Welcome back to our series on Japanese Business Philosophies. Last month, we focused on mottainai, a concept that is akin to the 3Rs of “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle” – a sense of respect for resources as well as a commitment to reducing waste and promoting sustainability. We looked at Nipro’s sustainability efforts globally and focused on our significant environmental conservation efforts in Japan.
This month, we look at the Japanese concept of wa. More than just an ideology, wa is a practice that seeps into every corner of Japanese behavior, including social interactions, aesthetics, governance, and even corporate life.
The simplest way to understand wa is that it is the idea of harmony, incorporating humility and unity. It is a state of existence where actions are carried out with the interests of the larger community at heart instead of individual success. Going beyond mere agreement or compromise, wa seeks to truly create a sense of unity and oneness among all the members of the group.
For Nipro, with more than 35,000 employees worldwide who hail from Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East working together as ONE NIPRO across the borders is important. Our key message is “Live longer. Live better.” and no matter where we are located, we work together towards our aim that everyone has access to valuable healthcare.
Our Nipro organization is held together by a careful balance of loyalty and tradition on one hand, and humility and ambition on the other. Our corporate credo is “willingness”, and we believe in great involvement and transparency throughout the company. Above all, we promote teamwork and open communication.
In addition to looking after our patients, we also look after our employees. As proof of this, Nipro Europe has been awarded the Great Place to Work label once again. This is something we strongly value and believe in - as the adage goes, “happy employees make happy customers”.
Furthermore, at Nipro Europe, we have several ways to acknowledge our employees and encourage them to continue their actions which foster harmony for all. Every quarter, we celebrate outstanding individuals as Nipro Ambassadors for their unwavering representation of the Nipro values: “we care”, “we empower”, and “we are willing”.
At Nipro, a harmonious community where the customer, the employee, and the society all thrive is part of our DNA. We promote corporate strategies based on sanpo yoshi ("Good for Everyone"), a traditional Japanese precept that means satisfying the needs of all three parties: the company, the users, and society. It is only by fostering a positive work environment which values wa – one that encourages cooperation, effective communication, and a shared sense of purpose among employees – that Nipro is able to continue to give the best service to society, reflected in our innovative, value-added medical products of high quality that improve patient outcomes and healthcare worldwide.
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