Sony faces challenges in finding suitable talent for its operations in China and Europe.

What steps should

it take to ensure that it has an adequate pool of international managers and other talent for worldwide
operations? What should Sony do to promote global mind-sets?

Old Approach:

Honda, Sony, and Toyota—companies that generate two-thirds or more of their annual revenues
overseas—saw their sales abroad fall or stagnate from 2005 to 2010. This suggests that their emerging
market performance wasn’t great enough to offset the effects of those sluggish developed economies. A
shortage of managerial competency, too, holds back Japanese companies in emerging markets. Because
they underestimate the importance of those markets, they’re reluctant to post high-ranking executives
there. They also rarely offer competitive compensation and promotion opportunities to local executives,
and therefore have not built a strong cadre of talent with intimate market knowledge. Without local
managers in key positions, any multinational has difficulty customizing products to local conditions,
responding quickly to changes in the market, and breaking into new segments.

Harvard Business School Publishing: International Business | How to Win in Emerging Markets:
Lessons from Japan

New Approach:

•Embrace the issue of diversity

1

•Develop talent pools

2

•Attract external talent

3

•Invest in the organization’s internal talent

4

•Improve elements of organizational culture and the work

5 environment

An integrated talent management program can be developed to address critical human resource
issues. Managing talent aims to ensure that the organization has an adequate external talent pool
available, qualified candidate, while at the same time building on the existing talent that exists within
the organization. Effective talent management program is associated with the increases in employee
productivity, supports business continuity, and aligns employee work with organizational goals. In order
to develop this program, it follows certain procedures. If the company is to have an adequate pool of
international talent and managers, the first approach is to embrace the issue of diversity. The company
should recruit managers from different backgrounds with knowledge and proper expertise towards
management in the business (Abraham 28). This is helpful in order to maintain a workplace that allows
everyone to work together utilizing our unique talents and skills without fear of discrimination, and
open-mindedness. It offers equal employment opportunity as to recruitment, hiring, training,
promoting, treating applicants and employees without discrimination. Second is to develop talent pools
that are essential in providing available talent pools to the organization that can be drawn upon when
the need arises. Third, in order to attract external talent, the organization must ensure that it supports a
positive employee-employer relationship. This pool will be developed through an effective leadership.
Fourth, is to invest in the organization's internal talent that would increase the likelihood of employee
retention and enhance performance of both the individuals and the organization. And lastly is to
improve elements of organizational culture and the work environment. The managers should also be
familiar with the working environment and region where the business will operate. This is because
different cultures have varied cultural mind sets and organizational behaviour. The idea entails
promoting productivity and ensuring the greatest gains from the business. The company should also
promote diversity in the workplace. This is an important to promote a global mind set thereby improve
performance.

Labor Relation Problems

According to an article, Sony dispute began when Sony changed the working conditions for its 1,100
workers, who assemble audio visual electronics parts, ordering them to stand up rather than sit down at
the production line. Sony management has said the method is not detrimental to workers' health.

If the management is to improve these labor relations, the first thing is to improve the working
conditions of the employees and offer them good working environment.
This will improve the labor relations in the company. A proper human resource team should address the
specific problems and issues faced by the workers (Abraham 28). The top management should design a
standardized workplace norms catering for the needs and expectations of the employees. There should
also be a long-term strategy to employ the required number of workers to avoid future lay-offs.