Akio Morita
The decades following the Second World War brought rapid industrial transformation to Japan, as the country rebuilt its economy and carved out a new role in global commerce and technology. Akio Morita was born on January 26, 1921, in Nagoya, and would go on to become one of the defining business figures of that postwar era.
Educated at the University of Osaka, Morita trained as a physicist and engineer before moving into the world of business. As a Japanese citizen working in the decades when Japanese manufacturing was reshaping international markets, he occupied the roles of businessperson and supervisor, combining technical knowledge with commercial ambition. His background in physics and engineering gave him a grounding that informed his work in ways that a purely commercial education might not have.
The breadth of recognition Morita received across multiple countries speaks to the reach of his career. From Japan, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, 1st class. From Spain, he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit and Saint George's Cross. The United Kingdom honored him with the Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, as well as the Albert Medal. France awarded him the Commander of the Legion of Honour. The IEEE Founders Medal recognized his standing in the engineering world, and the International Emmy Directorate Award pointed to his influence in the media and entertainment industries. It's a list that spans continents and disciplines, which is unusual even for figures of considerable standing.
Morita died on October 3, 1999, at Saiseikai Central Hospital. The accumulation of honors he received across his lifetime — from engineering bodies, governments, and broadcasting institutions alike — reflects the range of fields his career touched. Among the most concrete markers of that recognition is the IEEE Founders Medal, awarded by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which is given to those who have made outstanding contributions in the founding and growth of the engineering and electronics professions. That Morita, trained as a physicist in Osaka, ended his life holding decorations from Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, and the international broadcasting community says a great deal about the scope of what he built.
Quotes by Akio Morita
Akio Morita's insights on:
Of course we have to make a profit, but we have to make a profit over the long haul, not just the short term, and that means we must keep investing in research and development – it has run consistently about 6 percent of sales at Sony – and in service.
From a management standpoint, it is very important to know how to unleash people’s inborn creativity. My concept is that anybody has creative ability, but very few people know how to use it.
I often say to my assistants, “Never trust anybody,” but what I mean is that you should never trust someone else to do a job exactly the way you would want it done.
We don’t believe in market research for a new product unknown to the public. So we never do any.
We will try to create conditions where persons could come together in a spirit of teamwork, and exercise to their heart’s desire their technological capacity.
If we face recession, we should not lay off employees; the company should sacrifice a profit. It’s management’s risk and management’s responsibility. Employees are not guilty; why should they suffer?
The “patron saint” of Japanese quality control, ironically, is an American named W. Edwards Deming, who was virtually unknown in his own country until his ideas of quality control began to make such a big impact on Japanese companies.
