Kyocera in the Eyes of Professional Electronics Media | 21IC

"Hearing the voice before seeing the person" is the first impression of Kyocera that the editor, who has been immersed in the semiconductor industry for many years, has. Even though the editor has visited the Kyocera booth at major electronic exhibitions in China over the years, it is ultimately a glimpse and has not been able to fully understand the whole picture of Kyocera, let alone deeply appreciate Kyocera's spirit and business philosophy.

What kind of company is Kyocera? What kind of person is the famous Kazuo Inamori? What kind of business philosophy does Kyocera have? With such doubts, from October 16 to 18, 2018, 21ic went to the "CEATEC JAPAN2018" exhibition in Tokyo, Japan and the Kyocera headquarters in Kyoto to get a close look at this company that enjoys exclusive cutting-edge technology in the semiconductor industry.

Kyocera booth showcases advanced products and technologies

Kyocera Group has 265 companies and 75,940 employees worldwide. In fiscal 2017, the group's revenue was 1,577.039 billion yen (about 13.7 billion U.S. dollars). In the newly released "2017 Global 50 Most Innovative Companies Ranking", Kyocera topped the list for its outstanding innovation capabilities in mobile phones, consumer electronics, and power tools.

Entering the gate of Kazuo Inamori Archives, the first thing that catches your eye is the plaque "Respect Heaven and Love People". Kyocera's motto is "Respect Heaven and Love People". "Respect Heaven" means respecting the laws of nature, following the truth, and thinking about things according to the original principles of things. Here, "Heaven" refers to objective laws. Kazuo Inamori always conducts business based on the principle of doing the right thing in the right way. "Love People" means caring for others, that is, caring for others with a kind heart that comes from the soul and is full of love, sincerity and harmony. "Love People" here can also be understood as "altruism". "Altruism" is the basic starting point of being a human being, and those who are altruistic benefit themselves. Adhering to this philosophical concept, Kyocera has been able to gain the trust of customers, pioneer and innovate, and continue to develop. It has carried out many businesses around the world, from raw materials, parts, equipment, machinery to service networks, and strives to contribute to the progress and development of mankind and society.

During the introduction, the editor was shocked by Kazuo Inamori's deeds. He founded Kyoto Ceramic Co., Ltd. at the age of 27 and became the world leader in high-end ceramic technology. He founded Daini Denko Co., Ltd. at the age of 52 and became the second largest telecommunications company in Japan. Both companies have entered the Fortune 500 and have created miracles of never making losses for decades. In 2010, at the age of 78, he became the chairman of Japan Airlines and helped the bankrupt Japan Airlines to rebuild in one year. The creation of these miracles can also be said to be a clear proof that Kazuo Inamori insists on operating with the correct philosophy and principles.

Among Kazuo Inamori’s many business philosophies, the one I would like to introduce to you is “Amoeba Management”.

Amoeba management is a management method that Kazuo Inamori created to realize Kyocera's business philosophy during the management of Kyocera Corporation. In Amoeba management, the company organization is divided into small groups called "Amoebas". The leader of each Amoeba takes himself as the core, formulates the plan of the Amoeba, and relies on the wisdom and efforts of all Amoeba members to achieve the goal.

Kazuo Inamori divided the company organization into many "Amoebas", established leaders in each Amoeba, and operated it in an independent accounting manner. This is the origin of Amoeba Management. Through this practice, every employee at the production site becomes a protagonist and actively participates in the management, thus realizing "full participation in management" and continuously cultivating front-line management talents for the company's management. Including Kyocera, KDDI, which was founded by Inamori, and Japan Airlines, which was rebuilt under the leadership of Inamori, more than 600 companies have now introduced Amoeba Management.

Jack Ma, chairman of the well-known Chinese company Alibaba Group, also had two conversations with Kazuo Inamori to ask for advice on the Amoeba business model.

In 2008, Jack Ma visited Kazuo Inamori, the Japanese business saint, and said that he benefited a lot from his Amoeba business model. Jack Ma's idea of ​​splitting Alibaba into 25 business units was exactly the same as the Amoeba business model, that is, to divide Alibaba into various Amoeba organizations, each Amoeba has a person in charge to lead its operation and give full play to the potential of all employees. After that, in June 2014, Kazuo Inamori and Jack Ma had a second conversation at the Tai Chi Zen Garden in Xixi Wetland, Hangzhou.

In fact, it is not just Jack Ma. Haier's Zhang Ruimin, TCL's Li Dongsheng and other well-known entrepreneurs have all consulted Kazuo Inamori about their company's business model.

In just two days of interviewing Kyocera, we have deeply experienced Kyocera's pioneering and innovative spirit, felt the strong sentiment of "respecting Heaven and loving people", and felt the wise management philosophy of Kazuo Inamori. With this spirit, sentiment and business wisdom, I believe Kyocera will go further.