...The Sony Corporation: A Case Study in Transnational Media Management by Richard A. Gershon, Western Michigan University, U.S.A. and Tsutomu Kanayama, Sophia University, Japan The transnational corporation is a nationally based company with overseas operations in two or more countries. What distinguishes the transnational media corporation (TNMC) from other types of TNCs, is that the principle product being sold is information and entertainment. The following paper is a case study analysis of the Sony Corporation; a leading TNMC in the production and sale of consumer electronics, music and film entertainment and videogame technology. There are two main parts to this study. Part I. examines the history and development of the Sony Corporation. It builds on the theoretical work of Schein, (1984, 1983), Morley, Shockley-Zalabak (1991) and Gershon (2002, 1997) who argue that the business strategies and corporate culture of a company are often a direct reflection of the person (or persons) who were responsible for developing the organization and its business mission. Second Part examines the Sony Corporation from the standpoint of business strategy. Special attention is given to the subject of organizational culture and strategic decision-making. A second argu- ment of this paper is that while Sony is a TNMC, the organization is decidedly Japanese in its business values. This is beginning to change in the face of global competition and the need to improve business performance. This...
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...Executive Summary The Sony Corporation is a global company with a solid reputation for being one of the world’s most trusted and well-known brands. Sony, since the end of world war two was founded by Akio Morjita and Masaru Ibuka out of the devastation from ruined Japan in 1945. Today, Sony is known for its reputation for creativity, innovation and with the ability to attract strong technical and innovative employees. Some of the key challenges for Akio Morjita and Masaru Ibuka were insurmountable to say the least. The lack of raw materials, no machinery to design or construct tools and brands, but this did not stop both of these visionary men who had a clear goal, and mission to be the best electronic brand it is today. Both of these men, took Sony to an unusual journey and strategic direction for their time. It was a custom for foreign companies to copy US or other well established brand names at the time. Both Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka with strong technical and visionary approach would have none of copying western technology. Sony is an excellent example of Japan’s determination in focusing on global brands that would be recognizable by post-war Japan and beyond of what is today. The questions for the Sony one is on page 409 of our text book (Organisational Behaviour, McShane et al), and reads something like; 1.What leadership competencies do you recognise in Ibuka and Morita? Justify your answer. 2.How were Ibuka and Morita charismatic leaders? Justify your...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 MULTINATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (SONY CORPORATION) 2.1 Main business of the Sony Corporation 2.2 Goal of the Sony Corporation 2.3 International business methods used by Sony Corporation 2.4 Expectation to expand to another countries, opportunities to expand and risk of pursuing new business in another countries 2.0 INTERNATIONAL FLOW OF FUNDS 3.5 List countries of Sony Corporation export products 3.6 Sony Corporation export business by recent changes in the factors that can affect the degree of international trade 3.0 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MARKETS 4.7 Foreign exchange market used by the Sony Corporation 4.8 The Sony Corporation issues stock in foreign countries 4.0 EXCHANGE RATE DETERMINATION 5.9 Currencies that the Sony Corporation uses to conduct its international business 5.10 The trends in the main foreign currencies used by the Sony Corporation and affected by changes in the values of these currencies 5.0 FINANCING INTERNATIONAL TRADE 6.11 Types of payment methods to pay for imports 6.12 Types of trade finance method 1.0 MULTINATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 2.1 MAIN BUSINESS OF THE SONY CORPORATION Sony is engaged in the development, design, manufacture and sale of various kinds of electronic equipment, instruments and devices for consumer, professional and industrial markets as well as game hardware and software. Sony’s...
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...The Sony Corporation: A Case Study in Transnational Media Management by Richard A. Gershon, Western Michigan University, U.S.A. and Tsutomu Kanayama, Sophia University, Japan The transnational corporation is a nationally based company with overseas operations in two or more countries. What distinguishes the transnational media corporation (TNMC) from other types of TNCs, is that the principle product being sold is information and entertainment. The following paper is a case study analysis of the Sony Corporation; a leading TNMC in the production and sale of consumer electronics, music and film entertainment and videogame technology. There are two main parts to this study. Part I. examines the history and development of the Sony Corporation. It builds on the theoretical work of Schein, (1984, 1983), Morley, Shockley-Zalabak (1991) and Gershon (2002, 1997) who argue that the business strategies and corporate culture of a company are often a direct reflection of the person (or persons) who were responsible for developing the organization and its business mission. Second Part examines the Sony Corporation from the standpoint of business strategy. Special attention is given to the subject of organizational culture and strategic decision-making. A second argu- ment of this paper is that while Sony is a TNMC, the organization is decidedly Japanese in its business values. This is beginning to change in the face of global competition and the need to improve business performance. This...
