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Modern Entrepreneurship of Oriental Philosophy-Mr. Kazuo Inamori’s Visit to BiMBA

Apr 18-2013   



 

By: Jia Xiaokun

On the night of Jun. 10, Mr. Kazuo Inamori, one of the "four great businessmen" of Japan, visited Langrun Garden  and greeted by professors and students from the National School of Development at Peking University (NSD). Mr. Kazuo Inamori, now nearly eighty, delivered a keynote speech of "Why business needs philosophy" and exchanged opinions with the audience to share his inspirations and fruits attained in his five decades of business experience. As a unique lecture, in stead of the focus of business skills and management approaches, Mr. Kazuo Inamori’s present struck a responsive chord in the hearts of the audience from the perspectives of the person- and heart-centered philosophy and the great Chinese ancient philosopher Lao Tzu’s edification of “Everything can be done in the very way, which is not as the same as others. However, the general ways are similar.” This lecture was hosted by Professor John Zhuang Yang, International Dean of BiMBA.. Many people came from NSD and BiMBA especially to catch a glimpse of Mr. Kazuo Inamori, the great Japanese master in corporate management.

At the beginning of the lecture, Mr. Kazuo reviewed his experience of running business and the company's development. To the audience's admiration, Mr. Kazuo presented his fruits of half of his lifetime with a few sentences: his company developed into a multinational Kyocera Group with 4.6 trillion Yen of sales income and 500 billion Yen of pre-tax profits from a local small company which was founded when he was 27. However, Mr. Kazuo frankly told the audience that after World War, many Japanese enterprises only pursue what are beneficial for themselves, paying no attention to people's life and the ecological system which has led to disadvantages of the society although Japan has a number of enterprises in free competition and the competitions and exchanges have promoted the economic development and made Japan into an industrial giant within twenty years. Many political, economic, and even ethical problems come one after another, which have impacted negatively the further economic development. Bring the audience to the beginning of the capitalism to trace it to its cause, Mr. Kazuo pinpointed that "regardless Europe, America, or Japan, the early capitalism was understood to be a system benefiting the society. The capitalism promoters tried to realize social justice by economic activities to contribute to the progress and development of human society. Just because of such kind of social ethic, the capitalist economy can achieve the rapid development."

In virtue of his 50 years of management practice, Mr. Kazuo summarized an equation for his life from the views of philosophy, human nature, and ethic, i.e., Working Results = Thinking Style × Passion × Ability. "That has been the equation I abide by in all my life. In my opinion, only this equation can explain my life and the development of Kyocera Group. Many people have held that the success of Kyocera Group came from advanced techniques, or from the trend. But my opinion is absolutely different. I think that the success of Kyocera lies in Kyocera’s criterion to judge its operation decision. The criterion, neither the correctness nor the wise of the owner of the company, is the person of Kyocera." said Mr. Kazuo when he valued his equation. Later Mr. Kazuo explained the principle and usage of the equation to the audience in a simple way.

Mr. Kazuo held that it is necessary to have a criterion for judging when you are perplexed. This criterion is the philosophy. Those owners who employee a great number of employees and shoulder heavy task shall especially embrace the operational philosophy of strict ethnic, and train the employees to accept and practice this kind of philosophy while the owner himself is a faithful follower of this philosophy. The characteristic thinking style of the leader is most important to achieve business success and to exert the right function of the organization. Another most important thing is to have a universal correct thinking style and lofty operational philosophy in the process to achieve sustainable development and maintain the company's prosperity. "Kyocera got success because just as I have said just now, it has a definite operational philosophy, which dose not merely stay on paper, but in the meticulous practice of all the staff including me. I do believe this is the reason why Kyocera get success. Tracing to the origin of this philosophy, we find they are the lessons that Japan learned from China in ancient times and from the long-term friendship between the two countries. For example in ancient China there are words as 'A person with more virtue than talent is a gentleman; a person with more talent than virtue is a rogue', which is an adage canonizing virtue. 'The good man's family is destined to be lucky' is an adage calling for good deeds. 'Self-complacence brings losses, and modesty means benefit' emphasizes the importance of modesty. There are numerous adages of this kind," said Mr. Kazuo. Moreover, he said that the principle of any decision-making is to make clear that whether the doing benefits all the stakeholders, and whether there is any selfishness included. 

