Hitoshi Okada (Dr. of Engineering / Professional Engineer)

Senior Researcher, Institute for Environmental Management Accounting

 

Graduated in 1979 from the Division of Welding Engineering, the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University; graduated in September 2006 from the Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University, specializing in modern business administration (a professional graduate school for mid-career education); awarded PhD in Business Administration, Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University in March 2010; part-time lecturer, Osaka City University; appointed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to a committee investigating how to encourage the more efficient use of resources in supply chains.

 

While undertaking research into corporate misconduct, CSR, compliance, business ethics, revival management and other fields, he also renders assistance in areas such as CSR management and the introduction of material flow cost accounting.

 

Hitoshi Okada (Dr. of Engineering/Professional Engineer)

Senior Researcher, Institute for Environmental Management Accounting

 

President Furukawa has advocated for making CSR a priority for management. In response to his views, ZEON has focused on promoting CSR. I have commented on ZEON’s activities since fiscal 2008, and during this time, ZEON has strived to establish a structure for moving forward with management that places priority on CSR, including the development of a CSR policy and code of conduct as well as the establishment of the CSR Conference, in a form that concretely displays Mr. Furukawa’s leadership. Meanwhile, the company is constantly putting these efforts into practice through consistent CSR education and dissemination activities, such as reciting the CSR Policy, holding CSR explanatory meetings, and conducting CSR training at each plant and business site. As a result, ZEON CORPORATION established a foundation for achieving progress in CSR-oriented management in fiscal 2010.

 

It is important for ZEON CORPORATION, which does business around the world, to prepare for ISO26000. It would be good for the company to review internal activities in the context of ISO26000 as well as to improve CSR-oriented management performance and disclose the results. ZEON CORPORATION plans to work on activities using CSR promotion tools, such as the CSR Matrix, and CSR core projects that engage all employees. While these efforts are certainly praise worthy, KPI (Key Performance Indicator) based CSR management should be put into place first. This would clearly present the significance of public expectations for CSR as clarified through stakeholder dialogues, establish targets in the form of indices for achieving these expectations, and also facilitate progress through PDCA cycles. ISO26000 places greater priority on these items along with stakeholder communications mentioned in the next item. I would like to see vigorous efforts to embody the CSR-oriented management envisioned by President Furukawa.

 

Following the stakeholder dialogue with employees in fiscal 2009, ZEON CORPORATION convened a stakeholder dialogue with external experts in fiscal 2010. This special project is well worth reading. It shares an important message from ZEON and is expected to be more widely disseminated, enabling all employees to understand ZEON’s CSR. I would encourage the company to continue working on a broader range of interactive stakeholder communications.

 

ZEON has unveiled its enterprise blueprint for 2020 as “ZEON creates the future today through the power of chemistry–ZEON will continue to contribute to the realization of customer dreams and a prosperous society.” In addition, the ZEON Group has developed an impressive range of environmentally conscious products through its original technology that does not imitate others and cannot itself be imitated. ZEON’s contribution to the environment with regard to CSR and through its core businesses is both significant and praise-worthy, even though it may not be readily apparent to general consumers. Also, in terms of efforts to reduce global warming gases and industrial waste, ZEON has for the most part achieved its goals, despite falling short of its targets in some areas. ZEON’s contribution to the conservation of the global environment through these efforts certainly merits high marks.
I look forward to seeing the further development of ZEON’s CSR-oriented management with even greater results.

 

We created a structure for ZEON’s CSR in fiscal 2010, the final year of IZ-60, through the establishment of the CSR Policy and Code of Conduct in April and a new CSR promotion system in January 2011, with the CSR Conference as the highest decision-making body.
Senior Researcher Hitoshi Okada from the Institute of Environmental Management Accounting has shared his comments on IZ-60 with us over the past three years. In generally reviewing the progress of ZEON’s CSR during that period as well as this fiscal year and in light of future efforts, Mr. Okada has pointed out the necessity of using KPIs to guide CSR activities and the significance of ongoing interactive communication through stakeholder dialogues, which were launched in fiscal 2009. ISO26000, the international standard for corporate social responsibility, which took effect in November 2011, likewise recommends implementing these items. We therefore intend to visualize our CSR efforts through the collective initiative of the newly established CSR Promotion Committee in the CSR Basic Policy Committee, the head office, business sites, and Group companies using our CSR Matrix (CSR activities chart categorized by business, job type and stakeholder).
We hope to make even greater contributions to society by raising the level of our CSR efforts.