Special Feature

Panasonic Group People

Vijay Wadhawan / Yusuke Nii / Issei Umemura

Acting as a leader to help people live their best

Panasonic Leadership Principles

Taking Leadership to Meet New Challenges

A Message from

Ryuta Suzuki

(Professor, Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University)

Up-close View: The Power of the Frontline

Roda I. Borja / Takuya Miyata

Talking with Kusumi

Thinking about the Panasonic Leadership Principles—Implementing

Employee Entrepreneurship

Meet The Athletes

Narumi Ishida Interviewer: Nanako Mimura

PIW Closeup

Stories behind Panasonic History

Notice of Employment from Osaka Electric Light Company

The Essence of Practicing the Basic Business

Philosophy

Vol. 6

Brand—Our Bond

2023 Special Exhibition on the Management Philosophy

Grasping the Knack for Management Is Worth a Million Dollars

Vol. 06

Jul. 2023

COVER

The employees who took

part in Talking with Kusumi

(at Panasonic XC KADOMA)

Special Feature

Live Your Best

Panasonic Group magazine

Live Your Best

Vol. 6 published July 25, 2023

Editing & Publishing: Corporate PR Center, Panasonic Operational Excellence Co., Ltd.

1006 Oaza Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka 571-8501, Japan

Publisher: Keisuke Ida Editor-In-Chief: Hirosuke Nakanishi

Co-production: Kousoku Offset Co., Ltd., TEN International Co., Ltd., Pasona Panasonic Business Service Co., Ltd.

Job titles and organizations referred to in this magazine are correct as of July 2023.

No articles, photographs, or illustrations from the Panasonic Group magazine

Live Your Best

may be reproduced without permission.

Live Your Best

is the magazine for Panasonic Group employees and their families. We hope you will enjoy it at your workplace or home.

Secondary use without prior permission is prohibited. After reading, we ask that you store, recycle, or dispose of these materials in an

appropriate manner, however the names of employees, organizations, etc. are contained within the magazine’s pages, and as such we

request that readers handle magazine data with sufficient care and do not leave the magazine in public areas.

To be shared with family.

Jul. 2023

Vol. 06

Notice of Employment

from Osaka Electric

Light Company

Episode 04

In 1910, in anticipation of the beginning of the era of electricity, the founder joined

the Osaka Electric Light Company (currently Kansai Electric Power Company) at age

15. He worked hard and distinguished himself, leading a fulfilling professional life

through engaging in such work as the wiring for Osaka’s iconic Tsutenkaku Tower,

which was built in 1912 and modeled after the Eiffel Tower. Later, he was promoted

to inspector at age 22, the youngest person to attain such a position within the

company at the time. The founder looked back on the joy this promotion gave him

by stating, “I felt as if a paradise of freedom had opened up before me. To be able

to decide things using one’s own discretion is what makes life worth living, whether

the matter is minor or important.” It is safe to say that this formative experience led

him to employee entrepreneurship, which he frequently talked about in later years.

People find a rewarding sense of satisfaction from work, which can then become their

motivation in life, only after making their own creative efforts rather than doing the

work as instructed. The founder wanted Matsushita Electric employees to also feel

the joy he felt at the Osaka Electric Light Company.

Here, we share the founder’s

thoughts and relevant stories

available in our company’s

historical records.

Commit to Employee

Entrepreneurship

Commit to Employee Entrepreneurship

Acting as a leader to help people live their best

What is the PLP?

As competition among rival companies intensifies,

we must be unrivaled in our work and contribute to our

customers and society. Our Basic Business Philosophy

provides all of the essentials to achieve this. In April

2023, the PLP was formulated as a set of guidelines

for each of us to use in putting the Basic Business

Philosophy into practice. While the Basic Management

Objective, Company Creed, and Seven Principles, which

form the Panasonic Group’s core spirit, clearly state

the purpose and attitude we at Panasonic must have,

the PLP provides a clear and well-focused message on

how we should act in our daily work to

transform these ideas into action.

The 18 project members with high

aspirations, recruited openly from

among Group employees, discussed

and drafted the guidelines, carefully

choosing each word to ensure that

these guidelines would always be kept

in mind and applied in the workplace,

and would inspire changes in employee

behavior.

Descriptions of the desired conduct

have avoided the use of vague expres

sions because the project team tried

to develop messages that are as clear

and well-focused as possible. The PLP

is not something to be memorized

but a set of principles intended to

encourage tangible changes in each

employee’s daily conduct. First, each of us should

use the PLP as a basis for reflecting on our actions

and decisions in our daily work. Moving forward, “level

standards” will be provided for each job position to

identify specific conduct expected for each PLP princi

ple, allowing the PLP to be used in human resources

management systems such as hiring, training, and

performance evaluation. It is important for us to have

a good understanding of these standards in working to

improve the level of employee conduct in accordance

with the PLP.

― 4 ―

Strategic Thinking and Behavior

We shall detect signs of change without being preoccupied with

the matters at hand, thereby seeing the big picture of society

and thinking flexibly. We will not make rash decisions or take

a short-sighted approach such as thinking about actions to be

taken based on the status quo, and will always promote and

practice mid- to long-term thinking. We will open up new business

opportunities by always taking interest in social and technological

progress and by evaluating and honing our skills, which will serve

as our strengths in an endeavor to keep ahead of changes.

― 6 ―

Ownership

No matter how menial our tasks may seem, we will be aware

that we are the managers of our own jobs and act accordingly.

We will find meaning in each task and never say, “That’s not my

job.” We will continue to act with a sense of autonomy for our

happiness and that of the organization as well as the well-being

of all individuals concerned.

― 2 ―

Drives Vision

Without being bound by the status quo, we shall boldly envision

our ideal future beyond the imagination of others around us.

Even if it seems difficult, we will never give up and work toward

the achievement of an ideal future while exploring all the

possibilities.

― 10 ―

People First

We shall explore and achieve an ideal state through daily prac

tice and humble reflection. We will not force our opinions and

methods on team members, but believe in their potential and

fully trust them to do a job. When performing tasks, we will make

it a top priority to ensure the health and safety of ourselves

and team members. We will look after and help each other to

establish a pleasant work environment for all team members.

― 8 ―

Harmonizes Wisdom

In order to create more wisdom, we shall listen to other parties’

opinions with an open mind and say what needs to be said with

respect for them. We will promote rapid and optimal decision-

making without fear of disagreement with others.

PLP Pocket Card

The 11 principles in business-card size

Please cut out the card along the dotted lines. Staple the

left end, and then you can keep it as a booklet. You can also

choose a few principles that are particularly important to

you and carry them with your business cards or ID card, or

place them on your desk. Keep the PLP handy and put it into

practice in your daily work.

*The principles are arranged in the proper sequence when they are bound into

a mini booklet.

Panasonic

Leadership Principles

Taking Leadership to Meet New Challenges

Our Guidelines of Conduct

In October 2021, the Basic Business Philosophy

of the Panasonic Group was updated. To put this

into practice, we have also adopted the Panasonic

Leadership Principles (PLP), guidelines of conduct

for each of us to keep in mind in our daily work

while acting as a leader. Here, we discuss the

background and application of the PLP.

Panasonic

Leadership Principles

As individuals brought together by the Panasonic Group, regard

less of whether or not we are managers responsible for a team,

each of us shall provide leadership and contribute to efforts to

use the collective wisdom of all individuals toward the realization

of an ideal society with richness both in matter and mind.

To this end, we will continuously review and improve the

Panasonic Leadership Principles that serve as our guidance for

acting accordingly every day throughout the Panasonic Group.

