Volunteer legacy 2020

Enriching Careers
Through
Corporate Social
Contribution
Creating a Legacy of Employee Volunteer 2020

Contents

Chapter1 Volunteering as a means of career development

03

What is needed for a bright career outlook in the age of
100-year life expectancies?
The difference between "company people" and volunteers
Social action based on fundamental human desires
65% of individuals "want to contribute to society"
Three movements making it easier to participate in volunteer work
Volunteer "remuneration" takes many forms

Chapter2 Evolving corporate social contribution activities

09

Globalization is an evolving social contribution activity
SDGs: 17 goals to accomplish by 2030
Who should benefit from corporate social contribution activities?
Volunteer programs as investments in human resources
Work has an impact on having a fulfilling private life
Companies with a "system but no culture" to support volunteer work
How much should companies contribute to spontaneous activities?
Volunteering needs to be experienced to understand its appeal
Give employees a supportive push and leave the rest to their sympathetic feelings
Four issues to overcome in promoting volunteer work

Chapter3 Employee Volunteer 202016

Employee Volunteer 2020: Three conditions and four promotion measures
Employee Volunteer 2020 checklist (20 key points)
Interviews: "Expectations for Employee Volunteer 2020"

Chapter4 Efforts by leading companies

27

Microsoft Japan / SCSK / Nippon Life Insurance Company
Toyota Motor Corporation / Recruit Management Solutions

Chapter5 Creating a legacy of Employee Volunteer 202037

2020: A golden opportunity to solve social issues
The legacy will be made by each stakeholder
Volunteer work is based on good intentions, and therefore requires both sympathy
and dialog

Toward a new future of prosperity continuing after 2020
Efforts in the business community to create a legacy
As many as 1.67 million volunteers traveled to local regions that were struck by the disaster during the Great HanshinAwaji Earthquake of 1995 and put in efforts to help, support, recover, and restoration . 1995 has been called the"inaugural year of volunteering" in Japan. Since then, many volunteers have traveled to the disaster-stricken areas
following large earthquakes or other disasters. Once a volunteer becomes aware of the serious conditions in which thedisaster-stricken people survive, they cannot help but wonder if there is something they could do to help.
During the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, companies took an organizational approach to support the volunteer
work of their employees; some companies even sent 1,000 or more employees as volunteers. Companies, in coordination
with the labor unions, also sent a total of 35,000 employees to the disaster-stricken areas. Unlike individual volunteering,organized volunteer work supported by companies offers rapid team building and helps to keep operations smooth. It is
for this reason that 2011 has been called the "inaugural year of corporate volunteering."
Recently, the meaning of corporate social contribution activities has changed. Japanese companies began expanding
overseas during the second half of the 1980s and began to advocate acting as "good corporate citizens." At the turn ofthe 21st century, companies began to actively participate in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As companies began
advocating Creating Shared Value (CSV) in 2011, it became common for companies to increase their competitiveness inthe market while synergistically engaging in social contribution activities. This resulted in a trend of pursuing social
value in business management and strategic value in social contribution activities, with the United Nations formallyrecognizing this trend by establishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015.
Companies are now creating systems to support the volunteer work of their employees; some companies have been
introducing pro bono programs meant to develop future leaders. However, some companies still have a culture that does
not welcome volunteer work in the workplace, even if such a system has been established.
With social contribution activities expanding everywhere, why is the strategic value of these activities becoming vague?
To conduct social contribution activities, the most important thing is to help the people, regions, and communities thatare facing hardship. As a result, companies are recognizing how these activities bring value to a company throughimproving their image or other benefits, however, companies have yet to put into words what makes participating inthese activities valuable for employees. However, as more companies recommend that employees engage in volunteer
work to develop skills and cultivate an organizational culture, it has become necessary to redefine how companies get
involved.
2020 will see the Olympic/Paralympic Games held in Tokyo, and this will serve as a golden opportunity for socialtransformation. These events attract attention not only as a means to engage in volunteer work based on the spirit ofaltruism but also as an opportunity to engage in social work, motivated by self-interest, for those seeking to learn, meetothers, and enjoy themselves. We propose that the society, companies, and individuals (company employees) should
work together for mutual benefit and define this new form of corporate volunteer support under the banner of"Employee Volunteer 2020."

Volunteering as a means of careerdevelopment

chapter1

Three movements have born in volunteering, which holds enormous potential increating a fulfilling work-life balance.
Japan responded affirmatively (Recruit Works Institute,

What is needed for a brightcareer outlook at an age of
100-year life expectancies?

"Manager Survey in Five Countries" 2015).

