Placement Report v1

Placement Report

Submitted by:

Bijvank, R. 3rd year, TMA 260428

[email protected]

Submitted to:

HES School of Business & Economics

Internship Company & Department:

Kyocera Mita Europe Strategy Planning Office

Published on:

June 4, 2016

Supervisor: Mrs. Fukui, M.

Coordinator: Mrs. Ono-Boots, M.

Start Date for Internship: 1st May 2011

End Date for Internship: 31th August 2011

mailto:[email protected]

CONTENTS

1. Company, Department & Placement Assignment ...............................................................................1

1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 Leading to the internship................................................................................................................................. 1

1.3 Internship Company Choice............................................................................................................................. 1

1.4 Department In-Depth .......................................................................................................................................... 2

1.5 My Role & Assignment.......................................................................................................................................... 2

2. Individual Learning Goals .................................................................................................................................3

2.1 Strengths & Weaknesses ..................................................................................................................................... 3

2.1.1 Motivation & Interests............................................................................................................................. 3

2.1.2 Strengths ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

2.1.3 Weaknesses.................................................................................................................................................. 4

2.2 Competencies ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

2.2.1 Requirements For Internship............................................................................................................... 5

2.2.2 Task Description ........................................................................................................................................ 5

2.3 “GAP”-Analysis ......................................................................................................................................................... 6

2.4 Tactics.......................................................................................................................................................................... 8

2.5 Learning Curve ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

2.5.1 Learning Curve Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 10

2.6 Internship Reflection ........................................................................................................................................ 11

2.6.2 Internship Quality ................................................................................................................................. 11

2.6.3 Critical Study Reflection ...................................................................................................................... 12

3. Company Analysis & Research Assignment .........................................................................................13

3.1 Kyocera Mita’s Unique Selling points ..................................................................................................... 13

3.2 Kyocera Mita’s Position .................................................................................................................................. 14

3.3 Distribution & Sales ............................................................................................................................................ 14

3.4 Organizational Structure .................................................................................................................................. 15

3.5 Research Proposal............................................................................................................................................... 15

3.6 Research Assignment......................................................................................................................................... 16

3.6.1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 16

3.6.2 The Assignment....................................................................................................................................... 18

3.6.3 Culture Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 19

4. Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................................................20

Appendix A: Company Profile ..............................................................................................................................1

Appendix B: Organization Chart .........................................................................................................................4

Appendix C: Kyocera Mita Position...................................................................................................................5

References .......................................................................................................................................................................6

Acknowledgements

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone from the S.P.O department for their co-operation and

guidance during my internship, and for the opportunity to experience a portion of the

Japanese Business Culture.

Secondly I would like to thank Ms. Natasja Jansen for her efforts in securing my internship

placement at Kyocera Mita Europe.

Finally, I would like to thank Mr. René van der Heijden and Mr. Gerben Priester for their

assistance and explanations during my days at Kyocera Mita Netherlands, as well as the HES

for assisting me in finding a proper internship placement.

Roy Bijvank

| Roy Bijvank | Kyocera Mita Europe | 31-08-2011 | Page [ 1 ]

1. COMPANY, DEPARTMENT & PLACEMENT ASSIGNMENT

1.1 INTRODUCTION

My internship took place at the Strategy Planning Office (S.P.O) department of Kyocera Mita

Europe (KME). KME functions as Europe’s headquarters for the Kyocera Mita Corporation

(KMC), who has its headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. KMC, part of the Kyocera Group, has as core

business the manufacture and sale of office printers and MFPs (Multifunctional

Printers/Products).

1.2 LEADING TO THE INTERNSHIP

The HES TMA department forwarded my resume and a cover letter to the HR department of

KME, who phoned me to make an appointment for an interview. The interview lasted

approximately one hour and thirty minutes. The Manager and assistant manager of S.P.O

were both present, as well as an HR representative, whom I had previously spoken with on

the phone.

During the interview I explained who I was and what my ambitions were, that I had some

work experience, how I came to be a third year student at the HES, and I explained why I

needed an internship on short notice.

The interview turned out a success, however one aspect of the interview I would have done

differently. I overestimated my Japanese skills. I should have been more conservative about

this.

1.3 INTERNSHIP COMPANY CHOICE

I did not “choose” KME as my internship company. The HES initiated the conversation

between KME and myself, therefore there were no specific reasons for me to be at this

company, however I have found reasons why I would want to work here.

The company formulates an interesting business philosophy (see Appendix 1.3). The founder,

Dr. Kazuo Inamori, created this philosophy, and all employees follow it vigorously. All

decisions the company makes are based on the ideas of this philosophy. Furthermore, all

employees receive a booklet with the Kyocera philosophy fully described.


