How Sony Intrapreneurship is Empowering Employees
In 1994, Sony started its intrapreneurship program, called the Sony Startup Accelerator Program (SSAP). It encourages employees to suggest innovative ideas and develop them into businesses.
PlayStation has been one such successful idea. Started by an intrapreneur, it has achieved sales of 61.7 million units by mid-2024[1].
SSAP boosts employee morale and helps the company enter new fields. In this blog, we’ll discuss the benefits of Sony intrapreneurship. We will also explain how you can start an intrapreneurship program for your company. Let’s get started!
Understanding Sony Intrapreneurship: A Model for Innovation
Sony has always been committed to innovation in this market. The Startup Acceleration Program is one of its many initiatives for the same.
The company covers all risks so that the employees can innovate without fear. They have to pitch a creative idea to the leadership. If selected, the firm helps them develop it into a full-fledged product. Adequate time, research guidance, and funds are provided.
With innovations like PlayStation, AeroSense, etc., Sony’s employees actively lead the company’s growth!
The Role of Employee Empowerment in Driving Innovation
With intrapreneurship, Sony has introduced various new innovations in gaming, entertainment, virtual reality, and financial services.
Sony is investing more in employee empowerment to improve the program. For example, their AI literacy training has prepared 40,000 Japanese employees since 2021. Such initiatives help Sony’s employees understand the latest innovations and their gaps so they can create something more efficient.
Sony’s intrapreneurship culture helps the company grow internally, too. They offer innovative freedom which attracts and retains many talented people! Here’s how they’re building the intrapreneurship program.
4 Key Programs and Initiatives Supporting Intrapreneurship at Sony
Sony has created many programs to run its intrapreneurship initiative smoothly. Let’s understand 4 of them:
- Innovation Labs: The company offers testing labs for VR and gaming products.
- Dedicated Mentorship: Intrapreneurs can work with experienced mentors to avoid mistakes in the planning stage.
- Skill Development Workshops: Regular workshops for market analysis, project management, etc., help train employees in business skills.
- Resources Accessibility: Once selected, employees can access development tools, market research data, and a vast network of experts.
The Sony intrapreneurship program helps employees become innovators. This also helps the company gain a reputation as a tech leader.
Success Stories: Innovations Driven by Sony Intrapreneurs
Sony’s intrapreneurship started with Ken Kutaragi. When he saw his daughter play the game Nintendo, he thought of entering into the gaming field.
He created PlayStation for Sony, launched in 1994[2]. This made Sony a hub of gaming and entertainment. Here are the other innovations driven by Sony intrapreneurs:
1. PlayStation VR
In 2016, Sony created PlayStation VR, which revolutionised virtual reality gaming. It established Sony as a major player in the VR market, and also its trend-setter. Currently, VR gameplay is set to be the future of gaming, all thanks to Sony.
2. 360 Reality Audio
Another example of Sony’s intrapreneurship is 360 Reality Audio, launched in 2019. It is a spatial sound technology offering an immersive 3D soundscape where listeners can hear audio coming from different directions. The device lets users have a live concert-like experience.
3. LinkBuds
In 2022, Sony created LinkBuds, a new type of earbuds with a unique ring-shaped design. These earbuds have a hole in between them, which lets users listen to music and their surroundings together.
Challenges and Solutions in Implementing Intrapreneurship
Sony has become an innovation leader in technology with its intrapreneurship program. However, the SSAP has its own set of challenges too. If you’re planning to set up a similar program for your organisation, here are some mistakes you should avoid:
Common Challenges of Sony Intrapreneurship
Despite its encouraging environment, Sony faces the following problems:
- Daily tasks sideline innovation and prevent concentration on new ideas.
- Many workers hesitate to work out of their comfort zones.
- Resistance from middle management who only like tried and tested systems.
- Fear of failing rejects some good ideas in the seed stage itself.
However, Sony proactively addresses its challenges and keeps the innovation going. Let’s discuss how.
Sony's Approach to Overcoming These Challenges
Sony offers specific time slots for employees to pursue their inventive ideas. The company also sets specific budgets for intrapreneurs’ projects. They are also open to flexible work modes to encourage the growth of breakthrough ideas. Finally, Sony maintains well-defined metrics to track the intrapreneurship initiatives, from seeding to testing and market launch!
How GrowthJockey Can Foster Intrapreneurship in Your Organisation
Sony PlayStation’s intrapreneurship story shows how trusting employees for innovation can help an organisation grow. From PlayStation to virtual reality, Sony’s success lies in giving people the space to pursue bold ideas.
Want to build an innovation culture in your organisation? GrowthJockey provides companies with expert intrapreneurship program guidance suited to their specific needs. Connect with us today.
FAQs
1. How does Sony PlayStation intrapreneurship help innovation?
Sony's intrapreneurship allows for development and innovation through internal startups. PlayStation was a successful story because it was inspired by an employee's business idea. This entrepreneurial mindset lets employees explore virtual reality and new gaming opportunities while using Sony's existing resources and infrastructure.
2. What is the importance of intrapreneurship to employees?
Sony's intrapreneurship empowers employees by giving them ownership of projects and creative freedom along with job security.
3. What role does an intrapreneur play within a large company?
Intrapreneurs at Sony are the internal innovators. They seek chances to develop new products or services. One might know that PlayStation's VR technology is one of the most popular innovations in this regard. However, these are developed inside a company, not outside, like entrepreneurs.
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