Emergent Responsible Management: A Social Connection Model (Kobe University Monograph Series in Social Science Research)

This book proposes emergent responsible management as a new tool to address the infinite nature of managerial responsibility and discusses how to bring out activities based on infinite responsibility in organizations. Whereas the concept of responsibility of corporations has been brought to the forefront with increasing recognition of the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR), its essence has not been fully perceived, which has inevitably resulted in the restrictive feeling associated with organizational CSR activities. This book not only involves theoretical discussion by shedding light on the notions of ‘responsibility’ and ‘emergence’ underpinning the theory of emergent responsible management; it also provides practical insights with several case studies to examine how activities reflecting these fundamental elements have been practiced. In this way, the authors propose corresponding organizational design and process to encourage its continued practice. In addition, the effects of emergent responsible management and how it can be applied to new issues such as fulfilling sustainable development goals (SDGs) are also examined. The book is highly recommended for business practitioners as well as consultants who deal with CSR in everyday practice. Preface 6 Contents 11 About the Authors 15 1 Responsibility Creates Value in Management 17 1.1 Companies and Responsibility 17 1.2 The Birth of CSR 19 1.3 The Restrictive Feeling Associated with CSR and the Emergence of CSV 21 1.4 Criticism of CSV 22 1.5 Meaning of Responsibility in CSR 23 1.6 Responsibility Creates Value 24 2 Beyond Accountability, Towards Responsibility 27 2.1 Responsibility and Accountability 27 2.2 Responsibility and Accountability in ISO 26000 29 2.3 Expanded Accountability and Accumulated Risks 31 2.4 Responsibility and Restoration of Wholeness 32 2.5 CSR as Infinite Responsibility 34 3 Transforming to Emergent Responsible Management 36 3.1 Emergence and Responsibility 36 3.2 CSR of Japanese Companies 38 3.3 Corporate Philosophy as the Starting Point of Emergent Responsible Management 41 3.4 Employee as Leader of Activities 42 3.5 Addressing Social Issues: SDGs Initiatives 44 3.6 Organisations for Emergent Responsible Management 45 4 OMRON: Realising the Corporate Philosophy Driven Projects 47 4.1 OMRON’s Initiatives 47 4.2 Corporate Philosophy and TOGA 48 4.3 Cases of Realising OMRON’s Principles-Based Projects 50 4.3.1 A New Form Challenging the Common Sense of Recruitment and Job-Hunting for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises 50 4.3.2 Revitalise the Area with Renewable Energy! Commercialisation of Solar Power Generation Utilising Abandoned Cultivated Land in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture 52 4.3.3 Human Resource Development to Live up to Our Principle 54 4.4 Characteristics of Emergent Responsible Management: Creating Social Value Beyond Economic Value 56 5 Bridgestone: Our Way to Serve 58 5.1 Bridgestone’s Initiatives 58 5.2 Corporate Philosophy and Our Way to Serve 59 5.2.1 Our Way to Serve 59 5.2.2 Systems to Promote Our Way to Serve 60 5.2.3 Realising the Corporate Philosophy Through an Award System 62 5.3 Bridgestone Group Awards Winners 63 5.3.1 Bridgestone India Community Support 63 5.3.2 Bridgestone Australia Leukaemia Foundation Support 65 5.4 Features of Emergent Responsible Management: Flexible Systematisation of CSR at the Global Level 66 6 Marui Group: Creating an Organisation Through Voluntary Participation 68 6.1 Initiatives of Marui Group 68 6.2 Enhance Employees’ Spontaneity by Encouraging Voluntary Participation 70 6.3 Wellness Management Aimed at Improving Employees’ Vitality 73 6.3.1 The Scheme of Wellness Management 73 6.3.2 The Activity of the Wellness and Healthcare Management Project Team 75 6.4 Characteristic of Emergent Responsible Management: Management Inspiring Employees’ Spontaneity 77 7 Yahoo Japan: Problem-Solving Engine 79 7.1 Yahoo Japan’s Initiatives 79 7.2 From Supporting Disaster Restoration to Solving-Social-Problem Businesses 80 7.3 Problem-Solving Engine in Practice 82 7.3.1 Yahoo Ishinomaki Base 82 7.3.2 Fisherman Japan 84 7.4 Characteristic of Emergent Responsible Management: Management Respecting the Independence of Employees 86 8 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group: The ‘Kizuna’ Activities 88 8.1 Activities of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group 88 8.2 Kizuna: From Today, Always Friends 89 8.3 Practices of Kizuna Activities 92 8.3.1 Science Experiment Workshops 92 8.3.2 Photo Cleaning Project 95 8.4 Characteristic of Emergent Responsible Management: Pursuit of Responsibility Through the Organisation 98 9 Design of Emergent Responsible Management 100 9.1 Types of Emergent Responsible Management 100 9.2 Value Creation Through Emergent Responsible Management 103 9.3 Exploration and Exploitation of Knowledge 105 9.4 Designing a Place to Explore Responsibility 109 9.4.1 The Role of Participants 109 9.4.2 Sharing Social Issues 110 9.4.3 Motivation 111 9.5 Combining Diverse Resources and Changing Organisational Boundaries 112 10 The Process of Emergent Responsible Management 114 10.1 Differences Between Emergent and Conventional Management 114 10.2 Operations of Emergent Responsible Management 116 10.3 Commitment from Top Management and Employees (Step 1) 117 10.4 Goal Setting: Flexible Goals and Planning (Step 2) 118 10.5 Implementation: Establishment of an Organisational Cooperation System (Step 3) 120 10.6 Communication: Activate Internal and External Interactions (Step 4) 121 10.7 Self-evaluation: Feedback to Oneself and the Organisation (Step 5) 123 10.8 Making the Most of Emergent Responsible Management 124 11 Challenging SDGs with Emergent Responsible Management 126 11.1 How Can a Company Tackle the Sustainable Development Goals? 126 11.2 What Are the SDGs? 127 11.3 SDG Guidelines for Companies 128 11.4 Significance and Limitations of Working on the SDGs as the Main Business 131 11.5 Achieving the SDGs More Certainly with Emergent Responsible Management 133 12 Effects of Emergent Responsible Management 136 12.1 Emergent Responsible Management as a Practice 136 12.2 Effects on Society 137 12.3 Effects on Humans 138 12.4 Effect on Management 140 12.5 Towards a New Connection 141 Afterword 143