Considering these results of “who in Japan could have apositive career outlook?,” Figure 1 shows the relationshipbetween community and career outlook. "Career outlook"here is based on scoring survey responses indicating that

How amazing is to live a long life? As we approach the

respondents "can actively engage with" or "can establish

age of 100-year life expectancies, establishing a fulfilling

their own" careers and lives. A higher score is therefore

work-life balance is an important topic for everyone. One

better.
Among respondents, those who were limited toidea would be to continue to pursue a rewarding career

while enjoying a fulfilling private life. People have begun

searching for ways to engage with work and theircommunities formed of "colleagues in the same

companies to establish a happy work-life balance.

department" have the most negative career outlook.

employment, and there is no foundation in place for

profit organization (NPO)" communities have the most

In contrast, those who were involved in "volunteer/non-However, Japan is rooted in a culture of lifetime

positive career outlook.

individuals to steer their careers. During a survey on career

There is a significant difference in how careers areautonomy, workers were asked whether they felt that they"steer their own careers." Approximately 70% of workers

formed, between those who interact only with colleagues inway, while only around half (45.4%) of the workers in

who do volunteer work outside the company.

their departments (so-called "company people"), and thosefrom the US, China, and India indicated that they felt thisFig. 1

Relationship between community and career outlook
0.413
0.358

0.342

0.319

0.299

0.283

0.252
0.221

0.183

0.311

0.289

0.272

0.219

0.213

0.193

0.196

0.171

0.193
0.156

Childhood friends

Friends made fromadulthood

Local acquaintances

Art activities

Sports acquaintances

Hobby acquaintances

Condo association

Volunteer/NPO

PTA, etc.

Neighborhood/community
association

School/seminar/university

Study acquaintances
unrelated to work

Study acquaintancesat different workplaces

Study acquaintancesat the same workplace

Side job acquaintances

Project team

Network outside company

Coworkers hired
at the same time

Coworkers in
different departmentsColleagues inthe same department

0.095

Source: Recruit Works Institute (2018) "Work-life Balance in the Age of 100-year Life Expectancies"* "Career outlook" is a synthetic variable combining responses indicating that respondents "can establish on their own," "can actively engage with" or "feel brightly
about" their careers and lives; numbers represent factor scores.

03

Managing Director of Osaka Voluntary Action Center and

The difference between"company people" andvolunteers

a passionate advocate of volunteer culture. "You findpartners (activities) and sometimes end relationships. Above
all, your partner's happiness brings you happiness."

The word "volunteer" was originally used in reference to

In Japan, there has been a strong tendency to devoting

volunteer soldiers, but the concept now carries many

to do, and employees are expected to work overtime and be

activities done with a sense of spontaneity. The principles ofmeanings. Most would agree, however, that it refers tooneself to their company, which is simply the normal thing

volunteering can be summarized as (1) spontaneous/transferred from one location to the next with noautonomous (independent), (2) collective/social (service,consideration of their families.
The results of the analysis presented earlier

altruism, selflessness), and (3) provided withoutcompensation; the roles of volunteers can be summarized assuggest that "non-company people”, who do(4) pioneering, (5) complementary, (6) cross-linking, andvolunteer or NPO work outside the company, are(7) critical (Toshida 1991). However, there is plenty ofmore capable of building careers than thesevolunteer work that is neither social nor provided without"company people."compensation, and the term is sometimes defined without"In the workplace, you do things by following precedent

the four roles (pioneering, etc.) mentioned previously

in a vertical power relationship between manager and(Nakayama 2007).
Volunteering through repeated application of

employee," explains Nobuyuki Kurita, Representative
Director of an NPO called Japan Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster (JVOAD), on the difference between

one's unique creative ingenuity in interacting withworking at a company and engaging in volunteer work.

others with spontaneity as the core of the activity"When you volunteer, you create a team of equals based on

creates a cycle of altruistic spirit and self-fulfillment

lateral personal relationships between people with different

and is rooted in fundamental human desires.

work. A team of volunteers cannot function without having

career research, the four roles played by people in thevalue systems and backgrounds, set goals, and then do yourAccording to Sunny Hansen, a leading figure in the field ofsolid trust relationships between members."society can be summarized as four "Ls" (Love, Labor,

Learning, and Leisure) which, in combination, allow us to

In a company, someone who performs extremely well inestablish our work-life balance. "Altruism" is a type of love

one organization might not be able to perform at all inand volunteering also carries an aspect of work without

another organization if he or she switches jobs or iscompensation. Volunteering is also an opportunity fortransferred. This is mainly because they are unable to getcross-boundary learning and can, therefore, also be a form

accustomed to personal relationships and work styles in theof social leisure. Hence, it is deeply connected with each of

new organization. In contrast, those who excel in volunteer

the four "Ls," and engaging in this type of work takes nearly

work can build personal relationships among diverse

as many forms as there are individual volunteers.

members of a team and achieve their goals; in other words,

Combining the four "Ls" in a way that best suits anthey can demonstrate their abilities in any organization.

