business

Panasonic may halve its 7,000-strong headquarters

23 Comments

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23 Comments
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Too little and too late. Panasonic HQ has always been overblown with pretty mediocre office drones who spend most of their day attending meetings where no decisions are ever made.

Decisions taken now should have been taken 12 years ago, when Panasonic was more healthy.

Panasonic could well be taken over by the Chinese in less than 5 years and the HQ moved to Shanghai.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Double the work hours for those left, no change really just half the salary bill (excluding management)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Actually management will get a bonus for such a brave decision, and a trip!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

About time they started lay offs at head office. They started laying other staff off worldwide early last year. So far 17000 have been laid off at other sites world wide.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Double the work hours for those left,

Yes because working time is an indication of efficiency, right? Yes, all the overtime they legally would have to pay wouldf be cheaper, right? Get a clue.

Dog, 100% agree with you. FIL was a Panasonic manager and he is one of those old school "I am the boss, you don't question me nor my thinking". With the likes of him running the shows for years, no wonder it is a mess.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

And the mighty inefficient J-biz world will all slowly start to fall. Expect this to me the norm over the coming years.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Consumer electronics companies such as Panasonic, Sony, and Sharp need to do something drastic or else this may be the end of them...and this is for real, if they haven't noticed it by now.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The high yen will continue to hammer manufacturers and I'm afraid there will be more layoffs. I've worked in manufacturing for the last 12 years and I can't remember a time as bad as this. Yes, inefficiency is a problem but let's stop characterising and bear in mind other factors - yen appreciation, competition and a not completely awful reluctance to throw people out on their backsides.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

smat move they should move to more tax friendly countries. should have done this long time ago

1 ( +1 / -0 )

but let's stop characterising and bear in mind other factors - yen appreciation, competition and a not completely awful reluctance to throw people out on their backsides.

Jimizo -- OK, and let's stop rationalizing incompetence and failure of management. "Competition" exists in every industry, and the fact that Japanese companies, especially the electronics ones, failed to recognize the SK and Chinese threat years ago, because they become so enthralled with the domestic market, where they were protected by the week yen, and ridiculously high prices, is not "characterizing" It is fact. Most senior Japanese business managers are totally uncomforttable in dealing with a global market, due to lots of factors, especially poor trauining, no overseas experience and horrible language skills. And that inward focus is killing Japan. And another 3,500 people or so are going to pay the price for that. Japan Inc. is in critical condition.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Most of us have seen this coming for many many years, sadly many in Japan just kept saying "THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO JAPAN!"" well to me its been obvious for ages.

Instead of getting more competitive & working SMARTER its just been more of the same ole, same ole so the ^%$# is really starting to hit the fans(made in China most likely) & companies are increasingly facing bankruptcy with MASSIVE debts, the lucky one will get bought out.

Japan has to get it through its thick head that what worked 1960-80s DONT WORK NOW & hasnt since the late 80s but few did anything & now many big companies are in or headed into very dire straights, simply put its time to change!

Like I have said a million bloody times Japan MUST re-invent itself & fast or its going to very very bad, what a waste as things cud be SO SO SO much better but Japan is too damned fatalistic

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Erm I did say inefficiency is a problem. It's part, not all of the problem. Japanese companies do need a change of view - as do established manufacturing companies of any country given the growth of Chinese and other East Asian manufacturing. Most European 'incs' are in dire straits and the US car industry meltdown was arguably the greatest manufacturing debacle all time. of We can point to outrageous mismanagement in manufacturing and other industries in the US and Europe. Japan needs to put its house in order - they are not alone. A variety of factors are at play - the single biggest one of these at the present time is the high yen.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

No mention of lay-offs in the article, just "transfers to subsidiaries" and so on. Those arguing that Panasonic should have done this ages ago are right, in a way, but bear in mind that forced redundancies are illegal in Japan, except in a few very limited circumstances (such as risk of bankruptcy), which may only now be starting to be usable as an argument.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Is Koyuki still going to do Panasonic ads?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

That's part of the issue J-Both. The FT workers have all the power and companies can't fire those slackers who shouldn't be getting a pay check. The laws need to change here as companies now just don't want to hire people FT. I don't blame them when they can't fire the bad hires.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Fortunately, Japan hasn't yet embraced the hire and fire mentality of Anglo Saxon economics and as we all know, those economies are the envy of the world at the moment.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Major exporters are too uncompetitive for too long, due to a very strong Yen that stubbornedly continues to be firm for too long. BOJ & MOF why are you not increasing the supply of Yen to bring it down?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I see no saving for Panasonic, Sony, Sharp, Fujitsu, and Toshiba. The only Japanese tech companies that have yet to be destroyed by the south korean competition is Nikon and Canon. However, Samsung and Lg have announced their focus on cameras, and will most likely off these two's as well. This is only the beginning, auto sales will go down as well.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Next, the Korean companies will be destroyed by the Chinese competition, right?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

seranno,

CORRECT, as long as China doesnt destroy itself first!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In my opinion, it's too late. Other hi-tech companies were executing the restructuring just after Leaman shock in Y2008. Looking at electronics industries, other players from Korea, Taiwan and others are enjoying the market. It's not only the case for foreign companies. Like Toshiba and Hitachi, which are continuing the restructuring, have been making a profit for past a few years. It's obvious that the current situation depends on whether companies tried to transform them in the past.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yen appreciated against Korean Wonof 50% in last 10 years. How to compete?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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