At the end of the lecture, Mr. Kazuo proposed a rosy future for the economy and entrepreneurs of China. "Chinese entrepreneurs shall not only study the latest operational skills of Europe, America and Japan, but should accept the philosophy to pursue benefits for both the company and the society. The importance of the philosophy and thinking style in the operations of a business shall be re-understood. The next step is to inspire your passion and make the most efforts and exert the full of your ability, and thus the company will be operated successfully. In this way, one can not only achieve success in his business, but also will maintain the success everlastingly and then contribute more to the development of the whole economy of China. I think China will become the numbered economic giants in the world in a near future if such high-spirited passion can be maintained among Chinese people and if China maintains such sustainable development at the current speed. China will become richer and more beautiful, and every Chinese will really feel happy.

"This lecture, comes from the heart, is the most wonderful one I have heard since I began my work in BiMBA in 1998. Such a kind of lecture may be of great apocalypse to inspire the modern entrepreneurs of China to know how to realize pleasure in the face of mental realm after the achievement of fortune. Meanwhile it explains a strong and marvelous truth. Quite different from other lectures, the man who talked here, in stead of mere moralism, has created two of 500 Fortune Companies with his practice," said Professor Yang Zhuang, Dean of BiMBA.

The audience from all circles actively communicated with Mr. Kazuo and expressed their opinions and harvests and more hoped to get his instructions. Many schoolfellows of BiMBA said, "In China, a country with long history and profound culture, we should learn and inherit our cultural excellences. We should study from Mr. Kazuo and his philosophy, making our own contribution to Chinese enterprises’ rapid development and the access to the list of 500 Fortune Companies."

Mr. Kazuo Inamori, Konosuke Matsushita of Panasonic, Akio Morita of Sony, and Honda Soichiro of Honda are the "Four Great Businessmen" of Japan, of which Mr. Kazuo Inamori is the only one alive. He is the founder of two of "500 Fortune Companies" - Kyocera and KDDI, and the creator of the miracle that Kyocera has never made deficit for more than 40 years.

Modern Entrepreneurship of Oriental Philosophy-Mr. Kazuo Inamori’s Visit to BiMBA

Apr 18-2013   



 

By: Jia Xiaokun

On the night of Jun. 10, Mr. Kazuo Inamori, one of the "four great businessmen" of Japan, visited Langrun Garden  and greeted by professors and students from the National School of Development at Peking University (NSD). Mr. Kazuo Inamori, now nearly eighty, delivered a keynote speech of "Why business needs philosophy" and exchanged opinions with the audience to share his inspirations and fruits attained in his five decades of business experience. As a unique lecture, in stead of the focus of business skills and management approaches, Mr. Kazuo Inamori’s present struck a responsive chord in the hearts of the audience from the perspectives of the person- and heart-centered philosophy and the great Chinese ancient philosopher Lao Tzu’s edification of “Everything can be done in the very way, which is not as the same as others. However, the general ways are similar.” This lecture was hosted by Professor John Zhuang Yang, International Dean of BiMBA.. Many people came from NSD and BiMBA especially to catch a glimpse of Mr. Kazuo Inamori, the great Japanese master in corporate management.

At the beginning of the lecture, Mr. Kazuo reviewed his experience of running business and the company's development. To the audience's admiration, Mr. Kazuo presented his fruits of half of his lifetime with a few sentences: his company developed into a multinational Kyocera Group with 4.6 trillion Yen of sales income and 500 billion Yen of pre-tax profits from a local small company which was founded when he was 27. However, Mr. Kazuo frankly told the audience that after World War, many Japanese enterprises only pursue what are beneficial for themselves, paying no attention to people's life and the ecological system which has led to disadvantages of the society although Japan has a number of enterprises in free competition and the competitions and exchanges have promoted the economic development and made Japan into an industrial giant within twenty years. Many political, economic, and even ethical problems come one after another, which have impacted negatively the further economic development. Bring the audience to the beginning of the capitalism to trace it to its cause, Mr. Kazuo pinpointed that "regardless Europe, America, or Japan, the early capitalism was understood to be a system benefiting the society. The capitalism promoters tried to realize social justice by economic activities to contribute to the progress and development of human society. Just because of such kind of social ethic, the capitalist economy can achieve the rapid development."