The experience and self-confidence that volunteers gain

individual, who is volunteering, can lead to a fulfilling

things done would certainly lead to a sense of self-efficacy

Taro Edami, Director of the Fuji Welfare Foundation and awork-life balance. "Everyone wants to help others," explains

by making acquaintances in any environment and getting

former student of Mother Teresa. "Deep down inside, we

in forming one's career. It is clear that those with this sense

don't believe that our human values are complete, and soof self-efficacy in forming their careers also have a brighter

we need to understand that mostly everyone wants to at

career outlook.

least try volunteering."

Social action based on
fundamental human desires

65% of individuals "want tocontribute to society""Volunteering is just like love," explains Noboru Hayase,04

information on volunteer work," "do not want to take time

The number of people who want to contribute to

off to participate," and "have to pay expenses

society but do not actually do any volunteer work

(transportation, etc.) to participate" (Cabinet Office, "2016has actually increased over the last 30 years. The

FY Survey of Actual Social Contribution by Citizens").

number of people who feel that they "would like to contribute

It is not only that company employees are not able toto society in some way as a member of society" increased from

47.0% in 1986 to 65.0% in 2016. However, although the ratio

control their time as easily as stay-at-home spouses orslightly during the same period, it has remained largely thehalf that of professionals, such as physicians and lawyers or

students because they have a participation ratio of roughlyof people actually doing volunteer work has risen and fallen

those who are self-employed or working in familysame at 25.2% in 1986 and 26.0% in 2016.
Fig. 2businesses. This suggests a factor outside of working hours,

Social contribution activities
1986年

Ratio of those whowant to contributeto society
Ratio of those
involved in volunteer
worksuch as the workplace atmosphere and management.

Companies have continued to address the issue of excessive

2016年

47.0％
25.2％

working hours in recent years through work style reforms,

65.0％

and some employees have begun to consider how to spend
this free time. To urge company employees to volunteer,

contributing factors other than working hours will also

26.0％

need to be addressed.

Three movements making iteasier to participate involunteer work

Sources: Cabinet Office (2016) "Public Opinion Survey on Social
Consciousness" (upper row), MIAC Statistics Bureau (1986, 2016) "Basic
Survey on Social Life" (lower row)		

As a group, company employees have lower ratioof participation in volunteer work. Only 12.9% of

There are infinite opportunities to participate incompany employees have ever done volunteer

volunteer work. The importance of volunteering duringwork. This is not only lower than the ratio of

disasters is already widely known. Sports volunteering may

temporary/contract and part-time workers (14.3%),

be the next big thing. Three movements have been formed

stay-at-home spouses (20.2%), and students

for those who want to try participating in volunteer work:(21.9%), but is even lower than the ratio of those"pro bono work," "casual pro bono work," and "episodic

who are self-employed or working in family

volunteering."

businesses ( 24.1%), professionals such as
physicians and lawyers (22.6%), and public/
association employees (27.1%)"Pro bono work" to enhance
professional careers

The main reasons provided for not volunteering are, inorder, "not enough time to participate," "not enoughFig. 3

Ratio of those with volunteer experience
Company employees

12.9%

Temporary/contract and part-time workers

14.3%

Physicians, lawyers, and other professionals

22.6%

Public/association employees

27.1%

Self-employed/family business workers

24.1%

Stay-at-home spouses

20.2%

Students

21.9%

Unemployed

18.7%

Other

22.7%

Source: Cabinet Office "2016 FY Survey of Actual Social Contribution by Citizens"

05

The term "pro bono" comes from the Latin "pro bono

management and stability scores. In either case, participants

has assumed the modern meaning of using one's professional

if they were completely engaged in their normal duties full-

publico," which means "for the public good." "Pro bono"

were able to improve skills, which would have been difficult

skills and expert knowledge on a volunteer basis to achievetime.

social or public goals. The movement began with lawyers

The two companies noted that working with an NPO

in the US providing free legal consultation and has now

improved employees' skills in "integrating diverse

accounting.

members," and "speaking frankly to customers" These skills

spread to other professional fields, such as IT, the web, andviewpoints," "building trust relationships with other team

A large number of people are registering every year withare required in highly diverse environments, and this fact

Service Grant, a service that connects individuals who wantadds up with what Mr. Kurita (JVOAD) had explained

to provide pro bono work, with organizations that needabout the difference between volunteer work and personal

their skills and knowledge. Currently, more than 4,600

relationships in the workplace.

individuals have lent their expertise to more than 700
projects. In the second half of the 2000s, companies began

Fig. 4

introducing pro bono programs to develop employee

Skills developed during the NPO
Support Project

leadership and enhance social contribution activities.