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...Evaluation of Sony Corporation’s strategy Sony have successfully created an incredible brand name previously, however, its legend seem to be falling apart recently. In fact, Sony’s net profit for the July-September quarter for 2006 falling 94% to 1.7 billion Yen, compared to 28.5 billion Yen for the same period last year (Benson, 8th Nov 2006). The major reasons for the declining profit are affected by the critical strategic issues faced by Sony which became a main drawback for them. The first strategic issue faced by Sony was the inefficient manufacturing structures which decrease Sony’s quality that badly affects their reputation and caused a decline in product competitiveness. DeWit & Meyer (2004: p192) argue that “the essence of most uniquely Japanese management practice will be they productivity improvement, TQC (Total Quality Control) activities, QC (Quality Control) circles, or labour relation – can be reduced to one word: Kaizen”. They also argue that “the implication of TQC or CWQC (Company Wide Quality Control) in Japan have been that these concepts have helped Japanese Companies generate a process-oriented way of thinking and develop strategies that assure continuous improvement” (p192). However, in the case of Sony, they did not make any improvement or perform well in Kaizen or implement an efficient manufacturing structure that ensure high product quality which affect their product quality and caused a massive damage to the company. For example, there is the...
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...History………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....3 3. Current Market of Sony Corporation………………………………………………………………………..3 4. Organizational Orientation……………………………………………………………………………………….4 5. Sony's current Market analysis…………………………………………………………………………………4 6. Sony’s Orientation……………………………………………………………………………………………………6 7. Sony's Competitive Advantage Analysis……………………………………………………………………7 8. Porter's generic strategies………………………………………………………………………………….......8 9. Porter's competitive Forces………………………………………………………………………………........9 10. Marketing Mix………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 11. Sony’s Product Mix and Product Line……………………………………………………………………..12 12. Price Mix………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 13. Sony’s Promotion Mix………………………………………………………………………………………......17 14. Sony‘s Place Mix…………………………………………………………………………………………………….18 15. Sony‘s Distribution Channels………………………………………………………………………………….19 16. Sony Corporation's Success………………………………………………………………………………….…20 17. SWOT analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………………........22 18. Recommendations to maintain Competitive Advantage…………………………………….…..24 19. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….25 20. Bibliography / References………………………………………………………………………………….....27 Introduction: Sony is a leading corporation primarily operating in electronics. They are leading manufacturers in electronic goods. Sony holds a great quality and technological leadership in the market. Sony products are in the fields of entertainment, communication...
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...been contracted by the Sony Corporation to research and present a proposal that will assist their organization in becoming more innovative. Our first task is to learn who Sony Corp. is and what is this organization’s mission and values. By understanding Sony Corp’s mission and values our team can get them on the road to becoming a more innovative organization. We will then analyze how innovation, design, and creativity support Sony’s goal and objectives. Lastly, we will identify the internal and external drivers of innovation for Sony Corp.We are a consultant company known as ‘Team A’. Our company has been contracted by the Sony Corporation to research and present a proposal that will assist their organization in becoming more innovative. Our first task is to learn who Sony Corp. is and what is this organization’s mission and values. By understanding Sony Corp’s mission and values our team can get them on the road to becoming a more innovative organization. We will then analyze how innovation, design, and creativity support Sony’s goal and objectives. Lastly, we will identify the internal and external drivers of innovation for Sony Corp.We are a consultant company known as ‘Team A’. Our company has been contracted by the Sony Corporation to research and present a proposal that will assist their organization in becoming more innovative. Our first task is to learn who Sony Corp. is and what is this organization’s mission and values. By understanding Sony Corp’s mission and values...