An ideal society offering

material and spiritual afﬂuence

(Corporate mission)

Basic Business Philosophy

Basic Management Objective

(Purpose)

Company Creed &

Seven Principles

(Attitude)

Practice of

the Basic Business Philosophy

PLP

(Guideline of conduct)

Basic Management Objective:

The purpose of

the Panasonic Group’s business and its mission

Company Creed and Seven Principles:

Our attitude

toward the way we conduct our work on a daily

basis as employees of the Panasonic Group

Basic Business Philosophy:

The mindset that the

employees of the Panasonic Group must follow in

their work and in the management of the company

PLP:

Guidelines of conduct that each employee

should use in putting the Basic Business Philosophy

into practice

The Basic Management Objective, Company

Creed, and Seven Principles are values that we

must uphold as employees of the Panasonic

Group. With these values in mind, we are

expected to act in line with the PLP. This will

enable us to achieve employee entrepreneurship,

or in other words, to practice the Basic Business

Philosophy. The PLP is part and parcel of the

Basic Business Philosophy, not independent of it.

The PLP was drafted as an update

to the Panasonic Global Competency

(PGC), a Group-wide guideline of conduct

introduced in 2016, based on the Management

Philosophy.

While the PGC consisted of eight competen

cies, the PLP has adopted eleven after extracting

elements deemed necessary for the implemen

tation of the Basic Business Philosophy.

However, the current PLP is not in its final form.

It will continue to be reviewed and improved as

necessary.

The Panasonic Group’s Basic Business

Philosophy forms the basis for each operating

company’s guidelines of conduct and values,

both of which were formulated to put the Basic

Business Philosophy into practice. Since the

release of the PLP, efforts have been made to

clarify the relationship between the PLP and

individual operating companies’ guidelines of

conduct and values. In addition, PHD and PEX

will continue to provide information, relevant

content, and practical tools to help employees

understand the PLP and, moreover, to create an

environment where everyone can easily access

and learn about the PLP.

How does the PLP differ from

the Basic Business Philosophy,

Basic Management Objective,

Company Creed, and Seven

Principles?

Why does the PLP have

11 principles?

How should each operating

company’s own guidelines

of conduct and its values

relate to the PLP?

Keep Evolving without Fear of Change

The ideas described in the PLP are not new. Many of you may feel that the PLP reflects behav

iors that you have already practiced and valued in your workplaces for many years. Everyone in

the Panasonic Group is expected to continue to evolve toward their own growth and contribution

to society by improving their knowledge, mindset, and behaviors without fear of change. The PLP

describes concrete guidelines for our actions to achieve this.

To facilitate change, it is important to reflect upon your current mindset and actions, as well

as seek feedback from those around you. We will continue to work with operating companies to

provide the necessary programs and tools.

Shigeki Mishima

Group CHRO

― 3 ―

Builds Trust

With the awareness that we are members of society, we will

gain trust by acting in good faith without arrogance. We shall

not neglect even the smallest details and always do what is

right for society in mind. Moreover, we will humbly learn from all

affiliates, cooperate with them, and enhance each other through

respectful dialogue, aiming to achieve social progress.

― 7 ―

Evolution

We will not depend on our current capabilities and experience,

but will continue to expand our horizons, learn, and change.

Instead of being bound by convention and making excuses

about why we cannot pursue these objectives, we will explore

ways to achieve them. We will become challengers rather than

bystanders or critics and support the challenges of others

around us.

― 11 ―

Drives Results

We shall be keenly aware of our roles and missions, and always

confirm the goal to be achieved and the degree to which we

have realized it. We will never overlook our behavior when it

runs counter to our achievement. No matter how difficult the

challenge we face, we will fearlessly take prompt action to

ensure the achievement of results.

― 9 ―

Welcomes Uniqueness and

Differences

We shall consider differences as strengths, and welcome

diversity and use it to our advantage to create new value. We

will become aware of our preconceptions and biased views

and promote fair decision-making independent of such ways

of thinking.

― 5 ―

Best Work Processes

Without being satisfied with the status quo, we shall promote

the visible measurement of productivity in all situations,

thoroughly pursue such an effort, and achieve results, which

will always make us proud that our work offers the world’s

best quality. To this end, we will consider the status quo as a

decline and continue to boldly improve any unsatisfactory work

processes without hesitation.

― 1 ―

Customer Focus

We shall always think from a customer’s perspective. In order to

keep customers happy, we will deeply understand the potential

problems that they have yet to identify, look ahead to their

ideal future, and continue to take actions that far exceed their

expectations.

Check the PLP on Your

Smartphone

Please bookmark the PLP page so that you

can reflect on your mindset and actions at

any time.

Panasonic

Group

eople

Employee entrepreneurship is perhaps the foundation of

our Basic Business Philosophy, calling on each of us to

use all our ability to create better methods, boldly and

proactively implementing them to achieve great results.

In this issue of Panasonic Group People, we look at the

initiatives of employees who are pouring every effort into

implementing employee entrepreneurship, and how they

are utilizing the Panasonic Leadership Principles (PLP).

The systems market in India is constantly evolving, and

more and more B2B customers are requesting unique cus

tomized solutions. I’m in charge of the system solutions

business, and to date I have focused on placing trust in my

staff and delegating authority to them so that I can develop

leaders who promote employee entrepreneurship.

In addition to boosting profit, all employees here are

concentrating their efforts on solving our customers’ issues

and developing technologies that can drive the business

forward. While taking note of customer requirements and

the gap between their ideals and reality, we are working

from the ground up to develop unprecedented solutions. At

the same time, we are prioritizing the use of open-source

software, the development of customizable solutions, the

use of OEM/ODM*1 parts, and significant reductions in

production and development costs. By developing a cul

ture that strives for innovation and boosting employees’

motivation and sense of responsibility, we have been able

to speed up the decision-making process and enhance our

competitive advantage.

A leading example of one of our solutions is Digital

SignEdge (SDN), which is ideal for outdoor advertising.

Making full use of ODM displays and content management

systems, for example, SDN uses the cloud to update,

schedule, and broadcast different content in various

formats. Combining hardware and software in the optimal

manner, this unparalleled solution has established itself

at the top of the industry in India and has contributed to

increased earnings. One car manufacturer has installed

more than 14,000 units across approximately 1,800 of its

dealerships across the country. By entrusting communica

tions to the system, these dealerships have been able to

focus on sales and improve

their operational efficiency.

SDN has already been

rolled out in Malaysia and

we are looking at extend

ing the system to other

countries, too. We have

also developed ProMeet,

a wireless collaboration

solution*2; All-in One USB

Meeting Cameras, for use

in an array of meetings and

assemblies; and a cus

tomer waiting list system.

Contributing to society

with outstanding solutions, delegating authority to teams

and their employees, bringing together our comprehensive

strengths to find solutions to customer issues, and creat

ing unique solutions to cater to a dynamic, ever-evolving

market—the direction we are taking at the Systems Solu

tions Division is consistent with the PLP.

To me, Panasonic has a strong future as an organization

that can respond to various technological requirements. In

line with this, it is essential that we evolve into a total solu

tions provider that covers hardware, software, and services.

If we can do so, I have no doubt that all industries dealing

with products will uncover new strategies in line with the

so-called blue ocean strategy.*3

Solutions Unique to India through

a Thorough Understanding of Customer Issues

and Creative Measures

Vijay Wadhawan joined Panasonic in 2016. As the

person in charge of the Systems Solutions Division—

which handles commercial displays, TOUGHBOOK

laptops, broadcasting equipment, security devices,

and more—Wadhawan is focusing on the creation of

strategies and the development of next-generation

leaders.

Director

Systems Solutions Division

Panasonic Life Solutions India

Vijay Wadhawan

Leading the introduction of systems into

a dynamic market

*1 Original Equipment Manufacturer/Original Design Manufacturer: An ODM

designs and produces products for other manufacturers. An OEM produces

products under the client’s design and brand.

*2 A solution that uses wireless technology to display and share content on

large screens.

*3 A blue ocean strategy involves the creation of an entirely new market and

the expansion of business into new areas.