In virtue of his 50 years of management practice, Mr. Kazuo summarized an equation for his life from the views of philosophy, human nature, and ethic, i.e., Working Results = Thinking Style × Passion × Ability. "That has been the equation I abide by in all my life. In my opinion, only this equation can explain my life and the development of Kyocera Group. Many people have held that the success of Kyocera Group came from advanced techniques, or from the trend. But my opinion is absolutely different. I think that the success of Kyocera lies in Kyocera’s criterion to judge its operation decision. The criterion, neither the correctness nor the wise of the owner of the company, is the person of Kyocera." said Mr. Kazuo when he valued his equation. Later Mr. Kazuo explained the principle and usage of the equation to the audience in a simple way.

Mr. Kazuo held that it is necessary to have a criterion for judging when you are perplexed. This criterion is the philosophy. Those owners who employee a great number of employees and shoulder heavy task shall especially embrace the operational philosophy of strict ethnic, and train the employees to accept and practice this kind of philosophy while the owner himself is a faithful follower of this philosophy. The characteristic thinking style of the leader is most important to achieve business success and to exert the right function of the organization. Another most important thing is to have a universal correct thinking style and lofty operational philosophy in the process to achieve sustainable development and maintain the company's prosperity. "Kyocera got success because just as I have said just now, it has a definite operational philosophy, which dose not merely stay on paper, but in the meticulous practice of all the staff including me. I do believe this is the reason why Kyocera get success. Tracing to the origin of this philosophy, we find they are the lessons that Japan learned from China in ancient times and from the long-term friendship between the two countries. For example in ancient China there are words as 'A person with more virtue than talent is a gentleman; a person with more talent than virtue is a rogue', which is an adage canonizing virtue. 'The good man's family is destined to be lucky' is an adage calling for good deeds. 'Self-complacence brings losses, and modesty means benefit' emphasizes the importance of modesty. There are numerous adages of this kind," said Mr. Kazuo. Moreover, he said that the principle of any decision-making is to make clear that whether the doing benefits all the stakeholders, and whether there is any selfishness included. 

At the end of the lecture, Mr. Kazuo proposed a rosy future for the economy and entrepreneurs of China. "Chinese entrepreneurs shall not only study the latest operational skills of Europe, America and Japan, but should accept the philosophy to pursue benefits for both the company and the society. The importance of the philosophy and thinking style in the operations of a business shall be re-understood. The next step is to inspire your passion and make the most efforts and exert the full of your ability, and thus the company will be operated successfully. In this way, one can not only achieve success in his business, but also will maintain the success everlastingly and then contribute more to the development of the whole economy of China. I think China will become the numbered economic giants in the world in a near future if such high-spirited passion can be maintained among Chinese people and if China maintains such sustainable development at the current speed. China will become richer and more beautiful, and every Chinese will really feel happy.

"This lecture, comes from the heart, is the most wonderful one I have heard since I began my work in BiMBA in 1998. Such a kind of lecture may be of great apocalypse to inspire the modern entrepreneurs of China to know how to realize pleasure in the face of mental realm after the achievement of fortune. Meanwhile it explains a strong and marvelous truth. Quite different from other lectures, the man who talked here, in stead of mere moralism, has created two of 500 Fortune Companies with his practice," said Professor Yang Zhuang, Dean of BiMBA.

The audience from all circles actively communicated with Mr. Kazuo and expressed their opinions and harvests and more hoped to get his instructions. Many schoolfellows of BiMBA said, "In China, a country with long history and profound culture, we should learn and inherit our cultural excellences. We should study from Mr. Kazuo and his philosophy, making our own contribution to Chinese enterprises’ rapid development and the access to the list of 500 Fortune Companies."

Mr. Kazuo Inamori, Konosuke Matsushita of Panasonic, Akio Morita of Sony, and Honda Soichiro of Honda are the "Four Great Businessmen" of Japan, of which Mr. Kazuo Inamori is the only one alive. He is the founder of two of "500 Fortune Companies" - Kyocera and KDDI, and the creator of the miracle that Kyocera has never made deficit for more than 40 years.