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...Executive Summary Introduction Sony Corporation in Brief Sony Products Sony Promotion Sony Place (Distribution) Sony Price Suggestion on The Current Marketing Mix Bibliography In brief, this assignment is concerned about marketing management. It covers in details about the concept of marketing mix with the aid of Sony organization which I have taken as a case study in exploring the way this organization has applied the marketing mix. In this assignment the following points are going to be discussed: 1. Sample List of Marketing Mix being used by the organization. 2. Find out if the marketing mix used by organization is satisfactory. 3. Suggestion to the organization concerning the marketing mix. Introduction: Marketing Mix is a major concept in modern marketing and involves practically everything that a marketing company can use to influence consumer perception favorably towards its product or services so that consumer and organizational objectives are attained, i.e. marketing mix is a model of crafting and implementing marketing strategy. In this assignment, I will discuss the major marketing mix variables as classified by Prof. E. Jerome McCarthy which are: i. Product ii. Price iii. Place (Distribution) iv. Promotion. Throughout the assignment I will prefer to use my reference to Sony Corporation. I will refer to this company how it has diversify its market products, the price range, places for distribution and the promotional strategies...
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...Sony Corporation is a multinational company whose headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the world’s biggest media company with revenue of about US$40 billion(2011) and branches worldwide with over 200,000 employees. It is one of the largest manufacturers of video game consoles, electronics, communications, video and information technology products products. Its products are both for professional and consumer markets. The name Sony originates from the word Sonus, which refers to the goddess of sound in greek mythology (Chang, 2008. Pg. 12). Sony Corporation is the parent unit of the Sony Group, which is a segment that deals in five operating units which are games, electronics, financial services, entertainment (music and motion picture) and others. Sony produces a wide range of products from entertainment, games and electronic devices. Its major products include: Home Video-Blue Ray disc player, DVD portable, DVD player-,Televisions and Projectors-CRT TV, Bravia LCD TV, Public Display Panel-, Home theater systems, Home audio, Digital photography, Portable audio, games, storage and recording media etc… Sony Corporation spends a lot of money in each financial year on promotion and advertising (Promotional Budget). It has advertised its services and products in many different media and ways. It has advertised its Sony Wega TV and Bravia televisions through TV. Over the years Sony has also used favorable and popular television programs such as TV series and sports...
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...PROJECT MANAGEMENT [BBA 615] PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL ON SONY CORPORATION PORTER’S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS CONSUMER ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY [pic] 1. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS - LOW ➢ Economies of Scale ➢ Product Differentiation ➢ Capital Requirements ➢ Switching Costs ➢ Technology, Know-how and Innovation ➢ Government Policy 2. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS -HIGH • Products are fairly undifferentiated • Buyers face few switching costs • Online shopping has increased the bargaining power of buyers • Buyers are price sensitive and demand high quality 3. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS - LOW • Big global supply chain management (Suppliers are not concentrated) • Suppliers are forced to cut their prices or go out of business • Direct negotiation with suppliers in order to encourage: • Reliable supply • Faster delivery • Lower prices • Many OEMs start to produce their own components in-house 4. RIVALRY AMONG EXISTING COMETITORS - HIGH ➢ Numerous and rather equally balanced competitors. ➢ Short product life-cycle ➢ High R & D costs ➢ Lack of differentiation or switching costs ...
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...CASE STUDY - SONY CORPORATION A record number of Sony Corporation shareholders, total 9,500, gathered in a posh hotel in Tokyo on 27th June 2012 waited anxiously for the new chief to reveal revival plan and strategies for Sony. This was Kazuo Hirai‘s first interaction with the share holders. Board of Sony Corporation had announced him as the new Chief Executive in February 2012 and he had taken over charge in April 2012. Kazuo Hirai, 51 years old new CEO, first asked the outgoing American national CEO and now the Chairman of Board Howard Stringer to talk the shareholders. Howard Stringer British born American national CEO of Sony Corporation from 2005 to 2012 deeply regretted the record loss of 457 billion yen ($ 5.75 billion) for the year 2011- 2012. According to Stringer, the poor performance of the current year was a result of the earth quake in Japan and the floods in Thailand. Shareholders became increasingly restless, one share holder shouted at the peak of his voice: ―Stringer, how can you justify your salary of $ 3 million per year. The company has been losing money since 2005 and you have been drawing such huge salaries and only talking‖. Another old share holder stated: ―the share price of Sony stock is now only 10% of Samsung‘s share price, and 2% of Apple Inc.‘s. This is your performance Howard Stringer for Sony Corporation.‖ He also questioned why Stringer had been retained as the Chairman of the Board This case has been prepared on real...
