Kyocera Mita internship report summary

Placement Report
Submittedby:
Bijvank, R. 3rd year, TMA
260428
Roy.Bijvank@hva.nl
Submittedto:
HES School of Business
& Economics
Internship Company&Department:
Kyocera Mita Europe
Strategy Planning Office
Publishedon:
June 4, 2016
Supervisor: Mrs. Fukui, M.
Coordinator: Mrs. Ono-Boots,M.
Start Date forInternship: 1st May 2011
End Date for Internship: 31th August 2011

CONTENTS
1. Company, Department & Placement Assignment...............................................................................1
1.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Leading to the internship.................................................................................................................................1
1.3 Internship Company Choice.............................................................................................................................1
1.4 Department In-Depth ..........................................................................................................................................2
1.5 My Role & Assignment..........................................................................................................................................2
2. Individual LearningGoals.................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Strengths & Weaknesses .....................................................................................................................................3
2.1.1 Motivation & Interests.............................................................................................................................3
2.1.2 Strengths .......................................................................................................................................................3
2.1.3 Weaknesses..................................................................................................................................................4
2.2 Competencies ...........................................................................................................................................................4
2.2.1 Requirements For Internship...............................................................................................................5
2.2.2 Task Description........................................................................................................................................5
2.3 “GAP”-Analysis.........................................................................................................................................................6
2.4 Tactics..........................................................................................................................................................................8
2.5 Learning Curve .......................................................................................................................................................9
2.5.1 Learning Curve Conclusion ................................................................................................................10
2.6 Internship Reflection........................................................................................................................................11
2.6.2 Internship Quality .................................................................................................................................11
2.6.3 Critical Study Reflection......................................................................................................................12
3. Company Analysis & Research Assignment.........................................................................................13
3.1 Kyocera Mita’s Unique Selling points.....................................................................................................13
3.2 Kyocera Mita’s Position ..................................................................................................................................14
3.3 Distribution & Sales............................................................................................................................................14
3.4 Organizational Structure..................................................................................................................................15
3.5 Research Proposal...............................................................................................................................................15
3.6 Research Assignment.........................................................................................................................................16
3.6.1 Methodology.............................................................................................................................................16
3.6.2 The Assignment.......................................................................................................................................18
3.6.3 Culture Analysis ......................................................................................................................................19
4. Conclusion...............................................................................................................................................................20
Appendix A:Company Profile..............................................................................................................................1
Appendix B: Organization Chart.........................................................................................................................4
AppendixC: Kyocera Mita Position...................................................................................................................5
References.......................................................................................................................................................................6

Acknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to thank everyone fromthe S.P.Odepartment fortheir co-operationand
guidance during my internship, and forthe opportunity to experience a portion of the
Japanese Business Culture.
Secondly I wouldlike to thank Ms. Natasja Jansen forher effortsin securing my internship
placement at Kyocera Mita Europe.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. René van der Heijden and Mr. Gerben Priester fortheir
assistance and explanations during my days at Kyocera Mita Netherlands, as well as the HES
for assisting me in finding a proper internship placement.
Roy Bijvank

| Roy Bijvank | Kyocera Mita Europe | 31-08-2011 | Page [ 1 ]
1. COMPANY,DEPARTMENT & PLACEMENT ASSIGNMENT
1.1 INTRODUCTION
My internship took place at the Strategy Planning Office(S.P.O) department of KyoceraMita
Europe (KME).KME functions as Europe’s headquarters forthe KyoceraMita Corporation
(KMC), whohas its headquarters in Kyoto,Japan. KMC, part of the KyoceraGroup, has as core
business the manufacture and sale of officeprinters and MFPs (Multifunctional
Printers/Products).
1.2 LEADING TO THE INTERNSHIP
The HES TMA department forwardedmy resume and a cover letter to the HR department of
KME, whophoned me to make an appointment for an interview. The interview lasted
approximately one hour and thirty minutes. The Manager and assistant manager of S.P.O
were both present, as well as an HR representative, whomI had previously spoken with on
the phone.
During the interview I explained who I was and what my ambitions were, that I had some
workexperience, how I came to be a third year student at the HES, and I explained why I
needed an internship on short notice.
The interview turned out a success, howeverone aspect of the interview I would have done
differently.I overestimated my Japanese skills. I should have been more conservative about
this.
1.3 INTERNSHIP COMPANY CHOICE
I did not “choose” KME as my internship company.The HES initiated the conversation
between KME and myself, therefore there were no specific reasons for me to be at this
company, howeverI have found reasons why I would want to workhere.
The company formulates an interesting business philosophy (see Appendix 1.3). The founder,
Dr. Kazuo Inamori, created this philosophy, and all employees follow it vigorously. All
decisions the company makes are based on the ideas of this philosophy. Furthermore, all
employees receivea bookletwith the Kyocera philosophy fully described.

