松下幸之助と企業組織改革

Konosuke Matsushita and His Corporate Innovation

Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of the Matsushita Electric or the Panasonic, is one of the most revered entrepreneurs, well known not only in Japan but in worldwide business circles. He started a small business in 1918, manufacturing simple electric plugs and bicycle lamps. Though rapidly grown up to a large enterprise by the 1930s with making diversified electricity-related products, his business would symbolically represent the development of the postwar mass-consumer society to build up the so-called ‘ Matsushita Kingdom’in the field of various home appliances, electronics devices, AV and information instruments, and some industrial equipment. Nowadays he has become recognized as the first designer of his own decentralized organization, the multidivisional system, the first and only case in prewar Japan, that was introduced in his company as early as in 1933. His name should also be remembered as the builder of his nationwide sales network as well, through which he could integrate mass-production and mass-sales. Because of his brilliant success story and his distinguished‘philosophy’as well, he has been frequently called the‘Maestro of Management.’A lot of books have been published so far about his own life, career, achievements, and ideas. This paper will especially focus on his contribution in the field of designing a corporate organization, rather than his‘philosophy.’While he was such an influential giant that no one denies his significance as an entrepreneur, the following sides should also be recognized. Given his towering influence no top executives of Matsushita Electric after him dared to oppose his decisions. In 1964, for instance, the company declared to exit from computer hardware business despite the massive investment in R&D and the serious commitment for 5 years. This retreat would bring about so much strategic and competitive damages to the company. In retrospect, even the ‘ Maestro of Management’could not foresee the future trends of IT, when he made a decision to withdraw.