2. Global Management
1997-
(1) DENSO’s Values
- 2004
- In 2004, President Fukaya consolidated the company's core values into what is known as the “DENSO Spirit.” This encapsulated the values cultivated since the company's founding and served as the action guidelines for “DENSO VISION 2015.” The company launched activities to share these values globally.
Entering the 2000s, the world became increasingly complex. Environmental issues began to be discussed with a sense of urgency, and Asia emerged as a new driver of global economic growth. In terms of corporate management, anti-social behaviors such as data falsification led to heightened scrutiny of companies. Interest in American-style management, which emphasizes shareholder value and capital efficiency, grew, and more companies began to adopt these practices. Additionally, in the automotive industry, user-focused safety and comfort became more prioritized than ever before.
As DENSO VISION 2005 was nearing its end, it became apparent that our company needed to conceptualize a new management compass to navigate the increasingly complex business environment.
In April 2004, President Koichi Fukaya unveiled “DENSO VISION 2015,” which carried the slogan, “Bringing ‘Consideration’ and ‘Fulfillment’ to the World.”
Reference：Overview of DENSO VISION 2015
Alongside formulating this vision, the company also established “action guidelines” for employees to achieve it. Named the “DENSO Spirit,” these guidelines comprised three main keywords: “Foresight,” “Credibility,” and “Collaboration.”
The DENSO Spirit consolidated the essential values the company had cultivated since its inception. In past management crises, predecessors had relied on these values to overcome various challenges. President Fukaya believed that the DENSO Spirit should not only be passed on to the next generation of employees but also continually refined.
Reference：Composition of DENSO Spirit
- Deep DiveManagement's Sense of Crisis
- The background behind the consolidation of the DENSO Spirit lies in the sense of crisis felt by President Fukaya and the management team. Overseas, the business had expanded rapidly, leading to a significant increase in the number of employees. However, there were concerns about whether the essential DNA of DENSO's craftsmanship and work methodology was being properly inherited. If these elements were inadequately passed down, the trust and reputation built by our predecessors could be quickly lost.
Domestically, even when detailed explanations were given to younger employees about “what to do and how to do it,” there were increasing instances where the true intention did not seem to be conveyed.
These issues led to the fundamental question of whether the “values” were being shared. Values encompass the “why”—why something is important and why we adhere to it. Without a shared understanding of these “whys,” it would be difficult to foster the expected behaviors. It was from this awareness of the problem that the decision was made to clearly articulate the “values cultivated since our founding” as the DENSO Spirit.
Since the DENSO Spirit serves as the action guidelines for DENSO VISION 2015, it was essential not only to announce it but also to ensure that employees put it into practice. Consequently, we launched a project to promote the “sharing” of the DENSO Spirit.
At that time, the rapid globalization of business was accompanied by increasing diversity in the cultural and social backgrounds of employees both domestically and internationally. Even though these values had been cultivated since the company's founding, it was not easy for younger generations and local overseas employees to understand and accept them.
True sharing of the DENSO Spirit couldn't be achieved through top-down directives or one-way communication. We didn't want to simply distribute pamphlets and hold perfunctory meetings. After benchmarking other companies and conducting thorough examinations, we sought the best way to share the DENSO Spirit.
The result was a method that, while time-consuming and labor-intensive, involved “sharing stories, engaging in dialogue, and exchanging experiences” in each workplace. This approach allowed employees to learn from each other and deeply understand the DENSO Spirit until it resonated with them. This was rolled out globally, with the method tailored to local contexts. Specifically, we ensured that local employees took the lead in these sharing activities, rather than imposing them from Japan.
The tools for these sharing activities were also innovative. Initially, a booklet compiling “memorable quotes” from past executives related to the three keywords was distributed. Additionally, a video (DVD) dramatizing real-life examples of employees embodying the DENSO Spirit was produced.
Using these materials, employees worldwide shared their personal experiences related to the DENSO Spirit with their colleagues. To ensure the continuity of these activities, “promoters” (champions) were appointed in each workplace to continually encourage this exchange.
This unique initiative led to widespread interest in the DENSO Spirit, including at overseas locations where initial difficulties were anticipated. As a result, employees not only understood the DENSO Spirit but also actively engaged in creatively enhancing their own sharing activities. The DENSO Spirit garnered a level of global empathy that exceeded expectations and continues to be upheld to this day.