Social Business in Japan (Akebono)

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Skills in This Piece

This piece is showcasing my research and critical thinking skills. It shows these by showcasing my analysis of a Japanese company. The piece also shows knowledge of the Asian social business market. 

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The first reading of the Akebono was very interesting as it gave an insight into how the company interacts with society. Akebono; Japanese brake company, like most brake companies most people can’t name them by heart because brakes company don’t have the same recognition as car companies like Toyota. Thus, the company wondered about their value to the world around and created surveys. From these surveys, they found that business partners highly value the company’s products more than their own employees. This put a question into the mind of the company; how can we make a company more value? Their thought was through their employees and society. The company starts a scholarship where students could come to the office and help out. This helped the company gain more insight into the outside world and for its employees to gain more knowledge. Fifty years past and the company still has the scholarship long after it’s “need”; however, “Akebono has unexpectedly acquired valuable know-how on a key management issue: the effective development of human “assets.” the company has chosen that’s its role in society and its relationship with its employees is more important. Rather than overreach and attempt something unsustainable, it has chosen to engage with society over the long term. Therefore, shows one approach to integrating CSR to its fullest.

The second reading was of the Akebono CSR Report 2013. After skimming over it, I saw that a lot of what the first reading was talking about. The company has strong interest in maximizing its value. They do want to do this in the way that most companies like to maximize their profit,but form looking at the report their show a strong interest in their employees and society which it their main source of maximizing their profit. In conclusion, making the first reading ring true.

All businesses fall onto a spectrum. The spectrum goes from for-profit to social business and somewhere close to social business it CSR. Akebono is a for-profit, but the question is its main interest just profit or are they closer to a CSR and social business? From doing these two reading, I don’t see Akebono as a social business. A social business is a business that’s main focus is to social issue while being a business making a profit. Akebono’s focus is not on a social, but on brakes and making money from that. Thus, I believe they are closer to CSR and to add more to that they use CSR as value creation. I say this because CSR is how business makes a profit. Akebono uses its profit for scholarship to bring more knowledge for itself and the employees inside it. This also helped the people living in the society outside of it. Thus, making the company more profitable and valued in the society it helped. In conclusion, Akebono is a company that embracing the highest CSR.