Hondaism - Honda Culture

Accidentally found the book "Honda" at the shelve of UofWindsor library, by Sol Sanders. He wrote another book "A Sense of Asia". Honda culture is presented comparing with the general culture of Japanese firms. Honda is more innovative and free-minded style.

Honda management philosophy:

Company Principle
Maintaining an international viewpoint, we are dedicated to supplying products of the highest efficiency yet at a reasonable price for worldwide customer satisfaction.

Management Policy

1. Proceed always with ambition and youthfulness.
2. Respect sound theory, develop fresh ideas, and make the most effective use of time.
3. Enjoy your work and always brighten your working atmosphere.
4. Strive constantly for a harmonious flow of work.
5. Be ever mindful of the value of research and endeavor.

Honda R&D Institute, when it was set up, is an independent organization. This independent status guaranteed that R&D work is affected by company profit performance. It doesn't matter how profitable the company is, Honda R&D is always provided with enough fundings. At the time when the book was published, the fund is 2.5% of total sales. Plus, R&D is never punished when loss of sales results from a wrong research outcome.

When commenting on the phenomenal success of CVCC engine, the then president of Honda, Kawashima says:

"The quality of development is not solely dependent on the amount of money you devote to R&D and the number of people you have working in R&D. If that were true, our R&D company would have been dissolved long ago and we certainly could not have developed things like the CVCC. What we believe is important is the philosophy behind our work. And what counts, as far as we concerned, is this theory, the enthusiasm, and hard work"

"In our R&D, we believe that what is important is what is in our R&D people's brains. If technological breakthroughs were turned out as machines and computers work, then all you would need would be a large number of people. But it just doesn't work that way. So we believe what is important is that we administer or manage R&D in such a way that everybody there enjoys working, coming up with technological innovation. If their brains are 'strike,' then nothing is going to work no matter how much money you put into It."

- Innovation comes from freedom of imagination. The process is highly intensive brain functioning. Only enthusiasm could be the catalyst for a highly creative thinking.

Honda himself has put it more succinctly: "We do not make something because the demand, the market, is there. With our technology, we can create the demand, we can crate the market."

-How ambitious is this attitude! At a situation where giant firms are existing and ready to step you under their feet, this claim needs absolute bravery and resolution.