JUSTIFICATION

• Who are they and what do they do?

• Sony it's a Japanese company which has it's headquarter based in Minato. It
is one of the largest electronic product manufacturers in the world.

• For the purpose of this assignment the strategies of Sony will be discussed
which were used by the company in the past and with regards to that the current
strategies will be look and based on the analysis of past and current strategies the
future strategies will be identified.

• Sony always tries to differentiate its products from the competitors and
provide its customers with latest technology from CD players to mobile phones the
strategy at this stage of Sony was to provide its customers with over the top
technologies .

CULTURE

Collaborative

Compete

creative
  Sony’s success is partly due to the effectiveness of the characteristics of this
corporate culture in connecting the company with its target customers.
 Highlighted in its Customer Satisfaction Campaign known as CS21.
 Considering three factors (customer’s viewpoint, voice of customer, and
customer’s expectation), the following characteristics are the pillars of Sony’s
organizational culture:
1. Reliable (customer’s viewpoint & customer’s expectation)
2. Credible (customer’s viewpoint & voice of customer)
3. Cordial (voice of customer & customer’s expectation)
 . This feature of the organizational culture increases customer satisfaction by ensuring
that employees are capable of addressing customers’ needs and inquiries about the
company’s products. For example, Sony’s product design and development
processes for the PlayStation are mainly based on customers’ perspectives and
expectations in gaming. In this way, the corporate culture helps match the company’s
output to market demand.
 For example, based on customers’ perspectives and feedback, Sony develops
training programs to improve standards and procedures. HR training and
development programs reinforce the corporate culture through a credible workforce.
 This characteristic of Sony Corporation’s organizational culture facilitates warm and
friendly relations between employees and customers. Higher customer satisfaction is
a result of this cultural feature. For example, personnel’s cordiality makes customers
feel welcome at Sony Stores, thereby increasing the probability of sales. Thus, Sony’s
corporate culture is a way to retain customers in the electronics, gaming,
entertainment and financial services markets.

Sony’s Organizational Culture: Advantages &

Disadvantages
 An advantage of Sony’s organizational culture is that its emphasis on customer
satisfaction leads to higher customer retention. Satisfied customers are more
likely to purchase from the company again. Another advantage is that the
organizational culture has a positive impact on Sony’s employees. For
example, the characteristics (reliability, credibility and cordiality) are exercised
not just toward customers, but also between employees. This cultural condition
improves employee morale and organizational effectiveness.

 Sony Corporation’s organizational culture has the disadvantage of limited

focus on innovation. Even though the company is innovative and its cultural
considerations focus on what customers want, there is a lack of
institutionalized support for innovation through the corporate culture. In this
regard, a recommendation is to implement adjustments to add focus on
innovative behavior among Sony’s employees. For example, the company can
add a feature that encourages employees to develop innovative ideas to
satisfy customers’ specific demands. In this way, the organizational culture
would facilitate product development to support Sony’s generic and intensive
growth strategies. The addition of innovation as a cultural characteristic also
helps fulfill Sony’s mission statement and vision statement.
 • Our Culture & Philosophy
Sony is a brand that is. Since our establishment in India, our dedicated
workforce has been working hard to strengthen and enhance all aspects
related to customer satisfaction. Today, Sony's standards represent some of
the industry's best practices, and we seize every opportunity to learn from the
collective successes and shortcomings, and thereby raise the bar on quality
and customer experience. At Sony India, we take pride in having inherited
such a SWOT Analysis:-
Swot analysis provide and wider picture to the company about its current
strengths and weakness which relates to the internal environment of the
company and give a better understanding that what is required to be done and
with the analysis of the external environment of the company it helps in
indentify what are the opportunities and threats available to the company and
how they can be use for the betterment of the company.

By using swot analysis the following have been identified.

.

Recommendations for Sony:-

As it can be seen from the past and present of Sony's that the company
emphasis more on developing the products and not on going head to head
with the competition which result in the competition getting the most of the
market while Sony has the technology the company lack of strategic planning
and more over lack of control over the activities result in the company losing its
customers due to the controversies from the sue on batteries to customers
blaming Sony to promoting spam mails using the play station website.

All this effected the reputation of the company now Sony needs to rebuild the
reputation by not only doing what they do best which is providing the
customers the best products in term of technology but also they need to build a
strategic plan to overcome all the obstacles the company face in the past.

providing Systems to Support a Healthy

Work-Life Balance
Sony believes that strong revenues are sustained by providing a worker-
friendly environment where each employee can perform to their full
potential. Under this vision, Sony considers employee health and work-life
balance as essential to creating innovation and sustaining strong revenues
as a company. Sony offers flexible working provisions and work conditions
for employees to realize this work-life balance, while adhering to the
customs and laws in countries and regions where it does business.