Team leader skills

companies spent around half a year planning the

1. Integrating diverse viewpoints"During the 2018 fiscal year, seven executives from major

management of five NPOs," explains Daichi Konuma,

2. Handling work in vague conditions

CEO of CROSS FIELDS, an NPO that works to connect
companies with NPOs and social enterprises. "They also

on developing team members and3. Focusing
delegating authority

under the expectation that they would become focused not

Team member skills

outsourced some of their future management candidates
only on profitability, but on facing social issues."

Although it is worth participating for employees,

4. Speaking frankly to customers

creating a unique pro bono program that contributes to

5. Building trust relationships with other teamsociety isn't easy. Therefore, the number of employees thatmembers

could participate was limited. However, those employees

Source: Nobutaka Ishiyama (2018) "Cross-border Learning Mechanisms:
Knowledge Brokers who Develop Careers within Multiple Communities ofPractice" (Note: Increases in self- evaluations after participation were
statistically significant for items 1, 4, and 5)

that did participate indicated a high-level of satisfaction
with the programs, and a range of positive side effects werenoted, such as an improved perspective on work or

During a collaborative program conducted with an NPO

improved professional skills. Some companies reported thatthat was run by Panasonic, it was confirmed that

positions, and many employees attended debriefing sessions

regarding "trying new things without focusing on past

more employees applied for these programs than there wereparticipants not only felt an improved sense of autonomy

held to discuss the results of activities. For these companies,

methods," but also felt more emotionally attached to theoffering a pro bono program to their employees served as acompany ("when someone praises my company I feel like I

form of social contribution activity that is symbolic of theam being praised")company itself.

Considering these cases, pro bono work can both

Takanori Matsui ran the "NPO Support Project" at

improve professional skills and help employees to obtain ato four months helping to promote NPO activities.

change depends on the employee's original work conditions
and nature of the pro bono work. An employee, who

Nimaime no Meishi, where company employees spent threepositive attitude toward work. However, the degree of

Takanori Matsui worked with Professor Nobutaka Ishiyama
of Hosei University Graduate Schools to analyze changes incommunicates from a perspective of mutual

employees after participating in the project. Participants

understanding with personnel from the assigned

from GAP Japan were shown to have increased scores inorganization and other team members and reflects

entrepreneurship and self-growth, whereas participantson their work and assigned organization, is muchfrom PERSOL Group showed increased diversity

more likely to expand their responsibilities after06

Fig. 5

Changes after participating in collaborative program with an NPO

4.50

4.00

3.50

3.00

BeforeAfter

Trying new things without
focusing on past methods

BeforeAfter

Have self-conﬁdence
to pursue own career

BeforeAfter

Strongly feel that this willcontribute to professional life

BeforeAfter

When someone praises my company
I feel like I am being praised

Source: Rie Fujisawa (2015) "Report on Survey of Participants in the 'Panasonic NPO Support Pro Bono Program'" (Note: N-16; difference between before and after
statistically significant at a level of 5%)

people" and instead gain new insights and personalparticipation and gain a stronger understanding of

connections by engaging in independent activities. To urge

what makes their work important (Fujisawa, 2015).

employees to engage in casual pro bono work, companies

Engaging in pro bono work that provides one to use

use means, such as running campaigns, distributing email toprofessional expertise and experience and this can serve as aemployees. In contrast to the activities in which just a few

source of a learning experience and can help develop one's

people can participate to help tackle difficult social issues at

professional career.

a symbolic level that appeal to employees' senses ofchallenge and admiration, casual pro bono work lowers the"Casual pro bono work" toexpand horizons outside of thecompany

threshold for entry into such activities and focuses insteadon convincing people to just give volunteer work a try.

"Casual pro bono work" refers to a type of volunteer

work where volunteers participate casually for a short"Episodic volunteering" for fun

period. The concept of casual pro bono work has existed

since the 1980s and includes a wide range of activities that

Traditional volunteer work has often been done

are not normally considered volunteer work due to them
being an extension of daily life, such as picking up trash on

continuously over a long period to provide social welfare"volunteering" to these activities could serve as a means tovolunteer work done over a short period or even once.

and tackle environmental issues. However, there is

the streets or donating clothes. Attaching the label of

These single activities are referred to as "episodic

get people involved in true volunteer work.

volunteering." The word "episodic" is a derived form of

As many people are unable to engage in volunteer work

"episode", which means "a story within a story."

due to lack of time, a range of intermediary support

Japan has been and will be a host to a series oforganizations has begun developing casual pro bono work
programs and actively introducing people to them. In 2018,

international mega-events beginning with the Tokyo

catchphrase, "doing anything at all to help makes you a

Olympic/Paralympic Games Tokyo in 2020, the World

Marathon in 2007, the Rugby World Cup in 2019, theTokyo began promoting casual pro bono work under the

Masters Games KANSAI in 2021, and the Osaka/Kansai

volunteer." A number of people would be likely to haveWorld Fair in 2025. These events will continue to serve as asome time for casual pro bono work.

means for recruiting episodic volunteers.

