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CSR Report

Inclusion into International Indices and Universe for International Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)

Dialogue with Stakeholders (2)

CSR to Link Everyday Work Tasks and Society
Facilitator IntegreX Inc. President One Akiyama

Facilitator
IntegreX Inc.
President
One Akiyama

Masato Tateyama

Yokkaichi Plant
Manufacturing Department
Masato Tateyama

Hiroshi Hara

Headquarters
Business Planning Department
Hiroshi Hara

Kaori Sakai

Yokkaichi Plant
Research and Development Department
Kaori Sakai

Yuuki Kurosawa

Headquarters
Corporate Planning Department
Yuuki Kurosawa

Find Value in Each of Our Work

AKIYAMA：
The theme of this CSR report is to report on the JSR Group’s efforts in "Integration of Business Management and CSR." I would like to discuss with you here about what impressions you have on CSR, and how you carry out CSR in your daily tasks. Have you envisioned the link between your work and society in your everyday tasks?
ALL：
Through "CSR Report Presentation Meeting," we often have opportunities to become aware of the link between work and society.
AKIYAMA：
What was your impression after reading the CSR Report?
KUROSAWA：
Since the content does not vary significantly from year to year, I don't think there is anything particularly new in the report.
TATEYAMA：
In last year's report, the section that featured how the JSR Group materials were used received good reviews. Some information in the CSR Report was new to me.
SAKAI：
It motivated me to work hard on research and development so that my work would be featured in that section.
TATEYAMA：
While I often do not know the kinds of products the materials I manufacture will ultimately be used, I do learn about final products from CSR Reports and other media. It helped me see the link between our work and the society.
KUROSAWA：
As a company, I think the entire JSR organization makes effort to comply with regulations in detail. Furthermore, I try to go beyond that, taking social norms and moral issues into account as I work.
SAKAI：
When I read the news about a product made with materials I was researching, I realize the link between my work and society and it made me feel that I am contributing to the society. It motivated me to continue to work hard on my research.
HARA：
When we had "CSR Report Presentation Meeting" in our department, I took CSR in terms of my own work and set my CSR goals.
AKIYAMA：
There are a lot of ways to view CSR depending on the types of work. While "CSR Report Presentation Meeting" takes place throughout the company at each department, I think that it is good for JSR employees to have such opportunities to think about CSR.
Let's change the subject of my question. Why did you apply for JSR and decided to join the company?
HARA：
It was because JSR had materials with the world's top share. I joined JSR with motivation to compete in the world market. While materials that my team is currently working on have small share, those materials are expected to grow and we have been thinking of how to expand its share in the global market.
KUROSAWA：
I was interested in companies that deal with variety of industries, such as chemical and financial companies. In other words, I was looking for a company whose products are used in a number of applications. I applied for JSR because petrochemical companies such as JSR had variety of customers.
SAKAI：
I participated in a factory tour of JSR, and the talk we had with the factory staff really inspired me. I was impressed that people talked of how fun their research was.
TATEYAMA：
I wanted to work at a chemical company, and I was especially attracted by the company's history and its strength in technology as the first class in the world.
AKIYAMA：
What each of you has described seems to be the fundamental reasons that you work in this company. I think it is important to remember your fundamental reasons. Both corporate mission and CSR form the foundation of the company. They have the same meaning in a sense that they are the foundations of the company and guideline to determine the direction and policy of the company when any issue arises. Corporate mission may seem difficult to grasp but if you look at them in this way, you feel them closer and easier to understand.
TATEYAMA：
Thinking that our daily work leads to innovation motivates us further.