In addition, KME, as headquarters, does not directly involve itself with sales and affected

processes. They deal with broader and more abstract issues across Europe, as well as the

mediation between Europe and Japan. This is different from other companies I worked for.

1.4 DEPARTMENT IN-DEPTH

There are, excluding me, four people working at S.P.O. The president has his office there as

well, albeit in a separate office.

The department has two main tasks. Firstly S.P.O manages projects concerning the

establishment of new sales companies, and the evaluation of these and existing sales

companies. This often requires them to go on business trips.

Secondly, they have a secretarial task, which include, but are not limited to, organizing and

preparing meetings, as well as managing the schedule and activities of the president and vice

president.

1.5 MY ROLE & ASSIGNMENT

I expect to see in what way the three years at the HES have helped me become a more

intelligent and knowledgeable person. Regarding the courses given and the mentality needed

to work in a professional environment. This will also be a great opportunity to assess and

improve my Japanese language skills.

Other than absorbing the Japanese language I did not have specific tasks yet. I was doing

small task to support the department. It was after discussing the PCF1 that we agreed on a

clear assignment, which consisted of making country and culture analyses for the countries

they specified.

My colleagues and company coach are expecting me to make the deadlines they set for me, to

actively take part in becoming a member of “the team,” and to make the analyses beneficial to

KME in a profound way. Furthermore, they want me to be available for unforeseen tasks that

the S.P.O might need to do.

1 Placement Commencement Form


2. INDIVIDUAL LEARNING GOALS

2.1 STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

2.1.1 MOTIVATION & INTERESTS

I favor challenging and interesting work. These factors keep my focus and motivation high.

Reasons being that I want to learn from what I am doing, and if the work level does not

challenge my capabilities I lose interest, which results in demotivation.

Although, many things interest me it is important to look for a business area I find most

interesting and challenging. At the HES I enjoyed marketing and finance courses, however

numbers do not like me, so marketing seems the logical option; where product marketing is

an area I find interesting.

During my two days at KMNL a product manager gave a presentation about all the new

models being released, and explained new contract options for each of them. I saw this as a

potential career for myself.

2.1.2 STRENGTHS

I have no problem understanding or speaking English on a professional level. My written

English is good, however I would still like to improve upon it.

I can easily work in a team, as I can be flexible with other people. I remain calm, composed,

and always try to discuss alongside others about ideas or decisions.

I completed a MBO degree before enrolling in HBO, and my MBO program required me to do

two internships, so I have some experience in this, as well as having worked full-time for

nearly two years.

I try to look critically to my own work, and look for areas of improvement to increase the

quality of my report. This can be time consuming, however I feel the best way to improve

yourself comes from identifying and learning from your own mistakes.


2.1.3 WEAKNESSES

Taking more initiative is a personal goal. Thinking someone else will do it will often result in

nothing being done. I have improved this over the last three years, however I would like to

see it improve even more. Networking is also part of this. I rarely take the initiative to meet

someone for this purpose. Although it is a good enough reason for many; I have difficulties

with this.

Distraction is another point I want to improve upon. Working in a team is no problem,

however when the team is working together I get distracted from my own work, therefore I

rather work alone whilst in a team, which sounds contradictive, however it happens

frequently.

Another weakness I have occurs when I am working in a team. During this time I want to do

more work myself, because I do not trust someone will try their hardest to keep the quality

high. It might be related to the delegating “skill,” however this also occurs when I am not the

leader or head of the group or team.

2.2 COMPETENCIES

Strength

Weakness


2.2.1 REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNSHIP

The competencies listed above are appointed as “absolutely necessary” by my internship

coach on the PCF.

In order to provide accurate and reliable information for my research I need to find good

sources, therefore I require good investigative capabilities. I cannot deliver wrong or

inaccurate data if KME decides to use my research in their decision-making processes.

The culture of KME is substantially different from my experiences of Dutch companies,

consequently sensitivity and accessibility are competencies I need to have during my

internship.

Lastly, efficiency is a keyword for many businesses. In today’s competitive market it has

become very important. The speed of innovations adds even more focus to this. The need for

efficiency spreads throughout the company, as a result I need to be efficient too.

2.2.2 TASK DESCRIPTION

No specific assignment was agreed upon starting my internship. Small assignments were

delegated to me so I could support the department. I wrote meeting minutes, prepared

presentations and did some financial calculations. There was no real chance of developing

these tasks, as they were coincidental.

