Abstract

The case discusses in detail the social responsibility initiatives undertaken by the Japanese digital imaging equipment giant - Canon Inc. The case describes how Canon’s corporate philosophy - Kyosei - guided the company’s operations and its behaviour towards its employees, partners, customers, competitors, environment and the communities in which it operated. It elaborates the way in which Canon practiced the principles of Kyosei. By practicing the philosophy, Canon was globally recognised as one of the most socially responsible corporate citizens.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Corporate philosophy and social respon-sibility.

Keywords

Canon, Social responsibility, Kyosei, Global imbalances, Ryuzaburo Kaku, Canon's environment charter, Globalisation, Environmental conservation, Ecology conscious management, Canon's code of conduct, Community development