Beginning in the 2010s, many companies began asking

The number of people wanting to volunteer has only

their employees to participate in casual pro bono work. The

increased each time the Tokyo Marathon is held, and aintent was to prevent employees from becoming "company

07

record number of volunteers (38,000 people) supported the

Rugby World Cup in 2019. More than 200,000 people

Volunteer "remuneration"
takes many forms

applied for 80,000 volunteer positions in the Olympic/

Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Volunteering is extremely

attractive to those individuals who feel strongly about thesemega-events and admire the organizers and competitors.

It is clear that volunteering takes many forms. The true

One of the motivations for engaging in episodic

pleasure of volunteering is choosing a type of work that isvolunteering for these mega-events is self-serving, as in "Iinteresting and helps others.

want to experience this once in my life," "I want to be

The way a volunteer works can vary completely frominvolved in a world event," or "I want to enjoy the event

person to person for the same type of work, depending on

not be able to run without volunteers; therefore, this worka work of helping and spreading awareness regarding

together in spirit with the athletes." These mega-events willwhether the volunteer thinks of it as just a type of work or

is, to some degree, social work similar to other types ofvarious social issues. For example, consider a volunteer

volunteer work. However, they are a different type ofworking to guide people to an event venue. It makes avolunteer work than activities based on the spirit ofsignificant difference whether the volunteer simply sees thisaltruism.

work as standing around holding a sign or sees his or her

Volunteering used to be correlated with the meaning ofrole as the "face" of the event that is first seen by visitors.

self-sacrifice and working without compensation. However,Students volunteering to guide visitors in an academic

at the beginning of the second half of the 1970s, more

conference quizzed the visitors. Visitors enjoyed answering

people indicated that they were "volunteering for myself "the quizzes while being guided right to the venue withoutor "enjoying volunteering" (Nakayama 2007).

worrying about getting lost. This idea became popular overConsequently, at the beginning of the 1980s, it became

acceptable to participate in volunteer work for the purpose

the Internet in and outside of Japan.
Volunteers enjoy remuneration outside of

In 1992, a report by the "Council on Lifelong Learning"E v er y one ge t s some thing di f f er en t ou t o fof self-realization or finding meaning in life (Hayase 1994).

monetary compensation.

in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, andvolunteering, whether it is friendly interaction withfulfillment and meaning in life who want to voluntarilyrole, or realizing something they would not normallyto increasingly more free time and economic comfort inwith others, and those who have done volunteer work for a

Technology found that, "more people seeking spiritual

others, meeting acquaintances, playing their own

provide their knowledge/skills and abilities to society due

notice. Many volunteers improve their ability to connect

recent years. Volunteer work is closely connected withlong time are skillful at making acquaintances. This is likely

lifelong learning, and more people are engaging in lifelong

because it is difficult to assign an equivalent value (such aslearning while also wanting to apply what they havemonetary compensation) to such work; therefore,

learned and participate in volunteer work."

volunteers tend to work with sympathetic feelings toward

Today, the concept of volunteering has widened totheir work and other people involved as a key factor.
Volunteers can obtain this type of non-monetary

include volunteer work based on the spirit of altruism aswell as social work conducted for personal enjoyment or to

remuneration precisely because volunteer work

seek meaning in life. Those who volunteer seeking

provides them the opportunity to use their ingenuity

get involved in episodic volunteering, as they place a higher

volunteers get to learn about different types ofenjoyment or an opportunity for growth strongly tend toto benefit others with spontaneity. First-timevalue on having different experiences rather than continuing

remuneration. Volunteers can get an appreciated for theto indulge in a certain type of activity. Episodic

richness and depth of volunteer work only if they're

volunteering will likely continue to draw attention asinterested enough to give it a try.

mega-events are held un succession in Japan.

08chapter2

Evolving corporate social
contribution activities

With companies pursuing social value in business management and strategic value insocial contribution activities, SDGs are helping to bring about a turning point insupport for employee volunteer work.
they soon also required a strategy for CSR.