In addition, KME, as headquarters, does not directly involve itself with sales and affected
processes. They deal with broader and more abstract issues across Europe, as wellas the
mediation between Europe and Japan. This is different from other companies I workedfor.
1.4 DEPARTMENT IN-DEPTH
There are, excluding me, four people workingat S.P.O.The president has his officethere as
well, albeit in a separate office.
The department has two main tasks. Firstly S.P.O manages projects concerning the
establishment of new sales companies, and the evaluation of these and existing sales
companies. This often requires them to go on business trips.
Secondly, they have a secretarial task, whichinclude, but are not limited to, organizing and
preparing meetings, as well as managing the schedule and activities of the president and vice
president.
1.5 MY ROLE & ASSIGNMENT
I expect to see in whatway the three years at the HES have helped me become a more
intelligent and knowledgeable person. Regarding the courses given and the mentality needed
to workin a professional environment. This willalso be a great opportunity to assess and
improve my Japanese language skills.
Other than absorbing the Japanese language I did not have specific tasks yet.I was doing
small task to support the department. It was after discussing the PCF1 that we agreed on a
clear assignment, whichconsisted of making country and culture analyses for the countries
they specified.
My colleagues and company coachare expecting me to make the deadlines they set forme, to
actively take part in becoming a member of “the team,” and to make the analyses beneficial to
KME in a profound way.Furthermore, they want me to be available forunforeseen tasks that
the S.P.O might need to do.
1
Placement Commencement Form

2. INDIVIDUAL LEARNING GOALS
2.1 STRENGTHS &WEAKNESSES
2.1.1 MOTIVATION & INTERESTS
I favorchallenging and interesting work. These factors keep my focusand motivation high.
Reasons being that I want to learn from what I am doing, and if the worklevel does not
challenge my capabilities I lose interest, whichresults in demotivation.
Although, many things interest me it is important to look fora business area I find most
interesting and challenging. At the HES I enjoyed marketing and finance courses, however
numbers do not like me, so marketing seems the logicaloption; where product marketing is
an area I find interesting.
During my two days at KMNL a product manager gave a presentation about all the new
models being released, and explained new contractoptions for each of them. I saw this as a
potential career for myself.
2.1.2 STRENGTHS
I have no problem understanding or speaking English on a professional level. My written
English is good, however I wouldstill like to improve upon it.
I can easily work in a team, as I can be flexible with other people. I remain calm, composed,
and alwaystry to discuss alongside others about ideas or decisions.
I completed a MBOdegree beforeenrolling in HBO, and my MBO program required me to do
twointernships, so Ihave some experience in this, as well as having workedfull-time for
nearly two years.
I try to lookcritically to my ownwork, and look forareas of improvement to increase the
quality of my report. This can be time consuming, howeverI feel the best way to improve
yourself comes fromidentifying and learning fromyour own mistakes.

2.1.3 WEAKNESSES
Taking more initiative is a personal goal. Thinking someone else willdo it will oftenresult in
nothing being done. I have improved this over the last three years, howeverI would like to
see it improve even more. Networking is also part of this. I rarely take the initiative tomeet
someone forthis purpose. Although it is a good enough reason formany; I have difficulties
with this.
Distraction is another point I want to improve upon. Working in a team is no problem,
howeverwhen the team is working together I get distracted frommy own work, therefore I
rather workalone whilst in a team, whichsounds contradictive, howeverit happens
frequently.
Another weakness I have occurs when I am working in a team. During this time I wantto do
more work myself,because I do not trust someone willtry their hardest to keep the quality
high. It might be related to the delegating “skill,” howeverthis also occurswhen I am not the
leader or head of the group or team.
2.2 COMPETENCIES
Strength
Weakness