Wadhawan at a TOUGHBOOK

announcement.

An SDN installed at a car dealer.

Wadhawan explaining a system to media personnel

Creating a New IT-based Corporate Culture

for Optimal Management Decisions

In October 2021, Panasonic Corporation’s Living Appli

ances and Solutions Company transformed its product

development process from a waterfall to a project style,

and it launched the Micro Enterprise (ME) system, which

enables rapid development of essential value for our

customers.

As the ME leader for rice cookers, I lead my project

team, which consists of people from various job functions,

to achieve medium- to long-term business growth. Through

our research, we have determined that the essential value

that consumers expect from a rice cooker is the ability to

cook rice easily and deliciously. Therefore, we have devel

oped core technologies that make this value a reality and

established an entirely new cooking technique. This new

technology from our ME will be incorporated in the mass

production design and commercialized by 2025.

The advantage of the ME system is the flat relationship

among leaders and members, as well as an open culture

that encourages better and faster communication. The

perspective of other ME leaders from outside our own ME

is very helpful in making us aware of our weaknesses.

Bringing the expertise I gained through the ME system back

to the business division, in July I assumed responsibility for

a new organization dedicated to the advanced development

Results have paramount importance. Viewed in this way, I

was able to understand that the PLP is the very process of

product development and value creation.

We want to develop appropriate core technologies so

that we can create the technology-based essential value

of rice cookers. A family table filled with delicious food is

of a variety of core technologies. Leading a project team

representing all job functions from the engineering depart

ments, I promote the accumulation of technologies from

the prototype stage of core technologies for their rapid

commercialization in a year or two.

My motto is “Do the right thing,” and I truly identify

with the idea of Builds Trust as stated in the PLP. Good

relationships, communication, and building trust form the

foundation of all the business we do. In addition, Owner

ship and Evolution are critical elements for leaders. Team

leaders and organizational heads need to do their jobs

with the mindset of a manager responsible for their own

work, and they need to keep evolving themselves. With this

foundation, we must undertake Drives Vision and enhance

Customer Focus to identify the essential values that cus

tomers really want. We then need to transform our vision

into a roadmap through Strategic Thinking and Behavior

and put it into practice through Best Work Processes. As

we work on this as a team, Harmonizes Wisdom, Welcomes

Uniqueness and Differences, People First, and Drives

full of smiles. In this sense, cooking appliances can help

people live their best. This motivates me as an engineer

and is the source of my passion for creating value. I will

strive to develop people and my team, and work with

them to create products that make enthusiastic fans of

Panasonic.

After moving from Sharp Corporation, where he was a project

manager for small LCD devices, to Panasonic in 2016, Yusuke

Nii drove a development project for cooking appliances until

July 2023, when he was transferred to his current position. He

is now working to develop and commercialize core technolo

gies that contribute to the market competitiveness of cooking

appliances by adding both essential and new values to them.

Manager, Integrated Value Creation Section

Cooker & Small Kitchen Appliances Engineering Department

Cooking Business Unit, Kitchen Appliances Business Division

Living Appliances and Solutions Company

Panasonic Corporation

Yusuke Nii

Leader of ME for Rice Cookers that bring smiles to the table

Establishing expertise in the ME system as a permanent value within the business division

Our first attempt at introducing the ME system represented a new step in the cooking

appliance business. In order to achieve the intrinsic value sought by customers, our

team, led by Mr. Nii, is making progress through our solidarity and trial-and-error efforts.

In May, a new organization was established within the business division, tasked with

disseminating expertise in the ME system as a permanent value. This work began in

earnest from July, with Mr. Nii as manager. We will work together to transform the product

development process through this organization.

Kenji Okamoto

General Manager

Cooker & Small Kitchen Appliances Engineering Department

Cooking Business Unit, Kitchen Appliances Business Division

Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic Corporation

Transforming the Product Development Process

to Rapidly Create Essential Value

ME leaders from the Living Appliances and Solutions Company gath

ered and had a friendly chat before the interviews and photo shoots.

Think through with a customer-focused

approach!

We asked ME leaders to share their enthusiasm for the project.

Nails are parts of our body that come into view

tens or hundreds of times a day. We will create

the world’s first product that can easily remove gel

nails and encourage people to enjoy the moment

in everyday life.

ME for Gel Nail Solutions

Keitaro Amari

I will help fulfill consumers’ wish to straighten their

hair as well as address their concerns about hair

damage to establish Panasonic’s presence in the

global hair care industry.

ME for Hair Care

Toshihiro Takeuchi

Oral hygiene is crucial for extending our life span

and improving our quality of life. We will create

solutions for basic problems, specifically, the

invisibility of plaque and difficulties in brushing

our teeth properly.

ME for Oral Care Products

Yuki Yoda

To enable Panasonic’s induction hobs to earn cus

tomers’ continued support and achieve further

growth, I will create future staple products that

bring us profits.

ME for Induction Hobs

Yuji Yamamoto

We will challenge ourselves to create new and

unprecedented value to achieve our aim of “Ener

gizing everyday dietary life.”

ME for Microwave Ovens

Yohei Kitamura

In order to achieve further penetration of dish

washers in Japan, we will reassess the conven

tional wisdom with an open mind to create and

establish distinctive value that enables us to

always stay close to customers’ lives.

ME for Dishwashers

Naoki Hiromatsu

I challenged myself to transform our own norms

and preconceptions. We will create new value,

rather than home appliances, with a focus on food.

ME for Refrigerators

Toru Miyashiro

Toward helping customers easily create spaces

that feel comfortable, I will make contributions

by developing products that offer new, unrivaled

value.

ME for Vacuum Cleaners

Motonobu Shigeto

Together with my team members, I have taken on

challenging product development projects. We will

commercialize this groundbreaking product no

matter what it takes!

ME for Clothes Dryers

Kenji Terai

I work in business planning for the dig

ital camera business, where I’m involved

in the formulation of management policies

and the examination of medium-term man

agement plans. At the same time, since

FY22 I’ve been responsible for all aspects

of planning and management of the Smart

Forum, an important event held six or

seven times a year to help employees take

ownership of our business strategies.

With the nature of the event changing

with its switch to an online format following

the pandemic, we also decided to rethink

the name. And so what was previously

called the General Meeting was renamed

the Smart Forum in November 2022. I

thought the name change was symbolic

of the business unit’s intent to implement

business and cultural reform.

In my role in charge of the forum, in addi

tion to emphasizing interactive communica

tion in line with the wishes of the business

unit director, I also strive to make sure that the forum’s

content is catered to employees’ interests, which I gauge

through post-event questionnaires and feedback from my

colleagues. For example, part of this year’s management

policy is to further grow our new businesses, and through

the questionnaire we discovered that employees wanted

more specific information on this growth project. In the next

forum, the business unit director talked about his current

thoughts on the project, and I made sure that participants

could interact with the content. I’m in charge of everything

from planning and filming to editing and broadcasting. I

didn’t have any skills in filming and editing beforehand, and

so I learned and remembered the methods from scratch.

We also have a new section called Project L in which

we have engineers talk about the secrets behind their

product development projects. By enhancing employees’

knowledge of products from their own departments, the

idea is to boost unity within the business unit and increase

the motivation of our engineers. In the post-event ques

tionnaires, we include a section to quantitively assess how

satisfied employees have been with the event, and we have

maintained our target of more than 95%. I’m always looking

to incorporate new elements into the event, and so it might

be that my efforts are paying off.

After the announcement of the Panasonic Leadership

Principles, I examined whether my work was in step with

the Customer Focus principle. I also fully agree with the

Evolution principle, which calls on us to continue to expand

our horizons, learn, and change. Soon after I took on my

current role, my boss said that he wanted to automate

the collection of the huge amount of data required for

the formulation of our business plans. While thinking that

the request was somewhat unreasonable, I nonetheless

proactively agreed to give it a go. We succeeded, however,

and as a result we were able to automate the analysis of

management indicators and drastically reduce the time we

spent on the collection of data. We were then able to use

the time we gained on more important data analysis. Just

as I learned how to aggregate data and edit videos, rather

than looking for reasons you can’t do something, I think it’s

more important to give it a go.

