PROF. ENRIQUE SORIANO
IS creating companies that last forever really possible? I am always grilled by stubborn clients and fellow researchers in Southeast Asia on this, and my usual response is: If Japanese enterprises were able to last for centuries, could their counterparts in Asia, notably those in South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong, attain the same longevity? Doubtful. Longevity, Japanese style, is more than just a business model or having a “eureka” product; it is something deeper that transcends blood relations. For Japanese family-owned businesses, the quest to continue the enterprise is embedded in their culture.