A Japanese model of corporate social responsibility?: A study of website reporting

Abstract

Japan's model of corporations has conventionally been regarded as comparatively 'society-friendly' because of such features as its corporate governance, close co-ordination with government economic policy and life-long employment. Yet this 'solidaristic' image has been unsettled by, for example, environmental failures and workplace pathologies. The paper investigates the extent and character of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Japan through analysis of CSR reporting on home websites of the top So Japanese corporations and compares this with other studies of Japanese CSR. It finds a marked growth and consolidation of CSR, particularly in environmental responsibility and, though to a lesser extent, community involvement. The paper identifies and evaluates the impacts of key CSR drivers: the developing Japanese model of business and society; government policy; and the effects of internationalisation of business.