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...SONY “The name Sony derives from the Latin word sonus meaning sound and the English word sonny-boy – a term used by the Americans in the 1950’s to denote a bright youngster.” Sony was originally called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Company) and was founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. (The History of the Sony Corporation) In 1958 they changed their name to Sony Corporation because it was easier to pronounce in any language and according to Ibuka the name emphasizes the company’s founding prospectus of the spirit of freedom and open-mindedness. (Sony Corp. Info) Sony concentrates its business efforts towards achieving corporate social responsibility, community involvement, volunteerism and its environment. Sony Corporation is home based in Tokyo Japan and has global subsidiaries located worldwide in the East Asia, Pan-Asia, North America, Europe, and Latin America. The Sony Corporation of America, located in New York is the United States headquarters for Sony. The businesses that operate from the Sony Corporation of America include Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Mobile Communications Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sony Network Entertainment Inc., Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Sony Music Entertainment, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, and Sony Online Entertainment. (WHO WE ARE) Sony emphasizes employee relations. Sony has made it a priority to develop a healthy relationship with their employees. Morita claimed that a large portion...
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...contracted by the Sony Corporation to research and present a proposal that will assist their organization in becoming more innovative. Our first task is to learn who Sony Corp. is and what is this organization’s mission and values. By understanding Sony Corp’s mission and values our team can get them on the road to becoming a more innovative organization. We will then analyze how innovation, design, and creativity support Sony’s goal and objectives. Lastly, we will identify the internal and external drivers of innovation for Sony Corp. History of Sony Corporation Vision and Mission statement Sony Corporation's Mission statement is "to become a leading global provider of networked consumer electronics, entertainment and services", and their Vision is “to create exciting new digital entertainment experiences for consumers by bringing together cutting-edge products with latest generation content and services” (Sony, n.d.). Sony Corporation was created May 7, 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. The company was established with a capital of 190,000 yen, which is about $ 1,600. The name of the company was originally "Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation". In 1958 the company changed its name to "Sony" which comes from a combination of two words: "SONUS", which in Latin means "sound" and "SONNY", which means a small size. In 1960 the company established its American branch, called SONAM (Sony Corporation of America). Today it is known as SCA. Sony Corp. wants to strengthen...
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...rketing TABLE OF CONTENT Assignment Question 1) Introduction International Marketing Sony Corporation company’s background overview • Sony Rolly Figure 1.2 2) Situational analysis PESTLE analysis • What is PESTLE analysis? • Figure 2.2 • Sony’s Pestle analysis SWOT analysis • Sony’s SWOT analysis Figure 2.3 Marketing mix (4p’s) • Product • Promotion • Price • Place (distribution) 3) International Marketing Objective SMART (corporate objectives) Sony’s Mission and Vission statement 4) Marketing Strategy Ansoff’s Matrix Market Entry methods Segmentation, targeting and positioning Assignment Question Produce an international marketing plan that will introduce a consumer brand sold in your home market into a country in which it is currently not available. Introduction International Marketing As you can see that nowadays, a majority of organization try to market their products internationally. There are some reasons why they want to market it internationally and the reasons are to saturated their home market, competition, excess capacity, product life cycle differences, geographic diversification, comparative advantage in product, skill and technology, organizational reasons and lastly is the financial reasons (Walsh., L.S., 1993). International marketing can be defined as the performance of the business activities that is specially designed...
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...Sony Corporation, generally referred to as Sony, is a famous Japanese company. Masaru Ibuka who was a defense contractor and Akio Morita who was a former naval lieutenant and physicist founded Sony on May 7, 1946 after World War II (Rebuilding from ashes 2011). It was also stated that at first Sony was established as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation. In the beginning, Sony didn’t get good feedbacks for their first products but they were not discouraged. They were determined to achieve their goals and now they have given a positive impact to today’s society. The founder of Sony, Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka met each other during World War II (Rebuilding from ashes 2011; sony.com 2011). It claims that with the end of the war of the war, Ibuka set up a new beginning and had founded Tokyo Telecommunications Research Institute in October. It adds that Morita saw an article about a research laboratory which was founded by Ibuka that appeared in an Asahi Newspaper column called “Blue Pencil” after a while. It also declares that after he read that article, they decided to set up a new company together. Again, it highlights that on May 7th, 1946; they formed a joint venture to begin a company called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation) and started the company with an initial capital of 190,000 Yen and approximately 20 employees. It emphasizes that during their long joint venture, Ibuka put his energies into the technological research and...
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