Where Is Sony's Enforcer? CEO Clings to Mobile Despite Loss

Sony Corp.’s turnaround over the past decade was built on hard-nosed accountability and the willingness to close troubled businesses. Indeed, Kenichiro Yoshida was elevated to chief executive officer because he acted as the company enforcer when he was finance chief.

But Sony’s latest move has some investors wondering what happened to the old Yoshida. The Tokyo-based company said Tuesday it will combine the struggling Xperia mobile business with its television, audio and camera operations into a single division. Analysts are concerned that will make it harder for investors to see losses in the smartphone unit, which has long struggled against Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.