2.2.1 REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNSHIP
The competencies listed above are appointed as “absolutely necessary” by my internship
coachon the PCF.
In order to provide accurateand reliable information for my research I need to find good
sources, therefore I require good investigative capabilities. I cannot deliver wrong or
inaccurate data if KME decides to use my research in their decision-making processes.
The culture of KME is substantially different from my experiences of Dutch companies,
consequently sensitivity and accessibility are competencies I need to have during my
internship.
Lastly, efficiency is a keywordformany businesses. In today’s competitive market it has
become very important. The speed of innovations adds even more focusto this. The need for
efficiency spreads throughout the company,as a result I need to be efficient too.
2.2.2 TASK DESCRIPTION
No specific assignment was agreed upon starting my internship. Small assignments were
delegated to me so I could support the department. I wrotemeeting minutes, prepared
presentations and did some financial calculations. There was no real chance of developing
these tasks, as they were coincidental.
Looking forwardto the meeting regarding the PCF I brainstormed forassignments I could do
for KME.I pitched the ideas to my company coach,and she thought they wouldbe valuable
for KME,although she had to discuss it withher manager. When he agreed on the tasks as
well weclarified the specific data that would be needed.
The assignment consisted of two reports. A country analysis and business culture analysis for
all countries in which KME has sales companies. Deadlines for the assignments were mid-July
and mid-August respectively.

Finally, KME wanted me to help organize and digitalize their folders. A process they had
already started with.
2.3 “GAP”-ANALYSIS
TMA Competencies
Japanese is a commonly spoken language at KME, due to the amount of Japanese employees.
Meaning Japanese morals & values are applicable. I am the only one in my department who
does not speak Japanese fluently.These twofactorsmake fora very good learning
experience.
Developmental Orientation
Accepting feedback can be difficultat times. The way I approach it is to reflecton the things
that were said, and judge formyself if that information is useful.
I am unsure to whichdegree feedback is a part of Japanese culture. I know they do not like to
“lose face,” and forthis reason I do not think it is easy fora Japanese person to be so critical
about another employee.
Investigative Capabilities
Investigative capabilities are important when you need to do any kind of research. Finding
reliable and accuratedata can certainly be a challenge. The problems that might occurwhen
collecting data from different sources need to be dealt with as well.
Finding the right data, especially specific data, can be difficult.During the projects at the HES
this has been a constant annoyance, howeverthere are some reliable sources with large
databases that are free to use. Eurostat, IMFand World Bank are good examples of having
extensive databases. I need to learn how to effectively extractdata from these sources.
Goal-Oriented Working
Large projects or tasks require more planning and detail to reach a specific goal, while
smaller everyday tasks are less focused on a specific goal. My task was somewhere in the
middle.

Making this many country analyses can become a tedious task, howeverI should get a goal,
and complete the task withas little distractions and as much focusas possible to deliver a
high quality report.
Pro-Activeness
The description of pro-activeness in the competencies list manages to accurately explains this
vague term. To me it alwaysseemed tomean, “We don’t know what it is, and we do not ask
you to do it, howeveryou still need to do it.” This makes you very uncertain about what to do
as an intern or employee.
I am having problems being pro-active,as seen from the previous paragraph, howeverI will
try to lookfor opportunities and look out for potential problems. Being open to new ideas and
developments is not an area I usually have problems with.
Accessibility & Sensitivity
Every business situation calls for some formof communication. If you cannot communicate in
a friendly but professional way problems will ensue.
Regarding my tasks and position in KME it is obviously very important to maintain a pleasant
workenvironment, howeverI am doing most of the tasks by myself withoutany need for
interaction with my colleagues.
Working at KME required me to speak English, since they appointed it as the Official
Company Language, due to all the various nationalities, howeverJapanese employees spoke
Japanese amongst themselves. This occurrednot only amongst Japanese, but also Dutch,
French and Polish native employees. Showing that during a workday youwere exposed to
multiple languages and cultures.
Since I am going to Japan after my internship I am also interested in learning more about
their culture and their norms and values. This internship presented me the opportunity to
fully engage myself in a new culture. This is where living in Amsterdam, where many cultures
exist, helps understanding your ownculture and the differences with others.