Looking forward to the meeting regarding the PCF I brainstormed for assignments I could do

for KME. I pitched the ideas to my company coach, and she thought they would be valuable

for KME, although she had to discuss it with her manager. When he agreed on the tasks as

well we clarified the specific data that would be needed.

The assignment consisted of two reports. A country analysis and business culture analysis for

all countries in which KME has sales companies. Deadlines for the assignments were mid-July

and mid-August respectively.


Finally, KME wanted me to help organize and digitalize their folders. A process they had

already started with.

2.3 “GAP”-ANALYSIS

TMA Competencies

Japanese is a commonly spoken language at KME, due to the amount of Japanese employees.

Meaning Japanese morals & values are applicable. I am the only one in my department who

does not speak Japanese fluently. These two factors make for a very good learning

experience.

Developmental Orientation

Accepting feedback can be difficult at times. The way I approach it is to reflect on the things

that were said, and judge for myself if that information is useful.

I am unsure to which degree feedback is a part of Japanese culture. I know they do not like to

“lose face,” and for this reason I do not think it is easy for a Japanese person to be so critical

about another employee.

Investigative Capabilities

Investigative capabilities are important when you need to do any kind of research. Finding

reliable and accurate data can certainly be a challenge. The problems that might occur when

collecting data from different sources need to be dealt with as well.

Finding the right data, especially specific data, can be difficult. During the projects at the HES

this has been a constant annoyance, however there are some reliable sources with large

databases that are free to use. Eurostat, IMF and World Bank are good examples of having

extensive databases. I need to learn how to effectively extract data from these sources.

Goal-Oriented Working

Large projects or tasks require more planning and detail to reach a specific goal, while

smaller everyday tasks are less focused on a specific goal. My task was somewhere in the

middle.


Making this many country analyses can become a tedious task, however I should get a goal,

and complete the task with as little distractions and as much focus as possible to deliver a

high quality report.

Pro-Activeness

The description of pro-activeness in the competencies list manages to accurately explains this

vague term. To me it always seemed to mean, “We don’t know what it is, and we do not ask

you to do it, however you still need to do it.” This makes you very uncertain about what to do

as an intern or employee.

I am having problems being pro-active, as seen from the previous paragraph, however I will

try to look for opportunities and look out for potential problems. Being open to new ideas and

developments is not an area I usually have problems with.

Accessibility & Sensitivity

Every business situation calls for some form of communication. If you cannot communicate in

a friendly but professional way problems will ensue.

Regarding my tasks and position in KME it is obviously very important to maintain a pleasant

work environment, however I am doing most of the tasks by myself without any need for

interaction with my colleagues.

Working at KME required me to speak English, since they appointed it as the Official

Company Language, due to all the various nationalities, however Japanese employees spoke

Japanese amongst themselves. This occurred not only amongst Japanese, but also Dutch,

French and Polish native employees. Showing that during a work day you were exposed to

multiple languages and cultures.

Since I am going to Japan after my internship I am also interested in learning more about

their culture and their norms and values. This internship presented me the opportunity to

fully engage myself in a new culture. This is where living in Amsterdam, where many cultures

exist, helps understanding your own culture and the differences with others.


2.4 TACTICS

I will try to describe the tactics I plan to use at KME to reduce the gap between my strengths

and weaknesses, and the requirements for this internship, as well as my personal goals.

Regardless of having studied Japanese for two years I still have difficulty making

conversation in Japanese. This is not only due to the fact that my Japanese speaking is not

very good, but also to the fact that I am new here at KME, which makes me quite uncertain.

I understand that everyone needs time adjusting to a new work situation, however over the

years I have realized this process takes longer for me. Delivering quality work is another way

of gaining trust and respect from your colleagues, therefore I try harder to deliver quality

work to compensate for any social skills I might be lacking compared to other employees.

At KME there is the added uncertainty of Japanese culture. In my Japanese studies there has

been little attention to the business culture of Japan. It is a culture with a distinct hierarchical

structure. Along with this structure come a variety of different expressions and traditions. All

I can do is absorb everything that happens around me, and learn.

I can also learn from myself by reviewing the work I have done. In English writing and

grammar, and whether the data or information within that report is accurate and useful to

KME.

I am uncertain to what extend Japanese society is prone to feedback, therefore I need to look

at my own work and review it with a critical eye. That way I can give myself feedback. I’m

hoping to get at least some feedback on the tasks I do for KME so that I know in what

direction I need to go.


2.5 LEARNING CURVE

TMA Specific competence (Asian language and Culture)

There were many aspects of the Japanese culture I was unfamiliar with, and I am sure there

are still some that I do not know, however during my time here at KME I have learned some

habits and traditions they have. From specific expressions in certain situations to phone

manners, and meeting employees from KMC.