Strategically, this meant setting clear objectives andGlobalization is an evolvingsocial contribution activity

achieving specific policies. In response to the expanding

scope of CSR, Porter et al. noted that "there is no company
in the world that can resolve every social issue or assume
the costs of doing so. Each company needs to select only

The social contribution activities of companies havethose social issues that are closely related to its businesschanged over time. In the 1970s, these activities mainly

functions" (2008).

took the form of donating to social welfare facilities or

In Japan, the year 2003 has been called "the inaugural

engaging in charity work through foundations. In theyear of CSR management" (Kawamura 2003). Since the1980s, Japanese companies began to actively expand

turn of the 21st century, the amount of SRI has increased,

overseas due to the strong yen brought about by the Plaza
Accord. However, there was a movement in the US

and Japanese companies have begun to earnestly pursue
CSV following the establishment of international standards

for companies to act as good corporate citizens,on sustainability reports, such as the "GRI Standard."

and Japanese companies understood that thebusiness environment did not welcome companies
that were engaged only in business and not willing

SDGs: 17 goals to accomplishby 2030

to contribute to local communities. Due to its religious
foundation, the US was host to a "% Clubs" in which

member companies contributed a set percentage of ordinary

SDGs were adopted by the UN in 2015. These SDGs

profit to social contribution causes. Japanese companies,
therefore, realized that social contribution activities would

include 17 goals (such as "no poverty," "decent work and"One 1% Club" was established under the Japan Business"sustainable, diverse, and inclusive society where no one is

economic growth," and "climate action") to realize abe crucial in expanding their businesses, and in 1990, theleft behind" together with and 169 targets necessary toFederation (Japan Business Federation 2008).

achieve these goals by 2030 (Fig. 6). With the adoption ofSince 1990, CSR began to be thought of as closely linked

the SDGs, companies have strengthened the connection

with the company value, and the number of investors
seeking an economic return on Socially Responsible

Investments (SRIs) began to increase. In Europe, a green

Fig. 6

paper entitled "Promoting a European Framework for
Corporate Social Responsibility" was released by theEuropean Commission in 2001, eliciting much social
discussion (Hagiwara 2005).

In a narrow sense, CSR focuses on ethical issues such aslegal compliance and consumer protection. In a wider sense,

the concept includes resolving social issues and contributing

to society through business. In 2011, professors at Harvard
University, including Michael Porter, advocated "Creating
Shared Value" (CSV). Companies began to recognize theimportance of contributing to society through business, and09

The 17 SDGs

"want employees who are involved in society outside of the

between CSR and SDGs and continue to enhance theircompany" at 21%.

efforts to resolve social issues.

Several serious social issues given as topics for SDGs have

Fig. 7been expressed even in Japan. Traditional charity and social
welfare activities, such as holding bazaars or weeding, are

Reasons companies support social
contribution activities

not enough to solve today’s complicated social issues, such

Contribute to the maintenance/development of local society

89%

underpopulated areas or the expanding digital divide

Improve company's image in society

50%

as establishing environments to maintain social lives infollowing the spread of IT. The "Investigative Study on

Want employees to be proud of
the company

Establishing a Cooperative Society through Volunteering"43%

released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry

Develop employees who are sensitive
to social trends

25%

for the elderly, care-giving, the disabled, child-raising, andWant employees who are involved
in society outside of the company

21%

Have employees who are looking
to support volunteer work

19%

has cautioned that the number of issues regarding support

natural disasters is increasing.
Many companies are now getting involved insocial contribution activities as a medium-long term

Incorporate new trends from society
with company culture

management issue to increase theircompetitiveness in the market. Companies consider

Other

the current and future (1) impact on their business

11%
2%

Source: Japan Business Federation "Survey Results on 2014 FY Social
Contribution Activity Results"and (2) impact for their stakeholders in determining

In other words, companies face issues and contribute towhich topics to tackle. A company's employees are also
naturally considered as stakeholders. Although investors

society by prioritizing helping those facing difficulties. This

becoming difficult for companies to spare sufficient humanof those who need support. However, it must be noted thatmakes sense, as a social contribution is done for the benefit

and society do expect some form of social contribution, it is

the second most common reason for companies to support

resources for social contribution activities due to laborsocial contribution activities is to improve their reputation.

shortages and reduced working hours. It will, therefore,

Companies are not charity organizations, but instead, they

become even more important for companies to select social

are organizations formed in the pursuit of profit—after all,issues that will increase the sustainability of their businesses

and without business growth, a company would not evenand focus human resources and budgets on those topics.

sustain itself even if they resolve social issues throughbusiness. This is especially true outside of Japan, where it

Who should benefit from
corporate social contribution
activities?

could be difficult for individuals to even continue theirbusiness if they are not recognized as local corporate

citizens. It is for this reason that social contribution
activities are crucial for global companies.