Materials Innovation in Each Department

AKIYAMA：
Materials Innovation is positioned in the JSR Group’s corporate mission, and, I think, it forms the base of CSR at the JSR Group. Please tell me about what CSR is for you specifically in your own work?
TATEYAMA：
In "CSR Report Presentation Meeting," we discussed "Materials Innovation on manufacturing sites." When you hear the word "innovation," you will probably think of "Research and Development" whose goal is to create something from scratch. However, as we shared our thoughts, we came to a conclusion that innovation, more than anything else, refers to the safe, continuous production of materials that meet quality levels demanded with the understanding of the features of multiple machines and changes in raw material composition and operation conditions.
AKIYAMA：
It is great to be able to talk at that level in the workplace.
KUROSAWA：
I think that changing operations processes and rules that does not concern the work that actually produces materials may result in more efficient creation of materials with less waste and lead to innovation.
HARA：
I think that CSR is something that we think about what kind of new markets our materials can create, that we investigate what kind of regulations are in place, and that we make approaches to various industrial associations. In short, CSR for the Business Planning Department is to lay out the groundwork for Marketing to sell our materials.
AKIYAMA：
I think it is a great perspective that the Administration department also think they can engage in works contributing to innovation. By positioning CSR at the top, you will think about not only your own work but also relationship and cooperation with other departments. The word "Corporate Mission" gives us sense of difficulty. However, when each member of the company think how their work contributes to the society, it will lead to the creation of corporate value.
How about CSR from the point of view of workplace environment?
SAKAI：
I sometimes think that wording "promotion of female employees" is standing by itself, while the reality and awareness on-site does not really live up to the concept. Rather than thinking only in terms of female, we should think in terms of the broader scope of diversity.
HARA：
The number of female sales staff has been increasing in the past several years. It seems that JSR is intentionally creating this movement.
KUROSAWA：
Our company would change even further if more non-Japanese workers are employed.
AKIYAMA：
To realize true diversity, we need a variety of people with different concepts of value.
KUROSAWA：
The good thing about the JSR Group is that labor management is fair and solid, and furthermore some unwritten morals are valued more than compliance. Thus, employees feel sense of security. It is our solid backbone when we talk with someone outside JSR.
AKIYAMA：
How about open communication atmosphere on-site?
KUROSAWA：
I believe we have a good atmosphere that welcomes opinions and proposals.
TATEYAMA：
The atmosphere of open communication is very good. On the other hand, I feel that information regarding executive decisions, such as backgrounds and validity of overseas expansion and acquisitions, hardly reaches on-site. If we can understand what kind of values our products provide to our overseas business expansion and how we can contribute to that, I think it would lead to improved motivation on-site.
HARA：
My department is indeed responsible for explaining to other departments. Compared to explanations for outside the company, I am afraid that explanation to our own employees have not been sufficient. I feel that we need to provide internal explanation with more background and numerical details.
SAKAI：
I also think the atmosphere of open communication at R&D Laboratories is also good. We have a good environment where we raise each other by exchanging opinions and can create new products. There is a small wall between business department and us.
AKIYAMA：
It's important to communicate with senior executives of opinions on-site as well as communicating the company's view on management and the CSR story to the workplace. The gap between the headquarters and on-site, as well as the gap between the sites due to globalization, can be issues many enterprises face today, and I think communication is what fills these gaps. The more the company continues to grow and the scale of the company expands, the more important communication becomes and the more effort to improve communication is required.

CSR in Action in Daily Tasks

AKIYAMA：
By the way, are you all familiar with the E2 InitiativesTM?
ALL：
Yes.
AKIYAMA：
The E2 InitiativesTM is an excellent strategy of the JSR Group, aiming to create value from both Active and Passive perspectives. It is great that every employee knows and understands the term and concept.
Then, can you tell me what about the JSR Group makes you proud of your company?
HARA：
To me, it is the fact that JSR is a very serious and diligent company. They are thorough on compliance, not only following laws, but also in a way they are thinking beyond requirements of laws.
SAKAI：
People outside JSR call us serious and diligent. I think that we have an open communication atmosphere that we can raise each other by telling what we want to. It feels like everyone can climb to a higher level.
TATEYAMA：
For me, it is the fact that ties between employees on-site are strong. We can feel that we are producing good materials for customers looking forward and ensuring safety.
AKIYAMA：
You might not be aware of it every day, but the things we discussed here today are all about CSR. Respecting those who work together with based on the JSR Group’s essential elements, diligent work of each employee with integrity will contribute to society and it will be really "CSR in Action." Going forward, I hope that you will pay more attention to social issues such as environment and overseas poverty, and carry out your daily tasks thinking of relationship between your own work and those issues, and how to contribute to address those issues.