Pro-Activeness

I had been asking for tasks repeatedly, which, I can imagine, becomes annoying after a while,

therefore I was looking for a way to create my own assignments and I learned of the CMS in

last year’s syllabus and decided to start making it thinking it might be beneficial for KME.

When we had a discussion about my future tasks with KME I handed her the report and she

was interested in it and asked if I could send it to her.

Goal-Oriented Working

The importance of planning my assignments became more important later on in my

internship, when there was not much time left and I had to do multiple assignments on day-

to-day basis, as well as keeping the deadlines. This has been no problem. All assignments

were delivered on time, and I had enough time to work on my internship report.

Investigative Capabilities

I had no experience working with databases like Eurostat, which was the biggest problem I

ran into during my research, and while simple GDP data was found easily; the specific data

was much harder to find. With some determination I was able to find everything they

requested.


For my research I used Eurostat predominantly, however I also consulted the IMF and OECD

databases, which were constructed in much the same way. There is one thing I would have

done differently in retrospect. Instead of requesting data on all the countries simultaneously,

I did so only for the countries I was working on at the time.

This caused me to request the same data more than once, which was not very efficient,

moreover they used acronyms and codes for shortcuts into their database. I forgot to write

these down. Afterwards these would have been very helpful to reduce the time spend on each

topic.

Sensitivity & Accessibility

It was hard for me to understand Japanese at the start of my internship. Having worked in a

department where 90% of all conversations is in Japanese this has improved significantly. I

can follow their pace better, although I cannot understand everything or always reply. I need

to improve my vocabulary and I will have faith my speaking will improved quickly.

Writing the internship report has not been easy. The level of thought that goes into describing

the things you do and why or how this should help you improve yourself in this detail is quite

difficult. I have explained it to the best of my abilities and hopefully this will suffice in the

eyes of the reader.

2.5.1 LEARNING CURVE CONCLUSION

I think this internship has been most beneficial for me from a cultural and language point of

view. Working everyday with Japanese people has helped me understand their culture a little

better and increased my knowledge of their language.

Nevertheless, I did not learn a great deal from a managerial or marketing point of view. These

were areas that I did not come in contact with during my time at KME.

From my experiences I feel that I have learned what it means to be pro-active, and I have

learned from mistakes I made during the process of creating the country analysis. I tried to

increase my English writing, and my investigative capabilities.


2.6 INTERNSHIP REFLECTION

2.6.2 INTERNSHIP QUALITY

The S.P.O department never had an intern before me, therefore it is quite understandable that

they were unsure how to manage the internship. Even more so since my start was rushed and

no clear guidelines were completed yet.

The fact that they were able to provide me with an internship on short notice helped me

avoid a study delay, so I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me. Also, they helped me

experience an authentic Japanese business environment in the Netherlands, which would not

have been possible with most other companies.

Until a few weeks into my internship there were only a few small tasks I could help KME with,

therefore I wanted to discuss my future assignments with my company coach, so I could start

working on those. From that time on I have been busy, and found a good balance between

HES assignments and KME assignments.

All my colleagues were fun to work with. They were helpful whenever I had a problem or

question. They do speak Japanese often and I cannot always follow. They did say to shout out

if I did not understand, but I do not want to interrupt them every time. That must be getting

annoying at some point.

In conclusion, I think it was a very educative internship. I learned the most from a culture and

language point of view, which will be helpful, since I am going to Japan soon.


2.6.3 CRITICAL STUDY REFLECTION

Two courses taught at the HES focused on culture, and both proved helpful during my

internship. As I am working for a Japanese company with many nationalities. The two courses

I am referring to were Cross Cultural Analysis and Cross Cultural Negotiation. Mrs. Murayama

taught CCA in the first semester. The course could have been much more interesting, however

Mrs. Murayama taught dreadfully. The topics discussed were based on the Hofstede method

of analyzing cultures.

Mr. Powell taught the other course. Every week we would be confronted with a different

negotiation, and how culture might have an influence on the outcome, or the reasoning

behind certain business aspects and decisions. I experienced elements of these courses

regularly throughout my internship.

Unfortunately the marketing department operates from a branch office in Germany, therefore

I do not have much insight or information about the marketing, pricing or other marketing

related strategies, nor did I come in contact with such topics in the S.P.O department, which

disappointed me, since marketing interests me as a potential future career path

Development economics given by Dr. John Csellak has also been relevant during my

internship. Although none of the sales companies is located in an emerging or developing

market it can still be interesting to see some of the indicators for developed countries as well.