2.4 TACTICS
I will try to describe the tactics I plan to use at KME to reduce the gap between my strengths
and weaknesses, and the requirements forthis internship, as well as my personal goals.
Regardless of having studied Japanese fortwo years I still have difficulty making
conversation in Japanese. This is not only due to the factthat my Japanese speaking is not
very good, but also to the factthat I am new here at KME, whichmakes me quite uncertain.
I understand that everyone needs time adjusting to a new work situation, howeverover the
years I have realized this process takes longer for me. Delivering quality workis another way
of gaining trust and respect from yourcolleagues, therefore I try harder to deliver quality
workto compensate forany social skills I might be lacking compared to other employees.
At KME there is the added uncertainty of Japanese culture. In my Japanese studies there has
been little attention to the business culture of Japan. It is a culture with a distinct hierarchical
structure. Along with this structure come a variety of different expressions and traditions. All
I can do is absorb everything that happens around me, and learn.
I can also learn from myself by reviewing the workI have done. In English writing and
grammar, and whether the data or information within that report is accurate and useful to
KME.
I am uncertain to what extend Japanese society is prone to feedback,therefore I need to look
at my own workand review it with a critical eye. That way I can give myself feedback. I’m
hoping to get at least some feedback on the tasks I do for KME so that I know in what
direction I need to go.

2.5 LEARNING CURVE
TMA Specific competence (Asian language and Culture)
There were many aspects of the Japanese culture I was unfamiliar with, and I am sure there
are still some that I do not know,howeverduring my time here at KME I have learned some
habits and traditions they have. From specific expressions in certain situations to phone
manners, and meeting employees from KMC.
Pro-Activeness
I had been asking for tasks repeatedly, which,I can imagine, becomes annoying after a while,
therefore I was looking for a way to create my own assignments and I learned of the CMS in
last year’s syllabus and decided to start making it thinking it might be beneficial for KME.
When we had a discussion about my future tasks with KME I handed her the report and she
was interested in it and asked if I could send it to her.
Goal-Oriented Working
The importance of planning my assignments became more important later on in my
internship, when there was not much time left and I had to do multiple assignments on day-
to-day basis, as well as keeping the deadlines. This has been no problem. All assignments
were delivered on time, and I had enough time to work on my internship report.
Investigative Capabilities
I had no experience workingwith databases like Eurostat, whichwas the biggest problem I
ran into during my research, and while simple GDP data was found easily; the specific data
was much harder to find. With some determination I was able to find everything they
requested.

For my research I used Eurostat predominantly, howeverI also consulted the IMF and OECD
databases, whichwere constructed in much the same way. There is one thing I would have
done differently in retrospect. Instead of requesting data on all the countries simultaneously,
I did so only for the countries I was working on at the time.
This caused me to request the same data more than once, whichwas not very efficient,
moreover they used acronymsand codes for shortcuts into their database. I forgot to write
these down. Afterwards these wouldhave been very helpful to reduce the time spend on each
topic.
Sensitivity & Accessibility
It was hard forme to understand Japanese at the start of my internship. Having worked in a
department where 90% of all conversations is in Japanese this has improved significantly. I
can follow their pace better, although I cannot understand everything or always reply. I need
to improve my vocabulary and I will have faith my speaking will improved quickly.
Writing the internship report has not been easy. The level of thought that goes into describing
the things youdo and why or how this should help youimprove yourself in this detail is quite
difficult.I have explained it to the best of my abilities and hopefully this willsuffice in the
eyes of the reader.
2.5.1 LEARNING CURVE CONCLUSION
I think this internship has been most beneficialfor me froma cultural and language point of
view.Working everyday with Japanese people has helped me understand their culture a little
better and increased my knowledge of their language.
Nevertheless, I did not learn a great deal from a managerial or marketing point of view.These
were areas that I did not come in contactwith during my time at KME.
From my experiences I feel that I have learned what it means to be pro-active,and I have
learned from mistakes I made during the process of creating the country analysis. I tried to
increase my English writing, and my investigative capabilities.

2.6 INTERNSHIP REFLECTION
2.6.2 INTERNSHIP QUALITY
The S.P.O department never had an intern before me, therefore it is quite understandable that
they were unsure how to manage the internship. Evenmore so since my start was rushed and
no clear guidelines were completed yet.
The factthat they were able to provide me with an internship on short notice helped me
avoid a study delay, so I am grateful forthe opportunity they gave me. Also, they helped me
experience an authentic Japanese business environment in the Netherlands, whichwould not
have been possible with most other companies.
Until a few weeksinto my internship there were only a few small tasks I could help KME with,
therefore I wanted to discuss my future assignments withmy company coach,so I could start
working on those. From that time on I have been busy, and found a good balance between
HES assignments and KME assignments.
All my colleagues were fun to workwith. They were helpful whenever I had a problem or
question. They do speak Japanese often and I cannot alwaysfollow.They did say to shout out
if I did not understand, but I do not want to interrupt them every time. That must be getting
annoying at some point.
In conclusion, I think it was a very educative internship. I learned the most from a culture and
language point of view, whichwill be helpful, since I am going to Japan soon.

