Fujitsu asks 100,000 employees to buy its products
TOKYO —
Electronics maker Fujitsu Ltd has asked some 100,000 employees in Japan to buy its appliances to boost the company’s flagging performance, an official said Tuesday. President Kuniaki Nozoe recently sent an email to employees of Fujitsu and its group companies in Japan, saying, “Let’s protect our company by ourselves.”
“Buy Fujitsu,” said the email, adding, “If everyone in the group gets together, then it will become a great power.” “This is not a compulsory order,” a company spokeswoman said. “This is asking for a favor.”
The move aims to boost Fujitsu’s earnings amid weakening demand, she said.
Fujitsu is not the only Japanese company hoping to get a sales boost from its workers.
A group of 2,200 Toyota managers has decided to buy the company’s cars in an effort to help the Japanese auto giant withstand the global economic crisis, although the company said it had played no role in the initiative.
Wire reports
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26 Comments
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some14some
a charity. What happened to tri of yens earned through exports all these years?
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NuckinFutz
Not compulsory but I'll bet purchases are being tracked and those who don't lay out some cash to Fujitsu will experience future career slowdowns.
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namabiru4me
Read between the lines: Buy our products or take a pay cut, maybe both!
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franz75
NuckinFutz: you forgot to mention that all employees have a chain and an iron ball fixed to their right foot.
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kokuryu
This is one way to boost your bottom line... It works for me... I would buy some Fujitsu products - if they were available for sale in the US...
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ebisen
Notginger - not to get personal - but are you really working, and in what industry (domain) ? If the employees don't like it at Fujitsu (be it even because they have "crap" products), they are always free to leave (and the same for every other manufacturer and employee). If they think their own products are soooo crap they are not even worth buying, they shouldn't work there - I mean at least have some PROUD in your own work...
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timorborder
This is boarding on ridiculous. There are also some ethical questions about this. It is beginning to sound like 19th Century coal mines, where miners were forced to buy supplies at the company-owned shop (for a nice little mark-up). The ethical question is, what happens if folks don't buy Fujitsu, are they going to have to park in the visitors carpark or worse? It all depends on who strongly "purchases" are recommended, to strong a recommendation would be paramount to depriving employees of their right to choose.
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Scrote
I've heard that at some companies there have been times when the bonus could only be used to buy that company's products. If the company only makes a limited range of goods it may be difficult to find anything you want to buy. I have a Fujitsu computer, but nothing else made by them.
In any case, I doubt that Fujitsu's 100000 employees would make much difference to total sales in a market of 120000000 people.
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Weasel
kokuryu
They sell them at www.costco.com or vist a costco warehouse (must be a member first).
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bobcatfish
some14some - it's gone - how much money do you have to show for all of your years of earnings?
ebisen - it's a bit naive to say that if they didn't like their company they were free to leave. Do you think all the NOVA teachers thought they were working for a great comapny? I too belive Fujitsu has a very bad reputation even among its employees
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Weasel
I think that the bigger message is that it's irrelevant if they buy their own products or not, they gonna get laid off anyway 'cause Fujitsu loosing market share.
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fds
i wouldn't buy fujitsu products if i didn't have to, but if you're an employee, think about it. the money you spend is part of your salary...
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ebisen
bobcatfish - the same question for u too: are you actually employed in a manufacturing company? because if not, if you work in (public) services or whatever else, it will be hard for you to understand what I meant there. If you work for a manufacturer, you should have a bit of proud in your work, otherwise you can either leave of be fired, whichever comes first.
First Fujitsu is NOT Nova, they make products, and they employees should buy them IF they need them (especially if the company also offers employees discounts - 90% of them do). I personally always bought the products I helped making - it feels also good to use something I designed and produced...
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anshin
If there are "crap" products at Fujitsu like some of the employees think, then they, must be the ones making them. Nothing better than a disgruntled employee to sabotage a company.
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Enterprise
My take is that the reason why Fujitsu is loosing market share is because they're concentrating to their IT business and less attention to their manufacturing business where they actually pioneered some of the breakthrough technologies that we use today. I think their heading towards IBM business model which is services (IT).
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solarbuster
If Fujitsu was a good company it would sell to employees at cost. But obviously they don't when asking employees to buy their products, so this is just exploitation of their workers. Manager who thought up this idea should be first one sacked as it has already damaged Fujitsu's reputation just getting in the news and that is the last thing Fujitsu needs.
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noborito
Managers want their bonuses. Brainless workers fall in line. Buy crap so I can get my bonus.
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Faderkinta
Buy now! The company.
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unklesam
I agree, this is getting out of hand. Another serious blow for ethics and morals at Japan Inc... strong arm your employees into buying your products... which, by the way, I imagine employees already do... if the products are worth a damn.
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Deepinside
The boss calling one of the employers.
sukoda, yes sir? you only want to buy a headphone,,you are fired,,
sukoda: but,boss i dont have much money,,
Boss: GO to the bank and make a credit,and buy more things to help the company,,and it will help you keep your job for at least a year..
Sukoda:thanks boss your so kind,...
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bobcatfish
ebisen - i now understand your point, however i'm not sure what percentage of fujitsu's employees actually make their products. i had assumed it was relatively low - robotics and off-shore factories and the like.
secondly, have you seen footage of production line work? it is pretty soul destroying. sticking keys on a keyboard is a bit different from crafting wooden furniture.
i think most people do their best at work but i also think few of us think the companies we work for are especially wonderful.
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motytrah
I would buy the Fujitsu Automate beer dispenser if they would sell it outside of Japan (As seen in some of the Airline lounges in NRT and at various bars).
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ca1ic0cat
I would buy the Automate beer dispenser too - if they would stock it with beer for me!
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kjcar11
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
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