There are two major ways in which companies

The significance for both—companies and thosetackle social issues: first, as corporations throughreceiving their support—is clear. However, less than half ofbusinesses and foundations and second, by

the companies include the significance of their employees

supporting the individual activities of their

participating in social contribution activities as a goal.

employees. As discussed previously, morecompanies are strengthening their efforts for the

Volunteer programs as
investments in humanresources

latter through pro bono and casual pro bono work.
The major reason given for companies to support social

contribution activities is to "contribute to the maintenance/development of local society" at 89%. This is followed by"Companies used to treat volunteer work as a part of"improve company's image in society" at 50%, "wanttheir social contribution activities," explains Mr. Matsui,

employees to be proud of the company" at 43%, "develop

who has been involved in many projects at Nimaime no

employees who are sensitive to social trends" at 25%, and10

Meishi. "However, since the latter half of 2000s, moreas a part of human resource investment, it does not

employees participate in volunteer work, in order to

HR policies or that internal organizations arecompanies have begun to actively recommend thatmean that this is necessarily consistent with otherdevelop the next generation of leaders, develop skills,

working together. In that respect, these efforts aredevelop careers, and for marketing purposes."

still in the developmental stages.

There are certainly many cases, where it is clear that acompany has worked with an NPO or other organizations

Work has an impact on
having a fulfilling private life

to introduce its own volunteer program for employees togain something from participating in a program anddevelop a certain organizational culture.

As mentioned before, many companies offer pro bonoWith Japan considering raising the retirement age to 70

services. Developing the next generation of leaders is theyears, it is time for companies to consider policies that

underway to implement policies to provide the skills andTo consider an extreme example, even if the mandatory

most important HR issue for companies; efforts areallow employees of any age to continue working actively.

stances required of employees through both OJT and Off-retirement age is 60 years, employees are made to give up

JT. An HR officer at a company that introduced a pro bono

their positions at the age of 55 and continue to work until

program explains, "I know experience in the field is required

retirement. There would certainly be some employees whoto develop leadership, but a company can't allow failure in

would simply just show up at work without any desire toits core business. Sending people out into unrelated fields iswork. This has a demoralizing effect at the workplace.

a great way to expand their experiences."

Companies must consider how to allow employees toCompanies that are actively working to expand casualmaintain their desire to work irrespective of their age.

pro bono work have indicated that they expect "employees

The scenario, where employees remain active throughto become sensitive to social trends and feelings" and towork, is a win-win situation for both companies andFigure 7 shows that just over 20% of the respondents

opportunities for work. Regardless of human resource"increase the number of employees involved in society."

employees. However, not all employees are given suchprovided these reasons for participating in social

shortages, some employees are not being assigned duties

contribution activities, indicating that companies believecorresponding to their abilities. Some have predicted thatthat these activities will improve employee social skills andthe number of these "untapped employees" will reach 4.15

autonomy and increase the potential of their humanmillion people by 2025, or 8.2% of the workforce (Recruit

resources. Casual pro bono work is being promoted not

Works Institute, "2025: The Time to Reinvent Work is

only to develop each employee but also to reform

Coming" 2015). If this, indeed, is the case, companies willorganizational cultures.

need to consider policies to keep employees active throughIn this way, more companies are recommendingmeans other than work.

volunteer work as a form of human resource investment.

One promising choice would be cross-boundary learning

However, there are companies where the design andadministration of these programs are maintained within theFig. 8department introducing the program, and there is no

integration between the promoting department and the

HR division regarding how social contribution activities are

Management recognition that activities
outside the company impact work

External activities:
Positive groupmanaged. The GRI Standard, a sustainability report
guideline, also includes information on clearly positioning

External activities:
Negative group"employee skill improvement programs and transitional

support programs" as a form of "education and training."
However, few companies describe employee participation

60.3%
39.4%

High spillover groupin social contribution activities in this way.
Although some companies have positioned

39.7%
60.6%
Low spillover group

Source: Recruit Management Solutions (2018) "RMS Message Vol. 51"		
Spillover: The ratio between two groups, with one having a high median value
and other having a low median value for the average value of three survey
questions (including "private experiences have an impact even on work")

supporting employee participation in volunteer work

11

through volunteer work or side work. Even companies thatsocial contribution activities of their employees." When asked

leaks would likely be able to actively promote volunteer

companies (52%) responded, saying "system to provide timeto specify a specific support policy, the majority of thewould not allow side work due to the risk of information

off for volunteer work" (Fig. 10). However, only an average

work among their employees.
One survey has indicated that a fulfilling privateof 40.5 people per company per year applied for time off forvolunteer work (Japan Business Federation, "Results of 2014

life has an impact on how employees perform their

FY Survey on Social Contribution Activity Results").

primary job functions. Managers were asked

Considering the number of employees in companies thatwhether they believe that activities outside of thebelong to the Japan Business Federation, this cannot becompany have an impact on their work. Thoseconsidered as a very high number.

involved in activities outside of the company
responded positively at a much higher rate (20%Ratio of Japan Business Federation
member companies with volunteer
work support systems

higher) than those who were not .

