Sony shares slump 4.77% on restructuring plan

Unless Hirai can break down the silo (vertical) structure of Sony's multiple divisions, and the arrogant mentality of their executives, forcing them to share resources and information; Sony will go the way of the GE, Magnavox, Mercury-Pacific, Packard-Bell, Philco and other US TV manufacturers, that Sony itself displaced in the 70s and 80s...

wanderlust -- agree with your view of Sony, but just exactly where has GE gone? Last time I looked they were doing pretty well. In fact, last year they were the 6th largest firm in the U.S. and the 14th most profitable. Sony should have such problems. In case you missed it, they got out of most of the consumer businesses that they once competed in and have re-structured around energy and technology. Maybe Sony should take a lesson.

the good news is, it can go down only so much. another 95% drop and it will stabilize...

herefornow - GE use to be like Toshiba. They made consumer electronics along with industrial products.

Sony can be successful by being technology leader. In fact, back in 90's, Sony was actually leader in TV, portable music player and gaming as their products had attractive features. Unless you have constant flows of innovated products, you can't win competitors in their business. Other wise, it's gonna come down to only pricing. Not fun.

slashing 10,000 jobs It's amazing how 10,000 jobless have no impact in this country. At all. It's amazing how nobody makes the connection with the number of suicides. It's amazing how nobody...NOBODY is fighting for the rights of these workers (and families that go along) losing their jobs. In most other countries there would be strikes, demonstrations... That's what you get when you emasculate the unions and people lose their jobs for the bad decisions some lame ketsu executives take. And don't forget not to criticise, not to protest. If you don't like it...change the channel, jump on the train trucks, move to another planet.

Battlecam -- I know, that was my point. But GE had the smarts and guts to dump those businesses and really change. The question is will Sony, or will the inbred Japanese corporate reluctance to major change and too much inward focus keep it from doing the same?