2.6.3 CRITICAL STUDY REFLECTION
Twocourses taught at the HES focused on culture, and both proved helpful during my
internship. As I am workingfor a Japanese company with many nationalities. The two courses
I am referring to were Cross Cultural Analysis and Cross Cultural Negotiation. Mrs. Murayama
taught CCA in the first semester. The course couldhave been much more interesting, however
Mrs. Murayama taught dreadfully. The topics discussed were based on the Hofstede method
of analyzing cultures.
Mr. Powelltaught the other course. Every weekwe wouldbe confrontedwith a different
negotiation, and how culture might have an influence on the outcome, or the reasoning
behind certain business aspects and decisions. I experienced elements of these courses
regularly throughout my internship.
Unfortunately the marketing department operates from a branch officein Germany, therefore
I do not have much insight or information about the marketing, pricing or other marketing
related strategies, nor did I come in contactwith such topics in the S.P.Odepartment, which
disappointed me, since marketing interests me as a potential future career path
Development economics given by Dr. John Csellak has also been relevant during my
internship. Although none of the sales companies is located in an emerging or developing
market it can still be interesting to see some of the indicators for developed countries as well.
It helps to make a better analysis between countries.
The English courses at the HES do not teach us the English language. The job interview and
C.V. assignments have been examination multiple times during high school, and we conducted

meetings in the first years YE program. It seems redundant to repeat all of this. On top of this
at the HES we followedpersonal development classes, whichcovered these topics.
I feel it should contain more grammar, reading and writing training. Styles such as APA and
MLA were never taught.
Finally, I would like to say that some parts of the syllabus were really difficultto understand
with page 21 as a specific example.
3. COMPANY ANALYSIS & RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT
3.1 KYOCERA MITA’S UNIQUE SELLING POINTS
Kyocera’s core business comprises fine ceramics. They used their experience withceramics
to create a very valuable USP for their printer and MFP market.
Kyocera uses a ceramic film overthe drum inside their printers. This film makes sure that it
stays cool and conducts the electric charge better than traditional materials. This makes the
drum last multiple times longer compared to other brands, and Kyocera capitalizes on this by
considering this a component, instead of a consumable. Consumables are components that
“run out” and need replacing. Contracts do not coverconsumables, whichinduces extra costs,
whereas contractsdo coverspare parts. This makes KyoceraMita cheaper per page printed,
whichcompanies primarily use for measuring the TCO forproducts like these.
Moreover, other brands combine these parts in one unit foreasy replacement and cost
reduction, howeverwhen one component breaks the whole unit needs replacing, where
working components get discarded as well. Kyocera Mita products only need to swap the
toner, which increases efficiency and decreases waste and cost, making Kyocera Mita’s
printer to have one of the lowest TCO in the industry.
In the pictures you can see the difference in number of components between Kyocera
technology and technology from its competitors.
Figure 1 Kyocera Mita Toner Unit Figure 2 Competitors Toner Unit

3.2 KYOCERA MITA’S POSITION
The research done by Gartner shows that Kyocera, in the current market situation, is not in a
leadership role. They are marked as a “challenger,” whichmeans they have unique technology
and a fair market share among small to mid-sized companies, howeverthey lack a diverse
product portfoliothat brands such as Xerox,Ricoh and Canon have, whichmakes them less
interesting forlarge corporations that need a variety of MFP’s.
Kyocera Mita acts on a global level, with headquarters in Asia, North America and Europe.
They have fourteen sales companies in Europe and one in South-Africa,as well as 5 regional
officesin the U.S.
3.
3
DI
ST
RIB
UTI
ON & SALES
Kyocera Mita distributes its products through only two channels. They sell 100% of their
products indirectly, and rely on distributors to provide customers. Four differentdistributors
can be identified. A reseller, certifiedreseller, business partner and champ partner.
Depending on the sales and commitment to Kyocera places each distributor in such a

