Global management style, local application

Antoinette Gutierrez—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Omron Corp., a leading automation company based in Kyoto, Japan, has brought its distinctive management values and principles to the Philippines not only to grow its business but also to contribute to nation-building.

Antoinette Gutierrez, country head for the Philippines of Omron Management Center for Asia-Pacific and Omron Global Shared Services Center, says the company’s goal is to create social value through business and continue to contribute to the development of society.

“That is precisely what the practical application of our corporate philosophy seeks to do. Along with focusing on financial performance and profit, our bigger vision is to (identify) social issues and come up with solutions … through our businesses,” she says.

Such a strategy, she adds, is considered key to sustaining the company’s long-term social value.

3 core values

Gutierrez says Omron, from management to staff, is guided by three simple values: innovation driven by social needs, challenging one’s self and respect for all.

These core principles that set apart the company from others are the linchpins of everything Omron people do. “We are able to operate harmoniously and effectively across our different business verticals in diverse markets around the world,” she says.

Omron is motivated to excel not just for profits but to create real value for society, she says.

Introducing the management style and practices of a global company to the Philippines is not difficult, Gutierrez says. Filipinos’ hard work, optimism and persistence have made it easy for them to adopt Omron’s global corporate culture.

“These traits are highly embedded in each individual here,” she says, so it was easy for them to adapt to the new work culture and practices, and not many changes had to be made to the company management template.

Gutierrez points to the establishment of Omron Global Shared Service Center in the Philippines as a prime example of how readily Filipinos have accepted the company’s management values and principles.

The center handles outsourced finance functions for Omron businesses in Asia Pacific and beyond. For Gutierrez, having the center here is a recognition of Filipinos’ agility and adaptability to global work ethics and standards as well as their ability to meet the varied needs of diverse business environments.

“As we are a global company with presence in multiple regions and countries, we are conscious of the varying landscapes in the markets we manage … Omron strongly believes in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion,” she says, as embodied by the company’s “respect for all” value.

Valuing local talent

Omron corporate policy, Gutierrez adds, prioritizes local hires, especially in leadership roles. Some 80 percent of managerial positions in the company’s overseas offices, including the Philippines, are now filled by locals.

“I for one, am a testament to Omron’s commitment to seating locally hired leaders—and, given my role, one of my biggest priorities is ensuring that our team in the Philippines gets the support it needs to excel.”

With the local staff, Gutierrez says the company cultivates a culture of empowerment and mutual respect. This helps motivate the team and unleash its full potential to deliver the right value for the company, society and themselves.

Having a local team and branch enables the company to pursue more effectively its mission to improve the lives of Filipinos and contribute to a better society. It has also made solutions offered by Omron more accessible to Filipino customers.

Omron is engaged in a wide range of businesses including industrial automation, health-care solutions, social solutions and device and module solutions.

Gutierrez adds, “Its (local presence) also enables us to communicate and advocate campaigns that make a difference for the country—both in the field of automation and health care.”

She expects the company’s engagement in the Philippines to expand, specifically in long-term focus areas of carbon neutrality, digital transformation and increase in life expectancy.

With company success now measured not just through financial performance but also society involvement and sustainability, corporations are looking to adapt management styles and principles to changing priorities.

Omron, Gutierrez says, had always looked beyond financial success. “Our founder, Kazuma Tateisi, strongly believed that a business should create value for society through its key practices. He dedicated himself to and evolved Omron’s operations towards creating a better society based on the Omron Principles.”

The corporate motto of the nearly 90-year-old company is “to improve lives and contribute to a better society.” The Omron Principles have been at the heart of Omron’s management style.

Gutierrez says, “Our principles-based management has helped us contribute to society and (address) so many social issues.” They will rely on this principles-based management style, she says, to achieve their long-term vision—“Shaping the Future 2030.”

Omron envisions a world where people and machines complement each other and human creativity is unleashed. It will pursue automation to empower people and help build a future “where the affluence of society and individual fulfillment are compatible.” —Contributed