CSR at Japanese Companies as Seen in Changes in Administrative Departments

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This study clarifies the how the departments responsible for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility, thereafter CSR) activities have changed at leading companies in Japan. In particular, it clarifies the departments at which CSR activities, legal and regulatory compliance, investor relations (IR), social contribution activities and environmental activities are administered, and how these departments have changed, at 9 companies in the electric equipment industry and 8 companies in the automobile industry that were among the highest ranking 15 in terms of net sales from the year of Jun., 2012 to May, 2013 Japan. When the companies in the electric equipment industry was analyzed, it became clear that CSR, legal and regulatory compliance, IR, environmental activities and social contribution activities are being managed at CSR, compliance or legal affairs, IR, environmental departments and respectively social contribution. In contrast to this, in the automobile industry these activities are engaged in comparatively diverse departments. This also was revealed that compared with the electric equipment industry, more companies in the automobile industry have changed the departments administering these activities.