NATIONALIST Morita started his company just after the Second                                                                                          
World War. Japan was a war-torn country, it needed to rebuild                                                                                         
quickly.  Hard work, sacrifice and savings were the order of                                                                                          
the day.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
There was the Japanese spirit that made people like Morita                                                                                            
prevail. His book Made in Japan - Akio Morita and Sony shows                                                                                          
this clearly.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
To break the negative perception that "made in Japan" was                                                                                   
poor, he felt it was necessary to create a social and                                                                                                 
political environment that placed emphasis on producing and                                                                                           
saving-one that discouraged consumption. It also meant that                                                                                           
the workforce was asked for diligence, sacrifice and                                                                                                  
innovativeness. This he set out to apply in all earnest. It                                                                                           
was Japan first.                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
Morita was an acute observer.  He recollects the atomic bomb                                                                                          
thus: "It struck me that American industrial might was greater                                                                                   
than we realised, simply over- whelming."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
In another instance, he tells about watching a film on Ford                                                                                           
Motor Co at River Rogue Complex in Dearborn, Michigan. He was                                                                                         
thrilled to see ships bringing iron and steel mills. At                                                                                               
another complex, car parts were molded which were later fixed                                                                                         
into cars.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
Twenty years later, Morita visited the site. He saw the same                                                                                          
manner of work and equipment.  It made him think of Japan and                                                                                         
wonder about the future with America's plants and economic                                                                                            
supremacy.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
The emperor's speech just after the war was still fresh in his                                                                                        
mind. His mother, in all excitement, woke him up early in the                                                                                         
morning. Emperor Hirohito was going to talk to his people for                                                                                         
the first time.                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Morita cleaned himself, wore his full naval uniform, including                                                                                        
his sword and stood at attention while he listened to the                                                                                             
broad- cast. The emperor had this to say: the people could                                                                                            
"pave the way for a grand peace, for all generations to come,"                                                                              
but the people had to do it by enduring the unendurable and                                                                                           
suffering what was insufferable.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
"Unite your total strength to be devoted to the construction                                                                                     
of the future. "He challenged the people to "keep pace with                                                                                 
the progress of the world."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
Sony's workshop was set up in a bombed-out building, which                                                                                            
leaked when it rained during rainy days, where power was                                                                                              
short, equipment wanting; but their spirits were high. They,                                                                                          
like other Japanese were going to rebuild a Japan to be                                                                                               
reckoned with.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
International outlook                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Akio Morita had always looked beyond the shores of Japan. The                                                                                         
company's name change, its products, its customer base, and                                                                                           
its outlets, all indicated a company that was fast becoming                                                                                           
global.                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
Both Morita and Ibuka were reading books about American                                                                                               
companies like the works of William Shockus and Bell                                                                                                  
Laboratories. They learned about the transistor and other                                                                                             
gadgets.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
In 1952, Ibuka made a trip to the US, but came back                                                                                                   
disappointed as he felt there was no market for their tape                                                                                            
recorders.  A year later, Morita visited America, arranged an                                                                                         
agreement with Western Electric, and paved the way for the                                                                                            
future Sony transistor invasion. Sony also arranged tie-ups                                                                                           
with Philips.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Morita's exposure to the world of business changed him from a                                                                                         
strong Japanese-first individual to one who took a more                                                                                               
international point of view. His family had moved to America                                                                                          
in 1963, so that he could be near - and know-his customers.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Morita stayed in New York's Fifth Avenue, where he gave                                                                                               
regular weekend parties. He socialised and met people from all                                                                                        
walks of life. His children studied in American schools. He                                                                                           
observed, he learnt, he made things happen.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
In the 1960s, he began to talk about the need to encourage                                                                                            
more free trade by reducing tariffs and other barriers. This                                                                                          
topic had been "out of bounds" to the Japanese businessmen for                                                                              
a long time. The major economic players cannot ignore, he                                                                                             
felt, the world's number two economy.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
It was natural that he should co-author a book (lY89) called                                                                                          
The Japan That Can Say No - implying that other countries                                                                                             
should stop complaining about Japan and work at improving                                                                                             
their own countries.                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
In 1989, Sony plunged itself into the entertainment industry,                                                                                         