Our new business unit director wants us to continue

proactively tackling cultural reform and improvements

in operational efficiency. I have thus created an “online

suggestion box” where employees can propose ways to

improve employee satisfaction and drive cultural reform.

I hope to be able to link these proposals to improvement

activities. With the business unit director and the business

planning departments leading the way, I’ll do everything I

can to ensure these proposals lead to improvements. This

article is my commitment to helping employees live their

best lives.

Issei Umemura joined Panasonic Corporation in 2019,

and was assigned to the Appliances Company’s

Imaging Business Unit within the Smart Life Network

Business Division. After working on product planning

for the LUMIX camera series, he took up his current

role in April 2020.

Business Strategy Section

Business Planning Department

Imaging Business Unit

Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd.

Issei Umemura

A key individual in business and cultural reform

Aligning the Thoughts of Management and Employees

and Reinforcing the Competitiveness

of the Digital Camera Business

Umemura editing a video for the Smart Forum in June.

Umemura explaining changes in the digital camera

market using a graph he created with the automatic

management indicator analysis macro (a tool that

automates tasks in MS Excel) he developed.

Umemura with a LUMIX DC-S1. “I’ve gotten used to using mirrorless

single-lens cameras now,” he says.

Talking with

Kusumi

Kusumi:

For everyone to implement employee entre

preneurship, which is at the core of our Basic Business

Philosophy, I felt the need to put down in writing a set of

guidelines with a clear and well-focused message. Rather

than working with several others to create these guidelines

myself, I thought it would be better to solicit the ideas of

Business Philosphy also refers to Article 15 of our Basic

Internal Rules in 1935, which states, “No matter how large

Matsushita Electric might become in the future, maintain

the attitude of being a humble merchant. Think of yourself

to be employed in a small shop. Be simple, frugal and

humble as you carry out your work.” The founder stated

the following three fundamental requirements for being a

merchant: Understanding the meaning of commerce, Read

ing others’ hearts, and Being fully humble before others.

Elsewhere, just recently in June we hosted the Excellent

Dealer Award Program. The managing director of one of the

award-winning stores said the following: “Although it is a

a wider range of employees. The resulting principles go

far beyond my initial requests and ultimately ended up

covering the essence of our Basic Business Philosophy.

To me, implementing employee entrepreneurship based on

these guidelines of conduct leads to the implementation of

our Basic Business Philosophy itself.

My only request for the PLP Project team was that

Customer Focus was the first on the list. One reason for

this is written in the Basic Business Philosophy Handbook,

where our former Chairman Arataro Takahashi says that

implementing the philosophy means that we must be

unrivaled in our work and bring customers joy. The Basic

matter of course, the most important thing for a merchant

is to make customers happy.” This young and successful

director of 39 recognized that bringing joy to the customer

is an essential and natural part of business. This helped

me to once again realize the importance of remembering

that our focus is the customer.

Takayama:

I run the showroom that I am in charge of as if

it is my own. With the mindset of a manager, I ensure neat

arrangements and cleanliness for customers who visit,

and I’m always working to improve our advisors’ product

expertise and ability to deal with customers.

Kusumi:

Our showrooms are experts at proposing solutions

to customers’ desires and needs. As a result, our show

rooms really make customers happy. In this sense, you are

outstanding Customer Focus practitioners.

Nakasaka:

My role is the applied development of block

chain technologies to manage data on and create value

from our environmental achievements, be it our level of

The ideas that went into the formulation of

the PLP and customer focus:

Maintain the attitude of being a humble

merchant

Understanding the nature of current

problems and predicting problems of

the future

In this discussion, Yuki Kusumi, Group CEO, sits down with four employees involved in the formulation of

the Panasonic Leadership Principles (PLP) to talk about the implementation of employee entrepreneurship

and utilization of the principles.

Thinking about the Panasonic Leadership Principles

—Implementing Employee Entrepreneurship

From left

Michihito Sekine

Manager, Service Planning Section, CS Center

Infotainment Systems Business Division

Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.

Ayaka Nakasaka

Staff Engineer, Security Solutions Department

Digital & AI Technology Center, Technology Division

Panasonic Holdings Corporation

Daisuke Tajima

(PLP Project team member)

Supervisor, Electronic Components Purchasing Department

Procurement Operation Center, Global Procurement Division

Panasonic Operational Excellence Co., Ltd.

Kimiko Takayama

(PLP Project team member)

Assistant Chief, Chiba Showroom

Metropolitan Showroom Department, Sales Division

Panasonic Housing Solutions Co., Ltd.

Yuki Kusumi

Group CEO

Video available here

contribution to CO

reductions or recycling of resources.

Our aim is to build a society in which we can trade value

that stems from environmental contributions. I don’t have

the opportunity to directly interact with customers, however,

while the technologies we develop take time to become a

part of society and people’s lives. While looking at social

changes and trends among our competitors, our focus is

on the creation of patents. The

Customer Focus principle states

that we should look ahead to

customers’ ideal futures, and I

believe it is important to supply

the technologies we develop

for the optimal scenario, at the

optimal timing, and at the opti

mal price. Intellectual property

is therefore essential, and can

ensure maximum use of the

resources generated by the

Group.

Kusumi:

In your line of work,

there are many similar blockchain

technologies. I think the most

important thing for you is to con

sider how you can apply and uti

lize the blockchain technologies

in an unrivaled manner. Doing

so will ensure your solutions are

chosen by our customers.

should incorporate new expertise and new mindsets and

use these to evolve our products and services, and evolve

ourselves.

Kusumi:

You have clearly thought it through very thor

oughly. I repeatedly call upon employees to implement

improvement after improvement, reform after reform, and

innovation after innovation. As others around us make

advances, if we don’t continue to evolve and engage in

unrivaled work, ultimately we will fall behind. As you say, it

is important to continue to take on new challenges. Toyota

promotes a Spirit of Kaizen, through which it encourages

the continuous search for bottlenecks and hard work to

eliminate them. While this is slightly different to Evolution,

both are just as important. What they both tell us is that we

should never be satisfied with the status quo and recognize

that there is always room for improvement.

Sekine:

The repair

gemba

deals in small lots, and tra

ditionally everything has been handled manually. After

spending time at the Matsumoto Plant, however, where

full automation is progressing, I began to wonder whether

manual work was the correct way forward. I thus worked

with production engineering to automate tasks that were

previously people-dependent, making small improvements

wherever possible. Currently I’m prioritizing the creation of

an environment in which it is easy for my employees to

make improvements. I continue to engage in dialog with my

employees to ensure that we can lay out ambitious goals

as per the Drives Vision principle, and work backward from

there and continue our Evolution.

Kusumi:

That’s very good. The reason I often talk about

the importance of ambitious

goals is because without them,

all we do is repeat the same

processes. But it’s paramount

to work out what is required to

achieve these ambitious goals.

I look forward to the creation of

a culture in which employees

can set out ambitious goals

separate from their actual

plans and constantly strive to

achieve them.

Nakasaka:

As I engage in R&D

to create a society in which

we can trade environmental

value, I’m trying to implement

improvement after improvement

in my own way to improve pro

ductivity. However, as details,

conditions, and the required

values often change, I often

worry whether I have made the

Nakasaka:

Thank you.

Kusumi:

Regardless of whether you directly interact with

customers or not, one of the founder’s requirements for

being a merchant is the ability to read others’ hearts. But

this doesn’t simply mean to understand what they think.