In Japan, Sony Corporation has introduced a flex-time system and a

discretionary working system, which enables employees to work with
versatile options. Sony employees regularly use a high percentage of their
allotted annual paid days off. In fiscal 2016, employees of Sony
Corporation took an average of 16.6 days off, compared with the national
average of 10.4 days off at other companies.
*

Source for average for other companies in Japan: Comprehensive Survey of Wage
Conditions (Fiscal 2016), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Surveyed
companies had a workforce of more than 1,000 employees.


Flexible Work Options for Diverse Lifestyles

Sony offers human resources programs that enable employees to make the
most of their talents within their preferred lifestyles.

In 2015, Sony began offering a leave program that enables employees to

take up to five years off to pursue studies or work on upgrading their
language or communication skills, when accompanying a spouse who has
been assigned abroad or embarks on international studies. Sony also
began offering a Flexible Career Leave program that enables employees to
take up to two years off to pursue studies at their own expense to further or
expand their specialization.

In 2016, Sony revised the eligibility for its telework program, expanding it
from parenting and caregiving situations to cover all employees. Sony will
continue to expand programs to provide employees with flexible and
efficient work options, with the aim of enhancing the business efficiency of
its organizations, fostering an organizational culture that generates ideas,
and increasing the productivity and output of each employee.

Creating Accessible Working Environments

and Promoting Greater Opportunities for
Individuals with Disabilities
Based on the philosophy of Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka of creating
workplaces that do not offer charity, but rather create an environment that
makes it possible for individuals with disabilities to manufacture products
that exceed those manufactured by individuals without disabilities, the Sony
Group strives to realize an environment in which individuals do not feel held
back by their disability and disabilities do not create barriers. Sony is
working to create an inclusive workplace environment where employees
can build successful careers regardless of any disabilities they may have.
At Sony Group companies in Japan, employment know-how and
experience related to past cases are integrated in a dedicated department
within the Human Resources Division. This particularly leverages
knowledge gained through the special-purpose subsidiaries Sony Taiyo
Corporation,*1 which has over 35 years of experience in this field, and
Sony Kibou/Hikari Corporation, which specializes in providing employment
opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. These programs
support employees with disabilities and undertake programs that leverage
the advantages of the Sony Group. Specifically, at joint recruiting events
(now in their ninth year) where about 20 Sony Group companies take part,
guidance is given to workplaces that are striving to improve their work
environments to accommodate new employees with disabilities. Training
programs are also implemented to provide the perspective of employees
with disabilities to their supervisors and colleagues and vice versa.

Even before the enforcement of Japan's Act on the Elimination of

Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, Sony has long taken
reasonable accommodation measures tailored to each individual and has
also created Group Guidelines. In addition, Sony has set up a consultation
system and holds study meetings and promotes the employment of
persons with disabilities in a unique way to ensure they have access to
important roles across the Group.

Sony also seeks to encourage students with disabilities and their

supporters by communicating about its philosophy and programs for the
employment of people with disabilities. The aim is to enhance social
awareness of diversity and inclusion issues. For example, Sony Taiyo
Corporation holds inclusion workshops aimed at providing opportunities for
elementary and junior high school students to experience together the fun
of science firsthand, regardless of their level of ability.
 Sony's commitment in this area extends beyond legal compliance, by
making workplaces accessible and actively encouraging greater awareness
of diversity and inclusion issues. In fiscal 2016, employees with disabilities
accounted for 2.73% of Sony Corporation's workforce, while the average
for Sony Group companies in Japan (with over 201 employees) was 2.2%
as of March 2016, both well above the 2.0% mandated by Japanese law for
companies over a certain size.
 *1
Sony Taiyo, Sony's first special purpose subsidiary, has implemented
concepts such as universal design and inclusive design—a comprehensive
workplace design concept that emphasizes usability, environment and
education to meet the needs of people regardless of age or ability—to create
a work environment in which anyone can work irrespective of whether or not
they have a physical limitation.

Working Environment and Opportunities for

LGBT Employees
The Sony Group is working globally to provide LGBT*1 employees with a
working environment and opportunities that respect their individuality and
leverage their individual talents, free of discrimination and prejudice.

In Japan, Sony has expanded certain personnel programs*2 to encompass

same-sex spouses, and implements an e-learning course for all employees
that covers LGBT issues, while also offering LGBT workshops.

Sony also supports the diversity of employees in other ways, such as

enabling employees to use their preferred names at work, providing
multipurpose restrooms, using gender-neutral uniforms, making it optional
for job applicants to indicate their gender on applications, and providing
private toilet and shower facilities in each room at corporate dormitories.
*1
LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. The expression is
broadly used to refer to persons with diverse sexualities.
*2
Personnel programs that have been extended to same-sex spouses include
monetary gifts and leave for bereavement, rent subsidies, and participation in
employee family events.
Human Rights and Equal Opportunities
The Sony Group is committed to creating a workplace where human rights
are respected and to providing equal employment opportunities that allow
all individuals to make the most of their capabilities. In light of the
increasing diversity of human rights issues facing corporations, Sony
believes it is crucial to address these issues appropriately by building a
common awareness among employees.