acquiring Columbia and Tristar Film Studios for US$34bil.                                                                                             
Although it made business sense, it was also a bold move.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Morita saw, long before his contemporaries, that the world was                                                                                        
shrinking and that there would be boundless opportunities to                                                                                          
companies that could have a global view, both physically and                                                                                          
mentally. He pursued this philosophy with great enthusiasm and                                                                                        
commitment. It is no wonder that in 1998, Harris Survey rated                                                                                         
Sony the number one brand name by American Consumers, ahead of                                                                                        
Coca-Cola and General Electric.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
The mover                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Morita wanted to reform Japan; he began talking to various                                                                                            
groups of businessmen, politicians, civil servants and others.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
At a conference in Kuala Lumpur in 1993, Morita said that                                                                                             
Japanese corporations had to reevaluate their relationship                                                                                            
with the stakeholders - employees, stockholders, customers,                                                                                           
related business and the local community.  "In the past, the                                                                                     
burden of sharing and sacrifice were priorities; today, should                                                                                        
not reward sharing receive more emphasis as well?" he asked.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
This was indeed provocative to an environment that spoke of                                                                                           
sharing, teamwork, life-long employment and that which                                                                                                
de-emphasised meritocracy. This thinker also proposed that                                                                                            
companies need to constantly reinvent themselves. Only by                                                                                             
doing so can they continually adapt to the challenges and                                                                                             
opportunities ahead of them.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Morita suggests a change in mindsets, including:                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
1. The opening of markets- products, new ideas and concepts.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
2. Encouraging a stable, open climate where there is foreign                                                                                          
investment, reciprocity and transparency.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
3. Politicians should look beyond their nations and interests.                                                                                        
People should "welcome change rather than fear it."                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
A sociable man                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
A man who easily embraced people, Morita made it a point to                                                                                           
mix with younger people as often as he could. He thought they                                                                                         
made him feel and think younger. Besides, he wanted to know                                                                                           
what went in their minds as they were important customers of                                                                                          
Sony.                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
The two-month period before his stroke, people saw him visit                                                                                          
NNew Jersey, Washington, Britain, Spain, France and nine other                                                                                        
cities. He called Queen Elizabeth II, Jack Welch of General                                                                                           
Electric, and many other politicians and businessmen.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
He attended two concerts, appeared in eight receptions, played                                                                                        
golf and, in keeping with his timetable, spent 17 days at Sony                                                                                        
Headquarters. Boundless energy indeed-a common feature among                                                                                          
outstanding leaders throughout history.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
In 1993, Morita was asked to be chairman of Keindanren, the                                                                                           
prestigious business association of Japan. It is said that                                                                                            
CEOs jostle to get a position in its set-up.  This showed a                                                                                           
change of heart as Sony had not really been accepted by the                                                                                           
Japanese establishment in general who considered it "an                                                                                          
arrogant outfit". Unfortunately, Morita had a stroke on the                                                                                      
day of its announcement.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
In November 1993, Morita suffered a stroke while playing                                                                                              
tennis and was partially paralysed.  He convalesced in Hawaii.                                                                                        
Some days, he was alert and others he was not so. Morita                                                                                              
succumbed to pneumonia and died on Oct 3, 1999, at the age of                                                                                         
78.                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
A great man, a man of vision, ideas and guts) Akio Morita                                                                                             
stood tall among Japanese giants like Soichiro and Konosuke                                                                                           
Matsushita. He began to play an important role in the                                                                                                 
"reawakening" of Japan and Asia in general.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
He reinvented himself from a pure researcher to an                                                                                                    
entrepreneur extraordinaire. He re-aligned himself from                                                                                               
thinking Japan only to one who was at home in a borderless                                                                                            
world.                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
He began to speak up for the need for change in the developed                                                                                         
and developing countries. He began to "think globally and act                                                                                    
locally." Morita used and practised this term first, by having                                                                                   
a common value system across borders serving international                                                                                            
customers, shareholders and employees, irrespective of the                                                                                            
origin of the company.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
This silver-haired, charismatic leader achieved much during                                                                                           
his lifetime. "With his unique products and creative                                                                                             
marketing, he gave dreams to people all over the world,"                                                                                         
said-Fuji Xerox chairman Kobayashi Yotaro in his tribute to                                                                                           
Morita.                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
His death is a loss to Japan and the nations around the globe.                                                                                        
The world of management has become that much no result.