One interpretation could be understanding the essence

of their problems. If we are looking to the future, it could

mean predicting changes in society, among customers, and

their issues, and envisaging ways to make them happy. At

the same time, it’s essential to consider how we make

customers happier than they are with other companies. It’s

important that everyone in the Group has the mindset and

looks ahead to the future of our customers.

Tajima:

I’m particularly focused on the Evolution principle.

Initially, we planned to use the word Innovation, but we

worried that it might call to mind the creation of something

from the ground up, or something solely for younger employ

ees. To avoid misunderstanding, we settled upon Evolution,

referring to the founder’s quote, “start anew every day.” As

per the phrase “continue to expand our horizons, learn,

and change,” we are emphasizing the importance of never

being satisfied with the status quo. The idea is that we

right decision. How should employees in situations similar

to mine approach these decisions?

Kusumi:

It is indeed difficult to discuss and measure

productivity in R&D. In your case, rather than thinking

about productivity, I think you can make forward progress

when thinking about the direction of the technological

development and what is required for the technology to be

assimilated into society. On the other hand, development

takes time, and there may be momentum swings along the

way. Mistakes are possible, but it’s better to quickly make

those mistakes so you can proceed to the next stage.

Please make mistakes with confidence.

Tajima:

I was also involved in the formulation of the

Drives Results principle. This is especially important for

the introduction of SCM-Navi, which is something we are

Ayaka Nakasaka

Nakasaka is in charge of

applied development of

blockchain technologies,

which use encryption

technology to accurately

maintain and link data

history in a chain. She

is currently investigating

their application in mobil

ity, healthcare, and envi

ronmental fields, as well

as planning and developing protypes. The photo shows Nakasaka

testing an electric bike sharing service.

Envisaging the Ideal Future for Customers and

Developing Technologies to

Tackle Global Environmental Issues

Never be satisfied with the status quo and

implement improvement after improvement

Set out ambitious goals separate from your

plans and strive for personal change

How we should be using the PLP

Michihito Sekine

Sekine joined the Japan branch

of Malaysia’s SANYO Automedia

Sdn. Bhd. mid-career. After roles

in the overseas service depart

ment for car manufacturers and

the domestic service depart

ment at the Matsumoto Plant,

he took up his current role in

2023. The photo shows Sekine

instructing one of his employees

at the Matsumoto Plant’s repair

gemba

Focusing On Creating an

Environment Conducive to

Improvement Where Members

Can Boldly Design the Future

working on at the procurement department. This system

uses information technology to make MRP*1 information

visible, but our ultimate objective is not simply visualiza

tion. Rather, we want to design improvement processes,

enhance efficiency, and generate cash. The results I want

to achieve are contributions to our operating companies

and a greater competitive advantage.

Kusumi:

Ultimately, it is people who consider and imple

ment measures for improvement. To help them do so, in

your case it’s important to think about what needs to be

made visible. But you must also understand that visualiza

tion is merely a means and not an objective. As you say, I

feel you can make more progress by clarifying why you want

to make the information visible.

Takayama:

As a PLP Project team member, I initially

thought it would be best to incorporate all 11 principles

into our employees’ basic mindset to ensure our vectors

are aligned. But when speaking to other members prior to

this discussion, some said that while all 11 principles are

easily understood, it might be difficult to implement them

all at the same time. I think one option could be to choose

several which are most important to you and engage in

specific action.

Kusumi:

I completely agree. It’s only natural that the

nature and stage of the work will differ by employee. And

so, like you say, it’s a good idea to think about those that

are of particular relevance to you. That said, I would like

everyone to prioritize the Customer Focus principle. More

over, we can also think of Ownership and Drives Results

as the foundation of our actions. For the other principles, I

think the level of importance will change depending on the

person and the nature of their work. Perhaps there could

be discussions between managers and their employees

in which managers suggest several principles to focus on

for that year, and assess how the employee’s daily actions

have been. I think this could help to establish the PLP in

our day-to-day tasks.

Takayama:

My day-to-day role is to solve the issues cus

tomers are currently facing. I hope to pass on the valuable

feedback from our customers to product planning and man

ufacturing, and in turn contribute to

the creation of medium- to long-term

strategies.

Tajima:

I will focus on making

customers happy and ensuring that

means do not become an end. As I

took part in the formulation of the

PLP, I’ll strive to lead the way in their

implementation, and ensure that

they firmly take root throughout the

organization.

Nakasaka:

In my department, we are

in a lucky position as we have time

to consider what an ideal future for

our customers looks like. To ensure

that I don’t become complacent

when designing this future, I’ll work

to build relationships with other

departments so that I can borrow

their expertise, enhance my own

expertise, and implement employee

entrepreneurship.

Sekine:

The Panasonic Leadership

Principles are a robust set of guidelines,

and I think a certain level of accountability is important if we

are to establish these principles among our employees. I’ll

continue motivating our employees to take the principles on

board.

Kusumi:

As I mentioned at the outset, the Panasonic

Leadership Principles encompass our Basic Business

Philosophy. Moving forward, it will be key to adjust and

better the principles in line with the changing times. I wrote

this in a blog at the end of April, but I think that if the Basic

Business Philosophy is the macrocosm, then the PLP is a

microcosm.*2 If we incorporate the PLP into every last one

of our cells, we can change our behavior, transform the

relationships among Panasonic employees, and transform

our relationships with customers and suppliers, and in turn

ensure that the Panasonic Group gains even more trust.

I look forward to each and every one of us incorporating

the PLP into our daily activities. Thank you all for your time

today.

All:

Thank you.

Running the Showroom as

If It Is Her Own,

Solving Customers’ Issues,

and Using Their Feedback for

Medium- to Long-term Strategies

Kimiko Takayama

After working in show

rooms and sales offices

in the metropolitan area,

where she was in charge

of modular kitchen sys

tems and other products,

Takayama assumed her

current role as manager

of the Chiba Showroom.

The photo shows her

conducting role-play train

ing for L-CLASS KITCHEN

explanations. She was involved in the formulation of three princi

ples, including Welcomes Uniqueness and Differences.

*1 Material requirements planning: A method to calculate the required amount of material and determine the optimal purchase period using

production plans, to enable the purchase and manufacture of the required materials, at the required time, and in the required amount.

Conclusion: Individual implementation of

employee entrepreneurship

*2 April 28 blog post: I realized that if the Basic Business Philosophy is the macrocosm, the PLP are the microcosm that we should

individually have inside ourselves, and in that sense are part and parcel of the Basic Business Philosophy. So rather than co-existing,

they should be incorporated into it.

Daisuke Tajima

Tajima is in charge of deliv

ery management for gener

al-use semiconductors and

electronic components that

are exported to operating

companies’ overseas facto

ries. He is currently leading

the planning and promotion

of SCM-Navi, which makes

procurement information

from manufacturing sites visible. The photo shows him in an SCM-

Navi meeting. He was also involved in the formulation of the PLP.

Ensuring IT Is Not an Objective,

Designing Improvement Processes,

Enhancing Efficiency, and Generating Profit

Ryuta Suzuki graduated from the School of

Business Administration at Kobe University

in 1994. He obtained his doctorate in

business administration at Kobe University

in 1999. Following stints as a visiting

researcher at University of North Carolina

and a full-time lecturer at the School of

Management and Information at the

University of Shizuoka, Suzuki took up his

current role as a professor at the Graduate

School of Business Administration at Kobe University. His main publications include

The Organization and the Individual

(Hakuto-Shobo),

Autonomous Organizational

Personnel

(JPC Publishing), and

Management of Workplace Relationships

(Yuhikaku

Publishing), for which he received the 56th Nikkei Economy Book Culture Award

and the 30th Academic Association for Organizational Science’s Takamiya Award.