The Sony Group Code of Conduct, enacted in May 2003, contains articles
related to respect for human rights and maps out global policies that guide
human rights-related rules and activities throughout the Sony Group. The
article in the Code concerning equal opportunity in employment lays down
the Group's policy for recruiting, hiring, training, promoting and otherwise
treating applicants and employees without regard to non-business-related
characteristics, including race, religion, skin color, nationality, age, gender,
or physical limitation. These provisions are based on existing international
standards, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.

Sony's transactions with suppliers must comply with provisions in the Sony
Group Code of Conduct. Sony has established the Sony Supplier Code of
Conduct, which covers human rights issues that could potentially arise at
production facilities operated by suppliers and outsourcing partners
concerning labor conditions (e.g. discrimination, child labor, and work
hours, and freedom of association).
Responsiveness and Customer Service
In addition to continuously improving product quality, Sony is taking various steps
to improve its responsiveness and its customer service capabilities, in line with its
commitment, set forth in the Sony Pledge of Quality: "Sony employees will always
respect our customers' viewpoints in striving to deliver product quality and
customer service that exceed their expectations." In customer service, this
includes responding to changing customer needs, and in repair services, building
organizations designed to ensure the best possible repair service quality.

System

Sony has assigned CS Officers to coordinate customer service operations

in markets around the world where its products are sold. Under the
guidance and supervision of the Corporate Executive in charge of Product
Quality, and of regional headquarters, Sony has also introduced a set of
key performance indicators, such as improvement in rate of repair
completion within a predetermined period of time. With the aim of
enhancing customer service quality on a global level, Sony has also
established a network of bases through which it provides services tailored
to the needs of local customers.

Training for Customer Support Staff

Committed to providing high-quality services to customers around the

world, Sony provides ongoing training for employees and the staff of
service partners. In addition to focusing on the acquisition of new service
technologies and the sharing of solutions to ensure issues are swiftly and
effectively addressed, staff are trained to help customers get the greatest
possible enjoyment from their Sony products.
Customer Information Centers and Customer Service
Improvements

Sony established its first Customer Information Center in 1963 in Japan to

respond to customer inquiries. Today, Sony has Customer Information
Centers worldwide, enabling it to provide prompt responses to customer
needs that reflect customers' perspectives, thereby helping Sony to
improve the quality of its customer service.

Sony strives to enhance customers' understanding of Sony products,

software, and services, as well as to swiftly resolve any trouble a customer
may encounter. To accommodate the variety of ways in which customers
access information, Sony provides online instruction manuals that are
formatted for Internet compatibility, and is enhancing its support websites
for mobile phones. Sony is also reinforcing customer support information
related not only to Sony products, but to software and network services, as
well.

In certain regions, Sony also provides customer support via such means as
live Internet chat sessions, support using social media platforms, and
online community forums where customers can share information to help
each other find solutions. In these ways, Sony tailors its support to meet
the increasingly diverse needs of its customers in every region of the world.
In addition, Sony conducts surveys to determine customer satisfaction at
various touchpoints, and makes improvements based on the survey results
in its efforts to continually improve customer satisfaction.

Product Quality and Quality Management

The Sony Pledge of Quality declares that "Sony employees will always respect
our customers' viewpoints in striving to deliver product quality and customer
service that exceed their expectations." To this end, Sony promotes continuous,
decisive efforts to enhance product quality and to reinforce its quality
management system.

Sony's Quality Management System Framework

Sony has configured its quality management system by defining quality

management mechanisms across all processes, from product planning,
development, design and manufacturing to sales and customer service.
This has included defining the roles, responsibilities and authority of those
responsible for product and customer service quality and establishing
guidelines.
 Responding to the Customer

Sony makes active use of customer feedback to improve its products and
customer services. Sony Customer Information Centers promptly and
accurately evaluate customer opinions, reports of malfunctions after
purchase, questions regarding use, and other feedback. The planning,
design and product quality groups work together to improve product quality
and strengthen product performance, reporting progress to top
management on an as-needed basis.

In order to reinforce these efforts, Sony has since 2015 centralized all
customer feedback received at Customer Information Centers and
technical support desks around the world. This change allows for feedback
to be used group-wide to improve Sony products and provide better
information to customers. Sony analyzes customer feedback on social
networking services (SNS), as well.


Relations with Stakeholders

Sony understands that addressing issues of interest to its many stakeholders is

intrinsically linked to its ability to ensure a strong operating foundation, which is in
turn vital to ensuring the well-being and sustainability of its business activities and
to achieving sustainable growth. Sony's CSR initiatives reflect this understanding.
Sony works to earn the trust of its stakeholders through its business activities, as
well as through a range of CSR initiatives.