category. A reseller has the least privileges in marketing and pricing terms, whereas champ
partners have the most. Customers range from SOHOand SME’s to larger companies.
Although they have a broad range of clients their focuslies with SME’s.
It is commonfor products like these to be bound by contracts,which include a minimum
amount of pages printed, and the price per printed page. These prices are based on a 3% use
of toner on a single page. This means if you print a lot of images, graphs or similar graphics,
your pages willbecome cheaper when comparing them to companies who use their printers
only to print text. The price obviously reflects this, therefore they wantto become more
flexible in their contracts by offeringdifferent toner usages per page, such as 9% or 15%
coverage.
3.4 ORGANIZATIONALSTRUCTURE
Dr. Kazuo Inamori, retired director and founder of Kyocera,has created his own
organizational style, whichis based on a team structure (see Appendix A.3 Kyocera
Philosophy).This system is being as much as possible around the company. Eventhough the
team based organization is used a slight hierarchical structure is noticeable.
Departments such as Legal, Accounting, Sales, Procurement and Marketing can still be
identified although these are more seen as teams than departments. This depends, however,
on the specific department and the organizational guidelines. (see Appendix B: Organization
Chart)
3.5 RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Certain sales companies performances have been disappointing. They have not reached the
targets that were set last year. For these countries specifically KME wanted to create a sort of
country analysis, so they could have a better overview of the economic situation. They had
the problem that they could not afford to dedicate an employee’s time to this.
Before I became aware of this idea I had been thinking about an assignment. During a
brainstorming sessions I concluded that a country and culture analysis wouldbe beneficial
for KME.Also, I chose this because I had some experience in making a country analysis.
We further discussed about the business culture idea, and although my company coach was
interested it feltas though she did not know whatto expect fromthis assignment.

I planned to describe the most characteristic aspects of the “business culture,” such as
communications style, the balance of relationship and task orientation, individualistic against
team based cultures, time punctuality, etc.
Something that I did not propose, but did create for KME was a small market and competitor
analysis.
3.6 RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT
3.6.1 METHODOLOGY
My company coachand I agreed on a broad spectrum of topics required for the analysis. This
ranged from GPDper capita to internet penetration and government debt, since this is often
requested data for databases like these; it was easy to find, howeverEurostat used codes,
acronyms and abbreviations to name their datasets. This confusedme, since you never knew
exactly what kind of data it was going to be.
My company coachwanted to have a 10-year overview of all categories wherever possible.
This became harder when I researched more specific categories. Confidentiality or absence of
data caused some countries to have incomplete data. This was quite frustrating sometimes

when an entire country’s data was unavailable. It made the country analyses less accurate. To
find this data I used the officialEU database Eurostat and incidentally the IMF and World
Bank databases. The problem withusing differentdatabases is that they use different
methodologies forcalculating their figures, and these can conflictwith each other, which
causes the data to become confusing.
The Eurostat database used a tree-structure2 to display its content. After youselected a topic;
a new window opened where you could select parameters forthat specific table. In figure
three there is an example of this.
Figure 3 Eurostat Parameter Select Screen
I downloaded these datasets in excel format, howeverI needed to reformat them before I
could use them as a source for tables and graphs. This process was time consuming, due to
the fact that not all datasets were formatted the same way.Some started withthe year 2001,
whereas others started with 2010. This annoying inconsistency on Eurostat’s part made my
assignment much more time consuming, whichI found frustrating.
After formatting the data I wanted to make it more readable. I achieved this through pivot
tables and a variety of graphs. Pivottables provide a great overview forthese kinds of
information. It took me a few tries until I understood how touse this feature of excel,
howeverthe result was wellworth it.
2 A tree structure is a way of representing a structure in a graphical form. It is named a "tree
structure" because it resembles a tree, even though the chart is generally upside down compared to an
actual tree, with the "root" at the top and the "leaves" at the bottom.

