On arrival at Narita airport in 2009, the incoming chief executive of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., Albert Kirchmann, asked his assistant there to pick him up, "Tell me, what are 'my people' expecting?" Hesitantly, the assistant replied, "They are expecting you to defend Fuso by standing up for us at Daimler's Stuttgart headquarters." Daimler is the Japanese firm's German parent.
Mitsubishi Fuso is one of the biggest foreign companies in Japan and among the largest foreign employers. Many of the firm's then 20,000 mostly local employees had lost confidence, both in themselves and in their leaders. Kirchmann had been sent by the headquarters to turn the huge but ailing bus and truck manufacturer around.
Earlier, quality issues arising under previous owner, Mitsubishi Motors Corp., led to a public blaming of the firm in 2002 and a major product recall in 2004. Company morale sank as Japanese monotsukuri (craftsmanship pride) evaporated within Japan's culture of shame. One year later, Mitsubishi Motors sold its controlling shares in Mitsubishi Fuso to Daimler (then DaimlerChrysler).
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.