A magnificent organization that is accepting of

employee entrepreneurship is key to its implemen

tation. Although in a large company there may be

many employees who feel it is difficult to implement

such an approach, if there is a close-knit community

in the workplace, it is no doubt easier for employees

to be themselves and showcase their ingenuity. It is

important to create open communities that are free of

fixed values and notions, and that constantly expose

employees to new behaviors and mindsets. It is also

important that there are open discussions in which

employees can express their differences of opinion.

Panasonic employees are lucky to have a culture of

cooperation and mutual support. On the other hand, it

seems to me as though there is too much appreciation

for reliability. There is a danger that in order to be

reliable, people will follow precedent. The key is how

to encourage people to utilize their own ideas.

One example I would like to use is that of Tamanoi

Vinegar Co., Ltd. in Osaka. Two things that Tamanoi

places particular importance on are cooperation and

the idea that employees should never think about their

limitations. In its personnel development programs, for

example, the company will entrust a major project to a

young employee. Even if the employee’s negotiations

with a client don’t go as planned and they struggle,

the company will make sure the employee continues

and does what they think needs to be done. While of

course mistakes are made, it is only when they begin

to give up on a task that they come up with new ideas.

By gaining this kind of experience, eventually they are

able to succeed. Risks must be taken to implement

employee entrepreneurship, and this is why a commu

nity that has your back and that you can turn to for

advice is paramount. Communities like this can give

encouragement, offer support, and enable you to give

everything.

One of my favorite quotes is from

The Jungle Book

Rudyard Kipling, in which he writes, “For the strength

of the pack is the wolf, and the

strength of the wolf is the pack.” It is

a pack that enables a wolf to develop

strength, while a strong pack is full

of strong wolves. The same can be

said for the relationship between an

individual and an organization. In other

words, it is the interaction between

the individual and their organization

that make the company stronger.

Another important element is to

develop care and consideration within

the community. A community cannot

be strong if it lacks care and consid

eration for those inside it, and it is

only once this care and consideration

exists that one can think about what

they can do to benefit the company.

For me, I don’t think employee entre

preneurship is something that can be

done alone. Rather, I believe it means

doing what you think benefits the

company alongside your colleagues.

On the other hand, for the employee

to develop a sense of attachment to

the organization, the organization

must place value on the employee.

As people, we marry or partner with

those who choose and value us. In the same way,

as long as the organization promotes employee entre

preneurship, it is essential that it values each and

every one of its employees. In turn, the employee will

develop a sense of attachment for their organization

and workplace, while the sense of security that this

environment offers will enable the employee to thor

oughly implement employee entrepreneurship. In this

sense, the organization and the individual are on an

equal footing.

Also key to a strong organization are a set of guide

lines that show employees how to implement the rele

vant philosophies and policies. However, I also believe

it is important that people do not simply abide by these

guidelines and stop thinking independently. One of the

Panasonic Leadership Principles, for example, is Cus

tomer Focus. Some might interpret this as the need

to quickly respond to customers’ needs, while others

might think it means to create something that satisfies

the customer, even if it takes time. That is to say, as

employees will implement employee entrepreneurship

in their own ways and based on diverse values, it is

important to recognize the diversity of their specific

actions. This is why, rather than being an instruction

manual or a set of rules, I believe the PLP should be a

point of reference.

While the individual principles and their details look

like employee declarations, it might be better to think

of them as a letter from your fellow colleagues about

how you should act together. Employees can then think

about how to respond to and act on this letter in their

own way. In other words, employees should think about

what Panasonic, their job, and their well-being means

to them personally, alongside the PLP. I look forward to

Panasonic employees investigating what work and life

means to them and taking concrete action.

Doing so will naturally lead to the implementation

of employee entrepreneurship, and it is then that

your close-knit workplace community becomes most

important. This in turn will enable the implementation

of employee entrepreneurship without fear.

What do outside experts think of the Panasonic

Group’s employee entrepreneurship and the

Panasonic Leadership Principles that guide this

approach? Here we speak to Professor Ryuta Suzuki,

a leader in the theory behind management organiza

tions and organizational behavior, who has extensively

studied the relationships between organizations and

individuals.

Doctor of Business Administration, Graduate School of

Business Administration, Kobe University

Ryuta Suzuki

*All publications available in Japanese only.

Individuals Create Their

Own Reasons to Work

And This Leads to

Employee

Entrepreneurship

A magnificent, open community is key

Care and consideration and a

sense of attachment

Linking work, life, and the Panasonic

Leadership Principles

Vol.

The concept of “employee entrepreneurship” may have its origins in the phrase “Grasping

the knack for management is worth a million dollars.” In this issue, we explore the back-

ground of these words, which the founder offered as a New Year’s gift to his employees

on New Year’s Day in 1934.

*See the next page for the Special Exhibition on the Management Philosophy, which focuses on this topic.

With help from: Corporate History Office, Visual practitioner: Yuri Aoyama, Panasonic Connect Co., Ltd.

1969 Life tests of Neo Hi-Top dry batteries

In 1977, the Refrigeration Business Division was barely making

profits. Concerned about the business division’s management, the

founder made frequent visits to the factory, during which Akira

Matsuda (later became president of Matsushita Communication

Industrial) accompanied him on a factory tour as a plant super

intendent. “He (the founder) listened to our presentations very

attentively and responded with great enthusiasm as I explained

each piece of equipment and machine.”

“However, while I was giving explanations, he occasionally

glanced or stared at me with a stern look on his face.” According

to Matsuda, the founder continued with his tour while having an

occasional look at the plant superintendent. Toward the end of the

tour, Matsuda realized,

“I see. This is a proprietor’s look. Through his

eyes, the founder was communicating and confirming, ‘This equipment

and this machine belong to me. I paid for them. Are you properly using

and maintaining them? Are you operating them effectively to remain

consistently profitable?’”

Although the founder did not make these remarks, Matsuda strongly

With the aim of achieving batteries with twice the conven

tional performance, our company launched a project in 1960

and released National Hi-Top dry batteries in 1963. These

high-power batteries could be used in a wider range of products,

including shavers and calculators, which were not previously

battery-operated, and further accelerated growth in demand.

After receiving the report from the Dry Battery Business

Division on the completion of products, the founder immediately

confirmed the product at Shinshin-an. Looking at the product

with adoring eyes, he thanked the business division’s efforts,

“Well done. This is an excellent product.” He continued by

saying, “Tens of millions of batteries at a time are released and

used by a number of people.

They are acting as our business

cards representing Matsushita, so to speak. These business cards

can make money and even advertise other Matsushita products

by demonstrating high performance. We couldn’t ask for a better

result.

It would cost a fortune to achieve the same amount of

advertising by distributing tens of millions of flyers. From this

aspect, it is also Matsushita’s best product.”

Masao Funahashi, who was at this meeting and later became

senior managing director of Matsushita Battery Industrial, looked

back on this occasion in the following words,

“It is true that the

sales unit prices of batteries do not amount to much. Nevertheless,

their quality directly affects the company’s image. I realized their

critical role for the first time and felt a keen sense of mission to

deliver an appreciable amount of quality batteries to the world.”

Thereafter, the business division engaged in production with

due care and attention to quality, with the understanding, “Based

on the assumption that we deliver batteries to customers and

felt his intentions. At the time, the founder was serving as executive

advisor and had already withdrawn from the grind of daily manage

ment. Nonetheless, together with the manager, he was conducting

onsite checks to confirm whether the funds were effectively used.

“I get it now. This is how a proprietor observes. The founder

takes management as his own business. After all, we see equipment

and employees as company assets. Instead, it is crucial that we

face our work by seeing them as our own assets.” Based on this

idea, Matsuda changed his behavior accordingly.

For instance, when

his subordinate brought an approval request to purchase equipment,

he pulled out the actual 10,000 yen bill from his wallet, placed it

on the desk to resemble the 10 million yen required to purchase

the equipment, and asked them, “Would you pay this amount out of

your own pocket to buy this equipment?”