It helps to make a better analysis between countries.

The English courses at the HES do not teach us the English language. The job interview and

C.V. assignments have been examination multiple times during high school, and we conducted


meetings in the first years YE program. It seems redundant to repeat all of this. On top of this

at the HES we followed personal development classes, which covered these topics.

I feel it should contain more grammar, reading and writing training. Styles such as APA and

MLA were never taught.

Finally, I would like to say that some parts of the syllabus were really difficult to understand

with page 21 as a specific example.

3. COMPANY ANALYSIS & RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

3.1 KYOCERA MITA’S UNIQUE SELLING POINTS

Kyocera’s core business comprises fine ceramics. They used their experience with ceramics

to create a very valuable USP for their printer and MFP market.

Kyocera uses a ceramic film over the drum inside their printers. This film makes sure that it

stays cool and conducts the electric charge better than traditional materials. This makes the

drum last multiple times longer compared to other brands, and Kyocera capitalizes on this by

considering this a component, instead of a consumable. Consumables are components that

“run out” and need replacing. Contracts do not cover consumables, which induces extra costs,

whereas contracts do cover spare parts. This makes Kyocera Mita cheaper per page printed,

which companies primarily use for measuring the TCO for products like these.

Moreover, other brands combine these parts in one unit for easy replacement and cost

reduction, however when one component breaks the whole unit needs replacing, where

working components get discarded as well. Kyocera Mita products only need to swap the

toner, which increases efficiency and decreases waste and cost, making Kyocera Mita’s

printer to have one of the lowest TCO in the industry.

In the pictures you can see the difference in number of components between Kyocera

technology and technology from its competitors.

Figure 1 Kyocera Mita Toner Unit Figure 2 Competitors Toner Unit


3.2 KYOCERA MITA’S POSITION

The research done by Gartner shows that Kyocera, in the current market situation, is not in a

leadership role. They are marked as a “challenger,” which means they have unique technology

and a fair market share among small to mid-sized companies, however they lack a diverse

product portfolio that brands such as Xerox, Ricoh and Canon have, which makes them less

interesting for large corporations that need a variety of MFP’s.

Kyocera Mita acts on a global level, with headquarters in Asia, North America and Europe.

They have fourteen sales companies in Europe and one in South-Africa, as well as 5 regional

offices in the U.S.

3.

3

DI

ST

RIB

UTI

ON & SALES

Kyocera Mita distributes its products through only two channels. They sell 100% of their

products indirectly, and rely on distributors to provide customers. Four different distributors

can be identified. A reseller, certified reseller, business partner and champ partner.

Depending on the sales and commitment to Kyocera places each distributor in such a


category. A reseller has the least privileges in marketing and pricing terms, whereas champ

partners have the most. Customers range from SOHO and SME’s to larger companies.

Although they have a broad range of clients their focus lies with SME’s.

It is common for products like these to be bound by contracts, which include a minimum

amount of pages printed, and the price per printed page. These prices are based on a 3% use

of toner on a single page. This means if you print a lot of images, graphs or similar graphics,

your pages will become cheaper when comparing them to companies who use their printers

only to print text. The price obviously reflects this, therefore they want to become more

flexible in their contracts by offering different toner usages per page, such as 9% or 15%

coverage.

3.4 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Dr. Kazuo Inamori, retired director and founder of Kyocera, has created his own

organizational style, which is based on a team structure (see Appendix A.3 Kyocera

Philosophy). This system is being as much as possible around the company. Even though the

team based organization is used a slight hierarchical structure is noticeable.

Departments such as Legal, Accounting, Sales, Procurement and Marketing can still be

identified although these are more seen as teams than departments. This depends, however,

on the specific department and the organizational guidelines. (see Appendix B: Organization

Chart)

3.5 RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Certain sales companies performances have been disappointing. They have not reached the

targets that were set last year. For these countries specifically KME wanted to create a sort of

country analysis, so they could have a better overview of the economic situation. They had

the problem that they could not afford to dedicate an employee’s time to this.

Before I became aware of this idea I had been thinking about an assignment. During a

brainstorming sessions I concluded that a country and culture analysis would be beneficial

for KME. Also, I chose this because I had some experience in making a country analysis.

We further discussed about the business culture idea, and although my company coach was

interested it felt as though she did not know what to expect from this assignment.


I planned to describe the most characteristic aspects of the “business culture,” such as

communications style, the balance of relationship and task orientation, individualistic against

team based cultures, time punctuality, etc.

Something that I did not propose, but did create for KME was a small market and competitor

analysis.

