Push for Work-life Balance
Samsung Electronics innovates itself again by conducting business diagnosis, realigning employees, reorganizing businesses, and reforming its work system.
According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics recently began to diagnose its slow-growing business units, including consumer electronics and mobile phone, in order to figure out their problems and solutions. Samsung Electronics America in New Jersey has been included in the targets for the less-than-expected performance of the Galaxy S9.
The company is in the process of manpower realignment, too. Specifically, some of the employees at its Mobile Division have been moved to its semiconductor and network business units. “This year, hundreds of employees have been moved from the IT & Mobile Communications Division to the Device Solutions Division,” the company explained, adding, “This is because recruitment from the outside alone is not enough in the current boom in the semiconductor industry.”
Since the beginning of this year, the number of Device Solutions Division employees has increased by 1,688 to 50,794. During the same period, the IT & Mobile Communications Division and the Consumer Electronics Division have increased theirs by only 103 and three, respectively.
Samsung Electronics is said to undertake a structural reorganization early next month as well. “Rumor has it that a new team will be organized in the IT & Mobile Communications Division to be in charge of 5G business,” an employee mentioned, continuing, “A lot of teams are expected to be regrouped and survival of the network business unit is likely to be tested.”
A global strategy meeting is scheduled for next month in Samsung Electronics and more than 400 executives from all around the world are slated to attend it to discuss the company’s business strategy for the second half of this year. Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong himself is predicted to participate as well.
Samsung Electronics’ongoing efforts for innovation cover work-life balance, too. For example, the company is planning to implement flexible and discretionary working hours in July this year. The idea is to make work more efficient with the maximum legal working hours per week scheduled to be limited to 52 from the second half of this year. From then on, each Samsung Electronics employee has only to work for 40 hours on weekly average on a monthly basis instead of working for at least 40 hours each week.