global screws. Others may connect it with ISO 9000, a markets in mind, which is raising their awareness management standard for quality control. Rather and appreciation of international standards. They than targeting specific industrial products, ISO become critical factors governing the ability of 9000 defines the quality assurance processes to manufacturers to secure competitive advantage in be followed by an organization, whether private international markets [2, 25]. This is typified by the or public, in providing anything from products World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on to services. There are other types of international Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement)[3], standards, such as those covering document which reinforces the trend of international exchange formats for business transactions, and standards taking precedence over regional and more recently, for ebXML and other electronic national standards. In the mobile phone market, document exchange formats. Moreover, there Japanese companies, which have long adhered to are standards for materials[26]. In this report, all the PDC standard - a domestic format for digital these standards are collectively referred to as wireless communications - are now facing an international standards or simply standards*2. uphill battle in competing with overseas rivals. This report does not directly cover curriculum On the other hand, the Europe-originated GSM standards such as JABEE (Japan Accreditation standard, a digital wireless communications Board for Engineering Education). The first format adopted by more than 100 countries, reason for this is that these standards have has proliferated across the world to create a not been a topic of discussion in industrial market environment that favors European, North standardization forums. The second reason is American and Asian companies. Moves toward that curriculum standards for higher education compliance with the TBT Agreement among like JABEE deserve to be examined in a separate Asian countries have, in some extreme cases, report. That said, there still is a need for led to import prohibitions against Japanese curriculum standards to incorporate education double-tub semi-automatic washing machines, aimed at development of international standards which do not comply with the international experts, and an example of efforts in this standards[4, 26]. direction in Canada is described in this report. The second reason is a change in Japanese International standards have a 99-year history, companies’ in-house human resource dating the 1906 establishment of the International development, more specifically the limitations Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Today, inherent in traditional human resource international standards are deemed so important development practices based on on-the-job 34 35 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY TRENDS QUARTERLY REVIEW No.17 / October 2005 training (OJT). The prevailing greater emphasis in consideration of the need for globalization and on specialized personnel and short-term profits Japan’s rather poor capacity in this area. However, finds many companies experiencing difficulties a discussion on the content of human resource in training and developing standards specialists education naturally extends to personnel involved over the long term. The evolving role of standards in corporate standards because the question puts new focus on human resource development. frequently arises: “How should internal standards Economic and industrial globalization has be related to broader external standards?” brought new perspectives not only to corporate sales and procurement activities, but also to 2 Overseas activities technological development. On one hand, in development of establishment of international standards has human resources for standards allowed companies to expand the markets for their products and services worldwide and to 2-1 North American activities gain greater benefits from mass production. (1) The United States Conversely, manufacturers are now required to In the U.S., the development of industrial take international standards into consideration standards has been led by the private sector, from as early as the technological development which is said to be the major difference between stage. To echo much recent commentary U.S. standardization and that of other countries. on patents and other intellectual property, This simply mirrors other U.S. policy-related companies should not confine discussion of activities, given that many U.S. policies have standardization issues to the development stages originated with proposals from the private of individual products or components. Rather, sector and that Congress has played a leading they should effectively define their approach role in deciding to adopt such policies. In to standardization from a global viewpoint, as other words, private-sector leadership is not part of their overall corporate strategies, which specific to standardization activities. Rather, include future visions and goals. Within such for the U.S., industrial standardization is an a framework, companies can then determine area where government involvement is fairly how their organizations will treat standards deep, as instanced by certain activities of the in individual R&D, sales and procurement Department of Commerce (DOC) and the projects[5]. National Institute of Standards and Technology The third reason is change in the social (NIST), as well as the Department of Defense’s environment. As demonstrated by standards involvement in military specification (MIL). on accessibility, standards are beginning to From a historical viewpoint, the diffusion of assume new roles, e.g. acting as soft law*3 that U.S. standards has been driven by government complements the existing legal system, helps to promotion and Pentagon military pressure to avoid unnecessary friction between countries, establish a war regime[7]. The DOC report entitled and reduces social burdens. It was not until fairly “Standards & Competitiveness - Coordinating recently that European countries, the U.S. and for Results”[8], published in May 2004, describes Japan began to focus on problems and remedies four new policies and two long-term strategies concerning human resource development in the to advance the Standards Initiative, a project field of standardization[6]. Shortages of human led by Commerce Secretary Donald Evans since resources in this field are not limited to Japan, but March 2003. One of the two long-term strategies are growing worldwide as standards take on new is to expand inclusion of standards curricula at roles. engineering and business schools. The other is Standardization operates on various levels: to partner with colleges/universities on R&D corporate standards, industry standards, national aspects of new technologies and to influence standards, EU and other regional standards, and standards at the earliest stages of development international standards such as ISO, ITU and IEC. of new technologies. A typical example of such This report focuses on international standards, industrial standards-related activities at U.S. 34 35 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY TRENDS QUARTERLY REVIEW No.17 / October 2005 universities can be seen in the Center for Global Standards Analysis, which was founded in 1999 at 2-2 European activities the Catholic University of America, Washington The Enterprise and Industry DG of the D.C. The Center offers educational courses to European Commission regards standardization law students and engineering students, aiming activities as a key policy. History shows that at a fusion between the humanities and sciences. activities for standardization across national Employers of those who complete the courses boundaries, including those in commerce, include private-sector companies, standards originated in Europe. The issue of how to set a development organizations, government agencies common standard across different languages and (including the U.S. Patent Office), and law systems was first addressed in Europe and then offices[9]. spread to other parts of the world, such as North However, the March 2004 report[10] issued by and South America, Asia, and Africa. the Center shows that, among U.S. engineering The European Commission’s Enterprise universities, only three offer courses related and Industry DG also emphasizes building an to standardization: the Catholic University of academic network. It provides a Web page America (mentioned above), the University of dedicated to this network [13], and lists 20 Colorado at Boulder (course discontinued in European universities that offer courses related September 2004), and the University of Maryland. to standardization