3.6 RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

3.6.1 METHODOLOGY

My company coach and I agreed on a broad spectrum of topics required for the analysis. This

ranged from GPD per capita to internet penetration and government debt, since this is often

requested data for databases like these; it was easy to find, however Eurostat used codes,

acronyms and abbreviations to name their datasets. This confused me, since you never knew

exactly what kind of data it was going to be.

My company coach wanted to have a 10-year overview of all categories wherever possible.

This became harder when I researched more specific categories. Confidentiality or absence of

data caused some countries to have incomplete data. This was quite frustrating sometimes


when an entire country’s data was unavailable. It made the country analyses less accurate. To

find this data I used the official EU database Eurostat and incidentally the IMF and World

Bank databases. The problem with using different databases is that they use different

methodologies for calculating their figures, and these can conflict with each other, which

causes the data to become confusing.

The Eurostat database used a tree-structure2 to display its content. After you selected a topic;

a new window opened where you could select parameters for that specific table. In figure

three there is an example of this.

Figure 3 Eurostat Parameter Select Screen

I downloaded these datasets in excel format, however I needed to reformat them before I

could use them as a source for tables and graphs. This process was time consuming, due to

the fact that not all datasets were formatted the same way. Some started with the year 2001,

whereas others started with 2010. This annoying inconsistency on Eurostat’s part made my

assignment much more time consuming, which I found frustrating.

After formatting the data I wanted to make it more readable. I achieved this through pivot

tables and a variety of graphs. Pivot tables provide a great overview for these kinds of

information. It took me a few tries until I understood how to use this feature of excel,

however the result was well worth it.

2 A tree structure is a way of representing a structure in a graphical form. It is named a "tree structure" because it resembles a tree, even though the chart is generally upside down compared to an actual tree, with the "root" at the top and the "leaves" at the bottom.


Creating the pivot table

makes everything much

clearer. On top of that the

figure 4 is only a part of the

table it has many more rows,

whereas the pivot

table does not, which

increases its

readability. This

saves a lot of time

reading through this

information.

3.6.2 THE ASSIGNMENT

Figure 4 Data before Pivot Table

Figure 5 Table after Pivot Table


KME gave notice that some countries had higher priority and they should be finished first.

They meant the following countries: Germany, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom. I

almost finished these countries, when a colleague received an e-mail in which they asked me

to add several, more specific, topics. I felt this indicated my work’s usefulness and it

appreciation to KME.

They requested I add more data on the industries within each country. Regarding this

assignment this topic consumed the most time. Eurostat did not have such information

grouped for all industries. It made a distinction between industry, trade and services, and

within each category it divided in even more segments, therefore it took a lot of time to

gather all this data.

Moreover, Eurostat identified only 9 major industries. Industries such as Healthcare,

Education, Military and Media were unavailable, therefore a good identification on the

diversity of the labor force became impossible, and I decided that the data to be unreliable,

which disappointed me after dedicating so much energy to it. Although I did not remove it

completely I did not create any tables or graphs from it.

Two more requests followed the one I already received. I had become more proficient in

using the various databases, therefore everything went smoother and more quickly. I did

have some problems finding one very specific topic.

They were looking for data regarding public procurement or Tenders, however I could not

find this in Eurostat initially, so I turned to other databases. There was some information

about it, however not what I was looking for. I did not want to acknowledge that this

information was nowhere on the internet, so I looked through Eurostat one last time, and

found what I was looking for. Finding this data finalized my assignment. I handed it in to my

company coach and I started on my next assignment

To conclude, it was interesting to see the differences from an Economic point of view, because

of the current economic problems in Western Europe. Topics such as unemployment rate,

GDP per capita, inflation and government debt were especially interesting.

During this assignment my company coach was on holiday, so I needed to decide for myself

what the best approach was, and I think that I managed to deliver a good report.

3.6.3 CULTURE ANALYSIS


The next assignment we agreed upon was the business culture analysis of the same countries.

This assignment would prove to be easier and quicker, since the information was available

from more sources. This worked in my favor, because now I had more time to work on my

internship report.

I started by describing the broad aspects of the countries’ business culture. This regarded

topics such as, whether they used direct or indirect communication, if they wanted to get

straight to business or establish a relationship first. There were quite some differences, and

you could notice the difference between the “Latin” European countries and countries more

to the north (the Netherlands and Germany).

When my company coach and I agreed on the assignments this seemed as the most

interesting assignment, however during the making of it I realized that it was not as

interesting as I had thought. The main reason being that the differences, although substantial,

did not come close to the differences with Asian countries.