“If the plan fails, then the

money will be wasted. Even then, would you really be willing to

purchase this equipment? If you are trying to coax the company

to pay for it, then you still have a lot to learn.”

Matsuda communicated his experience with the founder in the

following words,

“In a way, this idea shares the same concept as

the principle of employee entre

preneurship.

I believe that

if we

consider ourselves as the owner

of each of our business activities

and engage in work from a presi

dent’s or proprietor’s perspective,

then we will inevitably become

serious about what we do.”

affiliated retail stores as our business cards, if they are bad business

cards with a quality problem, then it will immediately hurt our

overall corporate image.” Moreover, in order to drive higher

power devices such as radio-cassette recorders, the business divi

sion promoted the further development of products and released

Neo Hi-Top in 1969.

In the in-house newsletter issued in 1976, Funahashi said, “Hi-

Top maintained the same design for 13 years from 1963 and Neo

Hi-Top for seven years from 1969. We treasured their designs

that much. In terms of prices, since we set the price of Hyper

(dry batteries) to 40 yen in 1954, we did not revise it for 20

years. Instead, in factories, we have been making consecutive and

painstaking efforts to achieve rationalization.” Batteries have truly

played a role as business cards representing the National brand.

Are you operating this equipment effectively to make profits?

Here, we introduce an anecdote of a senior associate. He

became aware of the founder’s stance of keeping tabs on the

use of funds as a proprietor from the look in his eyes while

taking him on a factory tour, and later committed himself to

making business decisions from a proprietor’s perspective.

Batteries have supported people’s lives through electricity, and

their use has increased with the spread of electrical appliances.

To this day, they remain the most accessible and frequently used

products on a daily basis and serve as a gateway to our prod

ucts. It is important that we occasionally renew our awareness

of the meaning of these products, as well as the business, and

incorporate it in our initiatives.

Eyes of a proprietor

Grasping the Knack for

Management Is Worth

a Million Dollars

2023 Special Exhibition on the Management Philosophy

In this series, we take a close look at our brand, which serves as the bond connecting the

Panasonic Group with people and society. In this issue, we introduce the Special Exhibi

tion on the Management Philosophy held at the Konosuke Matsushita Museum, part of

the Panasonic Museum, until June 30 (after which it will remain available for viewing on

the intranet). The special exhibition is held twice a year on themes directly linked to the

management policy of the current day. This viewpoint reveals tips on issue-solving from

the corporate history, the founder’s philosophies, and practical examples, with the cur

rent exhibition marking the 50th event. In order to fulfill the Panasonic Group’s purpose,

this time the exhibition features specific anecdotes to help each of us practice employee

entrepreneurship, with a focus on what made our predecessors gain new insights and

how they consequently changed themselves. Here are excerpts from the exhibition.

Products representing Matsushita

as business cards

1978 Production lines in

the washing machine factory

Have a Sense of Ownership

Anecdote

Understand the Meaning of Your Business

Anecdote

Founder’s Thoughts: The Knack of Management

Interview with Yuki Kusumi,

Group CEO

Acquiring

the Knack of

Management

Know What

Salt Tastes Like

Learning from

Failures

All of us must

practice employee

entrepreneurship

We take an up-close and personal look at the people who are supporting

the Panasonic Group’s growth at their own operational frontlines.

I’m working on the development of novel bathroom ventilation/drying systems that

combine air quality and air conditioning. All my customers are industry leaders, and

together they account for around 60% to 70% of the domestic market. If adopted by

these manufacturers, the new products I’m developing will transform common notions

about bathrooms in Japan, and so it is an incredibly rewarding project. One of my

strengths is organizing and communicating my thoughts and ensuring they are acted

upon. I also work hard to ensure that the value we can provide is in line with customer

requests and consumer needs. At the Heating & Ventilation A/C Company, our aim is

to “vitalize the future with air.” By working with our customers to create better spaces

unique to Panasonic and eliminating inconveniences surrounding bathroom cleaning

and summer humidity, I hope to be able to help provide better health and comfort for

people in order for them to live one’s best. While it is easy to talk about ideals, it is

at the

gemba

where obstacles appear. I will strive to overcome these obstacles by

utilizing the collective wisdom of those inside and outside the company.

We are focusing our efforts on keeping employees healthy both physically and

mentally, and creating opportunities for them to continuously upskill. From employee

opinions surveys, we have also created improvement programs based on their con

cerns, regularly revising and improving the plans and monitoring the relevant KPIs.

In addition to creating platforms for different generations of our workforce to interact

with one another to improve communication, I pay close attention when interacting

with employees and their personal issues. Having an open line of communication with

them enables me to understand their working environment and tackle their concerns

before they become bigger issues. For new employees, we provide opportunities for

them to learn, talk about, and implement our Basic Business Philosophy. We have

also formulated steps to ensure all employees can learn how to use an AED. As a

company, we don’t just want to protect our employees’ lives, we want to increase the

number of Panasonic advocates inside and outside the company through fostering

human resources with skills useful to society. Moving forward, alongside work-life

balance I will promote training programs to maximize the potential of each employee,

and in doing so develop personnel who can contribute to society.

On days off, my wife and I unwind by

traveling and enjoying art. Extraordinary

experiences can lead to new realizations

and learnings, and in turn new energy.

I love eating delicious food and relaxing

in hot springs when on holiday, too.

I love reading books while drinking

coffee. It helps me to relax and enriches

the mind. For me, books lead to new dis

coveries and realizations.

The Reboot Space is a show

room at the company’s Kasugai

site in Aichi Prefecture. As its

name suggests, it is a place

where employees can reboot

their mind and body to ensure

they can welcome customers

with a fresh approach.

Since joining Panasonic Ecology Systems Co., Ltd. in 2018,

Takuya Miyata

has consistently been

involved in OEM sales. Currently, he is in charge of sales and product planning for bathroom ventila

tion/drying systems for bathroom manufacturers.

OEM Sales Section, Special Sales Department, Japanese Market Business Unit

Residential System Equipment Business Division

Heating & Ventilation A/C Company, Panasonic Corporation

Utilizing her position as an accountant,

Roda I. Borja

initially joined the Accounting Department,

working in various related roles before moving to the Human Resource Department in 2021. As HR

manager, she created a program to develop personnel and improve employee engagement. Currently

she is focusing on streamlining personnel processes using AI, IoT, and other technologies.

Senior Manager, Human Resource Department, Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation

vol.

Contributing to Employee

Well-being and Social Development

Co-creating Better Spaces

with Customers

Preparing employees for new skills development through

AED training (Center: Roda).

through Open Communication

and Transforming Notions

about Bathrooms in Japan

Meet The Athletes

Know, Learn, Connect

In the Meet the Athletes series, Panasonic employees interview Panasonic athletes. In this sixth edition we hear from Narumi Ishida

of the Electric Works Company, who plays on the nine-a-side women’s volleyball team, the Panasonic Bluebells. This year the team

won two major season trophies and engaged in various social contribution activities. It was recognized for its improvement of the

company’s corporate image and awarded the Groupwide Award. Here we find out about the secrets to Ishida’s winning ways and

how she always keeps positive to drive the team forward.

Mimura:

This year the Bluebells won its eighth straight

V9 Champ League title. What is the secret behind your

winning streak?

Ishida:

I don’t think there is any real secret, but every

year we get together with coach Atsushi Sasaki to talk

about what is required to win. I think it is the sense of

responsibility among the team and our hard work in daily

training that has helped us win successive league titles.

Mimura:

Last season saw six players leave the team.

With such significant changes in team dynamics, have

you had any transformation in your mindset or role?

Ishida:

This year I’m trying a new role as both a receiver

and a spiker, a key position that functions as the axis

of the team. If I fail, the team fails, and so I’m trying to

improve my ability to bring stability and security to the

team by working harder in training than ever before.

