Corporate Social Responsibility as Collaboration among the Government, Businesses and Civil Society

Abstract

This panel examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) as collaboration among the government, businesses, and civil society in Japan and Korea. CSR denotes the assertion that corporations need to recognise the social impact of their corporate activities and　implement decision-making procedures and initiatives that will benefit all stakeholders, including consumers, stockholders, customers, and society. An increase in CSR activities across national boundaries has led to the expansion of economic markets and the globalisation of corporate undertakings. Besides pursuing profitable goals, businesses are required to fulfil specific responsibilities towards society, such as acting in compliance with laws and ordinances, protecting the environment and human rights, and respecting labour standards and consumer interests. CSR has not necessarily been driven by the corporate sector: it requires collaboration between the government, businesses, and civil society, especially in Japan and Korea. While the corporate sector and civil society operate independently, they also work in collaboration with the central and local governments. Examining specific Japanese and Korean cases of CSR will contribute to a better understanding of CSR as a public policy that involves a collaboration of this kind. This panel also discusses how business has implemented CSR initiatives in cooperation with governments and non-profit organisations (NGOs) and how they have contributed in developing the community and constructing a civil society. This panel focuses on CSR and its community development aspects. First, Toru Oga’s paper focuses on the Ichō Housing Complex in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. With the increase in the number of foreign residents in Japan in recent years, the community at Ichō Housing Complex has become considerably internationalised. By investigating Japan’s neighbourhood communities, Oga explores their practices and broader potential for producing multicultural spaces through collaboration with businesses, the government, and non-profit organisations. This paper discusses how neighbourhood associations have produced multicultural communities that respect the diversity of foreign residents and promote their inclusion in Japanese society. Second, Jeong-Pyo Hong focuses on Samsung C&T’s Engineering & Construction Group in Korea. Hong examines how Samusung’s CSR activities in Korea have led to projects with NGOs and the government which are aimed at revitalising the community and improving diversity and inclusion. Samsung also operates a community engagement programme for children from multicultural families who possess limited knowledge and understanding of Korean history. Samsung’s CSR is the one of the best Korean cases of collaboration between a business and the society towards community development. Third, Young-Choon Kim examines an emerging trend of business-society collaboration by studying the emergence of a social entrepreneur community in Seoul, Korea. Social entrepreneurs engage in a new type of organizing that develops business solutions for specific social issues, which requires interorganizational linkages that connect established business, community organisations, and local government. Kim’s project examines the case of Sungsoo Social Venture Alley, a local community of young entrepreneurs who collectively develops innovative business models for social issues such as education, food, recycling, and resource-sharing. Kim explores the opportunities and challenges of this type of collective organizing in the business-society interface.