Although, there was quite a big difference between the Nordic countries, and the Latin

countries. Latin countries are much more based around trust and relationships, whereas

Nordic countries are all about business without relationships, and I feel this difference is very

much a part of the reason why they, in the current economic situation, have a harder time

than the Nordic countries. Nordic countries are strict about contracts and deadlines, whereas

Latin countries generally are much more flexible in this.

I collected this information from a variety of internet websites dedicated to business cultures.

Two websites I used most were Kwintessential.com and worldbusinessculture.com.

While I was working on the culture analysis my company coach asked me to help them scan

and organize their files digitally. This was a relief from all the typing and writing I was doing.


4. CONCLUSION

I left KME with a positive feeling regarding my internship. Although there have been

moments, especially in the beginning stage, when I did not know how to proceed, as time

went on it went much better, and I felt more a part of the group.

The S.P.O department never had an intern before I joined them, so they also needed to

familiarize themselves on how to manage such an internship. Unfortunately they did not have

that much free time available to really put effort in guiding me. Business trips, holidays and

meetings stood in the way, so there was not much guidance throughout my internship, which

can also be a good thing, since I needed to make a lot of decisions by myself.

My position at S.P.O also had the benefit of meeting, although briefly, managers from various

European countries and Japan. Sometimes this appeared strange to me, after all I was only an

intern and they were high ranked managers. I had this feeling even more when Japanese

executives showed up.

The assignments I worked on for KME were not very challenging. It was sometimes difficult

to keep focus on the assignments, however I did my best to deliver KME good quality work. I

feel that I have succeed, because they said they were happy with the result and did not

require any additional information, and nothing needed to be rewritten.

I learned the most from a culture and language point of view. Listening to Japanese all day has

certainly improved my listening and speaking skills. From a management or marketing point

of view there has not been much from which I could learn. My days spend at KMNL did give

me some insights into potential career paths that I might pursue.

This also means that I was not able to translate my knowledge on these subjects directly into

my internship. In that sense this was not the best place for an internship, however based on

cultural and language experience this has been an internship placement, which showed,

although in a basic way, the norms and values of a Japanese company and the Japanese

culture. That makes this a very unique experience that will, hopefully, help me in my future

career.

To conclude, this was a very interesting and meaningful internship that started on a rocky

and uneven road, however once it got on the highway everything was smooth and easy, which


helped my learning experiences. I feel to have improved in several areas, such as pro-

activeness and the acceptance of differences between cultures.


APPENDIX A: COMPANY PROFILE

A.1 INTRODUCTION

Kyocera was founded in 1959 when they, with limited technology and funds, manufactured

ceramic products, and eventually expanded into different markets using that core technology.

A market they expanded into was Document Imaging, where in 2000 Kyocera merged with

Mita to create Kyocera Mita. Their ceramic expertise allowed Kyocera to differentiate their

products and become a leading manufacturer of MFP’s and Printer solutions in the world.

(Kyocera Mita Euope)

A.2 MISSION, GOALS & STRATEGY

“Respect the Divine, and love people” is an important phrase within Kyocera. Their business

philosophy is based on this, and can be broken down into two parts.

“Respect the Divine” is inspired by the premise that companies and/or people seeking

material gain control the current business environment. Instead Kyocera feels we need to

think about what we can do as human beings. According to Kyocera we should “do the right

thing,” which is respect the destiny given by the Divine and strive to achieve it.

“Love people” is a mentality to help employees travel the “righteous road” in managing their

business to become a leader in every market they operate in.

Kyocera has set a very ambitious goal to be accomplished in 2016. They want to reach 700

billion yen in sales. At the end on the last fiscal year Kyocera recorded total sales of 2,367

billion yen.

Their strategy to achieve this is segmented in three blocks of importance, which are:

processes which need to be changed, processes that could be strengthened, and innovative

ideas. With these three categories identified they have laid the groundwork for what they

want to achieve. Which is to “Change Focus.”


A.3 KYOCERA PHILOSOPHY

The origins of the Kyocera philosophy are based on the empirical rules of Dr. Kazuo Inamori,

founder and retired president of Kyocera Corporation. “What is the right path of action for a

human being?” is the core of the Kyocera philosophy, and shows the determination and

dedication for a justified management.

Following this path, Dr. Kazuo Inamori wrote that there is nothing wrong with the principle

of free competition and the profit gained is a reward for doing business in a rightful manner,

however the pursuit of profit should not overwhelm the corporation, and should never

succumb to the temptation to seek profit shamelessly. The philosophy, for reporting purposes,

has been reduced to twelve basic principles upon which it is build.