Mimura:

A role that determines the success of the team

surely comes with pressure. It must be easy to fall into

a negative mindset and worry about what would happen

if you made a mistake…

Ishida:

I do feel pressure and a sense of responsibility,

but thinking too much about it won’t improve the way I

play, and so I try to think of everything in a positive light.

When I’m not playing well, I practice by myself until I get

better. That said, I feel down when I’m alone, so I like

to be with others and talk about different things. I try to

put a positive spin on everything and then move onto the

next challenge.

Mimura:

What do you think is important to create a

close-knit team?

Ishida:

The key thing is that everyone is moving in the

same direction. We live in a dormitory, and so whether

it’s volleyball or life outside, we share both the good and

bad on a daily basis. Understanding and supporting

one another is helping to improve the unity of the

team.

Mimura:

Is there anything you place particular

importance on during a game?

Ishida:

The new Bluebells team lacks stability, and

mistakes can lead to a negative team atmosphere

which in turn causes the team to struggle. This is

why I consciously play with a smile on the court and

make sure we all take time to keep calm.

Mimura:

Through its success in games and volley

ball classes, for example, the Panasonic Bluebells

are helping to improve our corporate image. At the

Employee Cooperative Society, we engage in various

activities so that employees are proud to work for

the Panasonic Group, making sure they are happy

by giving them peace of mind in their daily lives, and

so I can see some similarities in what we do.

Ishida:

It is thanks to the understanding and

support of our companies and workplaces that

we are able to continue doing what we do. Although we

can’t directly generate profit through

volleyball, what we can do is repay

everyone with positive results. I hope

that we can benefit our employees in

other ways by giving them courage and

excitement through our hard work and

success.

Individual Responsibility and Victory as

a Team

Aligning the Team’s Vectors through

Mutual Communication, Understanding,

and Support

Generating Emotional Benefits for All Employees by

Providing Encouragement and Excitement

This photo is from a work

place party we held to cele

brate the Bluebells’ eighth

consecutive title. It was a

really enjoyable, fulfilling

occasion and I could again

feel the warm support of

everyone at Panasonic.

Interviewer’s Voice

It seems to me that it is Ms. Ishida’s positive approach

that allows her to play in a way that inspires others. As an

employee of the Employee Cooperative Society, I will strive to

take a more positive approach in my work to support employ

ees’ lives and in turn be a positive influence on those around

me. (Mimura)

Narumi Ishida

Lighting Business Division

Panasonic Bluebells

Nanako Mimura

Panasonic Employee Cooperative Society Inc.

Interviewer

Electric Works Company

Panasonic Corporation

Official team

website

(Japanese only)

Twitter

2022 V9 Champ

League Final

(YouTube)

•

Autonomous Organizational Personnel

by Ryuta Suzuki is a book that

describes exactly what employee entrepreneurship is. (Junko Okabe)

•Before the talking with Kusumi, the participants shared their thoughts

on employee entrepreneurship via Teams. It’s a shame we couldn’t

include it as an additional feature! (Hirosuke Nakanishi)

•For me, a career is a long journey back and forth to find out what it

really means to work and how to go about it. (Yo Iwata)

•

I’m learning about independence from my beloved dog. In turn, I hope that

my daughter can learn about independence from me. (Yasushi Namikawa)

•I’m a mother of two who has just joined the Editorial Team. I’ll do every

thing I can to create meaningful content for the reader. (Aki Aramaki)

•If you work with a sense of ownership and with the mindset of a leader,

every day becomes more exciting. (Yasuhiro Yonezawa)

•I love to take on new challenges. For me, the most important PLP is

Evolution. (Tatsuya Fukuzawa)

You can use your personal smartphones to access

the websites linked through the QR codes.

URLs with the * mark are for the intranet site.

Sustainability is vital for corporate success, and companies worldwide

are striving to incorporate sustainable practices in their operations.

Panasonic Newsroom Global sat down with six brand and marketing

representatives from across our global organization, asking them to

share their strategies for and experiences with advancing sustainability

and enhancing brand value within their regions.

Communicating Sustainability:

Expressing Purpose and Value across

Countries and Cultures

Konosuke Matsushita founded Matsushita Electric

Housewares Manufacturing Works with a team of three in

a modest two-story house in 1918. Delivering high-quality,

competitively priced products, Matsushita’s workforce

would grow to 20 people by the end of

that year.

Today, Panasonic has evolved into an

international group with a global work

force numbering 233,391 people as of

March 2023.

Panasonic launched the third installment of its “My Favorite

Founder’s Words Campaign” on Instagram, hoping to share

Konosuke Matsushita’s Words of Wisdom with the next

generation. Fifteen employees from Panasonic Corporation of

North America (PNA) share their favorite founder quotes and

personal stories explaining how his words continue to inspire

and resonate with them.

Yuki Kusumi, Group CEO, introduced the company’s

medium- to long-term vision and strategy at the

Panasonic Group Strategy Briefing in May 2023.

These articles introduce his thoughts on the past

two years of enhancing competitive

ness, the progress of Panasonic

GREEN IMPACT, his strategy for

investment in key growth areas, and

the outlook for the Group’s business

portfolio.

From June 1 to 3, Yuki Kusumi, Group CEO, travelled to China for the first time after

assuming his current post and visited operating sites in Hangzhou, Wuxi, and Yixing.

His activities in China during those two days, accompanied by Tetsuro Homma, Group

Regional Head for China & Northeast Asia, are introduced in a video digest (Chinese).

PX-AI is an AI assistance service based on GPT-3.5 and

equipped with advanced natural language processing

technology. Initially available only in Japan, as of July

13, it is now also accessible in regions outside of China

and Europe.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation, under the

umbrella of Panasonic Connect Co., Ltd.,

signed agreements with Qatar Airways,

United Airlines, and Saudia Airlines to

install the “Astrova” in-flight entertainment system. This will

enable us to offer Panasonic’s exclusive features, such as 4K

OLED screens, Bluetooth audio connections, and LED mood

lighting.

Panasonic in Numbers:

Global Employees

Applying the Founder’s Wisdom at Work in

North America:

My Favorite Founder’s Words Campaign #3

Interview with Kusumi, Group CEO:

From Enhancing Competitiveness

to “Shifting to a Growth Phase”

Kusumi Takes His First Business Trip to China as Group CEO

PX-AI Is Available Globally

Deal Signed for the Supply

of the “Astrova” In-Flight

Entertainment System

Here, we present a selection of topics from the Panasonic Group

Intraweb Site (PIW).

Editors’ Postscript

Details are available on the PIW.

https://iweb.is.jp.panasonic.com/gp/piw/en/

How to enter: Fill in the application form and enter the

required details to submit your entry.

Entry period: July 25–August 25, 2023

We will notify the winner of the shipment of their prize.

We look forward to many entries!

Be in the running to win Panasonic Bluebells memo

rabilia (replica shirt, thermos flask commemorating

two season titles, towel, and folder) autographed by

Narumi Ishida. Two winners will be chosen.

Prize

Each issue of the Panasonic Group magazine

Live

Your Best

is also available for viewing from your

smartphone or other devices. Enjoy it with your

family.

Browsing the

Live Your Best

magazine

https://pxai.is.jp.panasonic.com/*

We are looking for employees to be featured in our

magazine.

Anyone can be nominated, either by oneself or by

someone else. We also welcome your feedback

on the magazine. Please contact us here:

E-mail: newsroom_pnre@ml.jp.panasonic.com

Forms

https://iweb.is.jp.panasonic.com/gp/piw/newsroom/zh/report/19004.html

The cover of the current issue was shot at Panasonic XC

KADOMA, which opened in the city of Kadoma, Osaka

(in front of Keihan Electric Railway Nishisanso Station)

in May this year. As a next-generation workspace of

the Panasonic Group, the facility features office rooms

and an open space for collaborating with internal and

external colleagues as well as the local community.

Panasonic Leadership Magazine

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