Creating the pivottable
makes everything much
clearer. On top of that the
figure 4 is only a part of the
table it has many more rows,
whereas the pivot
table does not, which
increases its
readability. This
saves a lot of time
reading through this
information.
3.6.2 THE ASSIGNMENT
Figure 4 Data before Pivot Table
Figure 5 Table after Pivot Table

KME gave notice that some countries had higher priority and they should be finished first.
They meant the followingcountries: Germany, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom. I
almost finished these countries, when a colleague received an e-mail in whichthey asked me
to add several, more specific,topics. I felt this indicated my work’s usefulness and it
appreciation to KME.
They requested I add more data on the industries within each country. Regarding this
assignment this topic consumed the most time. Eurostat did not have such information
grouped forall industries. It made a distinction between industry, trade and services, and
within each category it divided in even more segments, therefore it tooka lot of time to
gather all this data.
Moreover, Eurostat identified only 9 major industries. Industries such as Healthcare,
Education, Military and Media were unavailable, therefore a good identification on the
diversity of the labor forcebecame impossible, and I decided that the data to be unreliable,
whichdisappointed me after dedicating so much energy to it. Although I did not remove it
completely Idid not create any tables or graphs fromit.
Twomore requests followedthe one I already received. I had become more proficientin
using the various databases, therefore everythingwent smoother and more quickly. I did
have some problems finding one very specific topic.
They were looking fordata regarding public procurement or Tenders, howeverI could not
find this in Eurostat initially, so I turned to other databases. There was some information
about it, howevernot what I was looking for. I did not want to acknowledge that this
information was nowhere on the internet, so I lookedthrough Eurostat one last time, and
found what I was looking for.Finding this data finalized my assignment. I handed it in to my
company coachand I started on my next assignment
To conclude,it was interesting to see the differencesfrom an Economic point of view,because
of the current economic problems in Western Europe. Topicssuch as unemployment rate,
GDP per capita, inflation and government debt were especially interesting.
During this assignment my company coachwas on holiday, so I needed to decide for myself
what the best approach was, and I think that I managed to deliver a good report.
3.6.3 CULTURE ANALYSIS

The next assignment we agreed upon was the business culture analysis of the same countries.
This assignment would prove to be easier and quicker, since the information was available
from more sources. This workedin my favor,because now I had more time to workon my
internship report.
I started by describing the broad aspects of the countries’ business culture. This regarded
topics such as, whether they used direct or indirect communication, if they wanted to get
straight to business or establish a relationship first. There were quite some differences,and
you couldnotice the differencebetween the “Latin” European countries and countries more
to the north (the Netherlands and Germany).
When my company coachand I agreed on the assignments this seemed as the most
interesting assignment, howeverduring the making of it I realized that it was not as
interesting as I had thought. The main reason being that the differences, although substantial,
did not come close to the differences with Asian countries.
Although, there was quite a big differencebetween the Nordic countries, and the Latin
countries. Latin countries are much more based around trust and relationships, whereas
Nordic countries are all about business without relationships, and I feel this differenceis very
much a part of the reason why they, in the current economic situation, have a harder time
than the Nordic countries. Nordic countries are strict about contracts and deadlines, whereas
Latin countries generally are much more flexible in this.
I collectedthis information from a variety of internet websites dedicated to business cultures.
Twowebsites I used most were Kwintessential.com and worldbusinessculture.com.
While I was working on the culture analysis my company coachasked me to help them scan
and organize their files digitally. This was a relief from all the typing and writing I was doing.

4. CONCLUSION
I left KME witha positive feeling regarding my internship. Although there have been
moments, especially in the beginning stage, when I did not know how to proceed, as time
went on it went much better, and I feltmore a part of the group.
The S.P.O department never had an intern before I joined them, so they also needed to
familiarize themselves on how to manage such an internship. Unfortunately they did not have
that much free time available to really put effortin guiding me. Business trips, holidays and
meetings stood in the way,so there was not much guidance throughout my internship, which
can also be a good thing, since I needed to make a lot of decisions by myself.
My position at S.P.Oalso had the benefit of meeting, although briefly, managers from various
European countries and Japan. Sometimes this appeared strange to me, after all I was only an
intern and they were high ranked managers. I had this feeling even more when Japanese
executives showed up.
The assignments I workedon for KME were not very challenging. It was sometimes difficult
to keep focus on the assignments, howeverI did my best to deliver KME good quality work.I
feel that I have succeed, because they said they were happy with the result and did not
require any additional information, and nothing needed to be rewritten.
I learned the most from a culture and language point of view. Listening to Japanese all day has
certainly improved my listening and speaking skills. From a management or marketing point
of view there has not been much from whichI could learn. My days spend at KMNL did give
me some insights into potential career paths that I might pursue.
This also means that I was not able to translate my knowledge on these subjects directly into
my internship. In that sense this was not the best place foran internship, howeverbased on
cultural and language experience this has been an internship placement, which showed,
although in a basic way,the norms and values of a Japanese company and the Japanese
culture. That makes this a very unique experience that will,hopefully, help me in my future
career.
To conclude,this was a very interesting and meaningful internship that started on a rocky
and uneven road, howeveronce it got on the highway everything was smooth and easy, which

helped my learning experiences. I feel to have improved in several areas, such as pro-
activeness and the acceptanceof differencesbetween cultures.