Dr. Kazuo Inamori has also created a management system that works together with this

philosophy. The so called “amoeba management system.” The idea is that the company is

divided in smaller units, which can function as its own little company. Obviously each unit has

his own manager. Ordinary employees are chosen for this task to create managerial

awareness amongst all employees.

In addition, an accounting system is created so that every unit can be evaluated on its

effectiveness in comparison with other units. Some conditions must be met before such a unit

can be created however.

Units must have clearly definable revenues and cost of sales in order for them to be

fiscally self-supporting.

Units must be self-contained business units. [Inamori]

Subdivision of the organization must support the goals and objectives of the company as a

whole.


A3.1 TWELVE PRINCIPLES OF THE KYOCERA PHILOSOPHY

Clearly state the purpose and mission of your business.

Set specific goals. Once they are set, share them with all employees.

Keep a passionate desire in your heart

Strive harder than anyone else.

Maximize revenues and minimize expenses.

Pricing is management.

Success is determined by willpower

Possess a fighting spirit

Face every challenge with courage

Always be creative in your work.

Be kind and sincere.

Always be cheerful and positive; Hold great dreams and hopes in the pureness of your

heart.


APPENDIX B: ORGANIZATION CHART

President

Sales Division Business Support

Procurement

EMIS

Strategy Planning

Office

Business Management

Financing & Accounting

EU Internal Control

EU Logistics Management

Legal

Branch Office Germany

Vice President

General Affairs


APPENDIX C: KYOCERA MITA POSITION

Roy Bijvank | Kyocera Mita Europe | [ 6 ]

REFERENCES

Doidge, F. (2010, 09 01). Western Europe printer sales growing again. Retrieved 05 24, 2011,

from http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/1882896/western-europe-printer-sales-

growing

European Commision. (2011 йил 13-07). Eurostat. Retrieved 2011 йил 13-07 from Eurostat:

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home/

Eurostat. (2011 йил 18-07). Introduction. Retrieved 2011 йил 2011-07 from Eurostat:

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/about_eurostat/corporate/introductio

n

Hoffman, L. (2007). APA Style: It's The Little Things. Retrieved 2011 йил 22-07 from Louis

Hoffman Virtual Classroom: http://www.louis-hoffman-

virtualclassroom.com/Psychology%20Resources/Writing%20Resources/APA_style_little_thi

ngs.htm

Inamori, D. K. (n.d.). Kazuo Inamori Official Website. Retrieved 2011 йил 14-05 from

http://global.kyocera.com/inamori/management/index.html

Indexmundi. (2011 йил 18-07). Indexmundi. Retrieved 2011 йил 18-07 from Indexmundi:

www.indexmundi.com

Konica Minolta. (2009, 01 12). Konica Minolta bEST Technologt Suite. Retrieved 05 23, 2011,

from http://best.kmbs.us/pages/

Kwintessential. (2004). "Country": Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. Retrieved 07 19,

2011, from Kwintessential: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-

etiquette/spain-country-profile.html

Kyocera Mita Europe. (n.d.). Corporate Profile. Retrieved 2011 йил 08-06 from Kyocera Mita

Europe: http://kyoceramita.eu/index/about/corporate_profile.html

Kyocera Mita. (2011 йил 04). KC and KMC 201104.ppt. Hoofddorp.

Kyocera Mita. (2009 йил 09). Kyocera Mita Corporate Profile. Retrieved 2011 йил 15-05 from

Kyocera Mita: http://www.kyoceramita.com/company/pdf/corporate_profile.pdf

Roy Bijvank | Kyocera Mita Europe | [ 7 ]

Kyocera Mita. (2009). Kyocera Mita Corporate Social Responsibility. Retrieved 05 16, 2011,

from Kyocera Mita Europe: http://www.kyoceramita.eu/index/about/environmental.-cps-

26581-files-88143-File.cpsdownload.tmp/csr_2009_en.pdf

Magic Quadrant for MFPs and Printers by Gartner. (2010 йил 24-09). Retrieved 2011 йил 20-

05 from Gartner: http://www.gartner.com/technology/media-

products/reprints/xerox/article3/article3.html

Printware. (n.d.). Print Technologies Explained. Retrieved 2011 йил 24-05 from

http://www.printware.co.uk/Resources/Print-Technology.html

Ricoh Group. (n.d.). Rewritable Printing Technology. Retrieved 05 20, 2011, from

http://www.ricoh.com/about/company/technology/tech/004.html

Xerox Innovation. (2010). Xerox. Retrieved 05 23, 2011, from

http://www.xerox.com/downloads/usa/en/innovation/innovation_xig_brochure.pdf

(Kwintessential, 2004)

Placement Report v1

Documents

Transcript of Placement Report v1