Corporate social responsibility Japanese style

Abstract

Executive Overview The Japanese management of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a matter of increasing importance as Japanese investment in the U.S. rapidly expands. Lack of understanding of the meaning and management of CSR in Japanese firms represents a missing link in the understanding of Japanese management. This limits the ability of U.S. firms to adapt Japanese management techniques. It is also likely to be the source of increasing controversy as the Japanese corporate presence in the U.S. becomes more substantial. Japanese management of CSR, a product of the relatively stable and predictable Japanese environment, has developed much differently than CSR management in the U.S. On some dimensions Japanese approaches to CSR management are far superior to those in the U.S., representing opportunities for learning by U.S. firms. On other dimensions, however. Japanese practices are very much at variance with established social norms in the U.S. Japanese management of CSR is explored in this article with particular attention paid to the management of occupational safety and health both in Japan and in U.S. subsidiaries of Japanese firms. This is an area in which the Japanese management of CSR (for major employers) is exemplary in many respects and from which these firms derive certain advantages. In particular, the development of cooperative labor-management-government relations and the integration of occupational safety and health concerns throughout their manufacturing management system merit serious study by U.S. firms.