APPENDIX A: COMPANY PROFILE
A.1 INTRODUCTION
Kyocera was founded in 1959 when they, with limited technology and funds, manufactured
ceramic products, and eventually expanded into different markets using that core technology.
A market they expanded into was Document Imaging, where in 2000 Kyoceramerged with
Mita to create KyoceraMita. Their ceramic expertise allowed Kyocerato differentiate their
products and become a leading manufacturer of MFP’s and Printer solutions in the world.
(KyoceraMita Euope)
A.2 MISSION,GOALS & STRATEGY
“Respect the Divine,and love people” is an important phrase within Kyocera. Their business
philosophy is based on this, and can be broken down into twoparts.
“Respect the Divine” is inspired by the premise that companies and/or people seeking
material gain controlthe current business environment. Instead Kyocera feels we need to
think about whatwe can do as human beings. According to Kyocera weshould “do the right
thing,” which is respect the destiny given by the Divine and strive to achieve it.
“Lovepeople” is a mentality to help employees travel the “righteous road” in managing their
business to become a leader in every market they operate in.
Kyocera has set a very ambitious goal to be accomplished in 2016. They want to reach 700
billion yen in sales. At the end on the last fiscalyear Kyocerarecorded total sales of 2,367
billion yen.
Their strategy to achieve this is segmented in three blocksof importance, which are:
processes whichneed to be changed, processes that couldbe strengthened, and innovative
ideas. With these three categories identified they have laid the groundworkfor what they
want to achieve. Whichis to “Change Focus.”

A.3 KYOCERA PHILOSOPHY
The origins of the Kyocera philosophy are based on the empirical rules of Dr. Kazuo Inamori,
founder and retired president of KyoceraCorporation. “Whatis the right path of action fora
human being?” is the coreof the Kyocera philosophy, and shows the determination and
dedication for a justified management.
Following this path, Dr. Kazuo Inamori wrotethat there is nothing wrong withthe principle
of free competition and the profit gained is a reward fordoing business in a rightful manner,
howeverthe pursuit of profit should not overwhelmthe corporation,and should never
succumb to the temptation to seek profit shamelessly. The philosophy, for reporting purposes,
has been reduced to twelvebasic principles upon whichit is build.
Dr. Kazuo Inamori has also created a management system that workstogether withthis
philosophy. The so called “amoeba management system.” The idea is that the company is
divided in smaller units, whichcan function as its own little company. Obviously each unit has
his ownmanager. Ordinary employees are chosen for this task to create managerial
awareness amongst all employees.
In addition, an accountingsystem is created so that every unit can be evaluated on its
effectivenessin comparison with other units. Some conditions must be met before such a unit
can be created however.
 Units must have clearly definable revenues and costof sales in order for them to be
fiscally self-supporting.
 Units must be self-contained business units. [Inamori]
 Subdivision of the organization must support the goals and objectivesof the company as a
whole.

A3.1 TWELVE PRINCIPLES OF THE KYOCERA PHILOSOPHY
 Clearly state the purpose and mission of yourbusiness.
 Set specific goals. Once they are set, share them with all employees.
 Keep a passionate desire in your heart
 Strive harder than anyone else.
 Maximize revenues and minimize expenses.
 Pricing is management.
 Success is determined by willpower
 Possess a fighting spirit
 Face every challenge with courage
 Always be creative in your work.
 Be kind and sincere.
 Always be cheerful and positive; Hold great dreams and hopes in the pureness of your
heart.

APPENDIX B: ORGANIZATION CHART
President
Sales Division Business
Support
Procurement
EMIS
Strategy
Planning
Office
Business
Management
Financing &
Accounting
EU Internal
Control
EULogistics
Management
Legal
Branch Office
Germany
Vice President
General Affairs

APPENDIX C: KYOCERA MITA POSITION

Roy Bijvank | Kyocera Mita Europe | [ 6 ]
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