Fig. 10allowing employees to remain active at work, age not being

System to provide time oﬀ for volunteer work

Establishing programs to support career formation anda factor, will become an increasingly important HR issue

System to provide extended time oﬀ
for volunteer work
System to provide time oﬀ
for participation in JOCV
System to provide volunteer work awards

for companies.

Companies with a "systembut no culture" to support
volunteer work

System to register volunteers
System to provide volunteer work training
System to provide volunteer work support
for former employees

Companies have made considerable progress over the last

System to support matching donations

20 years in establishing support systems for employees

Movement to promote regional
contribution activities

participating in volunteer work. Although only 2.2% of

Othercompanies had introduced systems to provide time off for

52%
18%
16%
16%
9%
4%
3%
22%
29%
4%

Source: Japan Business Federation "Survey Results on 2014 FY Social
Contribution Activity Results"

volunteer work in 1999, this number rose to 20.9% in

Companies have worked hard to establish systems to2018. The increase is especially striking in companies with999 or fewer employees.

support employee participation in volunteer work. So, why

the Japan Business Federation, which has the One 1% Club.

with companies, individuals with volunteer experience, andare these systems not being used? Interviews conductedThis trend is even stronger in companies that belong tointermediary support organizations revealed that it is easy

According to a survey conducted by the Japan Federation of

for a difference in enthusiasm to develop regarding

Economic Organizations, 84% of companies "support theFig. 9volunteer work between the division planning the

introduction of a system and the workplaces in which

Ratio of companies with systems toprovide time off for volunteer work, bysize of company (no. of employees)
1999

2018

1000 or more

20.6％

26.8％

300 to 999

6.0％

32.0％

100 to 299

1.9％

19.7％

30 to 99

1.4％

13.6％

Overall

2.2％

20.9％

employees work every day.

One common comment was that employees who dovolunteer work tend to be perceived separately as "people
with a strong awareness of contributing to society." The
employees in departments responsible for social

contribution work, passionately share information within

the company, whereas employees in other departments are
not so aware of these activities or do not intend toparticipate at all.

In some cases, it may be impossible for an employee toget an understanding of his or her manager and colleagues

Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Comprehensive Survey on
Employment Conditions"* Values for 1999 were calculated by multiplying the ratio of companies with time offsystems, with the ratio of companies with systems/support systems for volunteer work

about doing volunteer work. People often stated that they
were treated coldly at work even if nothing was said to12them directly. Some workers indicated that they became

is to establish programs for employees based onvolunteering when everyone else is busy or being told thatneed for companies to establish both; a culture fortargets of direct criticism (such as being asked why they are

the agenda of the company. There is a growing

they can volunteer only because they have nothing else to

the former and methods to promote the latter.

do at work). One individual even recounted an episodewhere he was told, "I don't even want you to attend yourVolunteering needs to beexperienced to see its appeal

PTA meetings, never mind going off volunteering." It

would be difficult indeed for an employee to make use of avolunteer work support system in such a workplace.
Although companies have worked hard over theDuring this series of interview surveys, respondents

continuously indicated a reversal in thinking after

last 20 years to establish support systems forparticipating in volunteer work. Some responses include, "I

employees to participate in volunteer work, not

was invited by my coworker and it ended up being moreenough work has been done to create a culture or

enjoyable than I thought," "there's a huge difference

raise awareness of volunteering in employees.

between those who have done volunteer work and those

How much should companies
contribute to spontaneous
activities?

who haven't, and participating really helps you to grow," "I

The degree to which companies contribute to themore critical you are at first, the more you'll be effective at

was never interested in contributing to society but wanted

to go into management, so my manager urged me toparticipate and start considering social issues," and "theit once you finally accept it."
The common thread here is that it is difficult toindividual activities of their employees is a sensitive issue

when it comes to strengthening support for employee
volunteer work. A record states that "volunteer work is

accurately predict what one will gain from volunteer

course, raises doubts over how involved companies should

did not expect from doing so. This is because volunteer

even be allowed. Company representatives gathered at thefrom volunteer work can vary widely from person to person.

based on the 'spontaneity' of each individual. This, ofwork, and volunteers often get something that theywork is done for the benefit of others, and what someone gains

be with these activities, or whether their involvement will

Therefore, so many respondents provided responses such

Japan Business Federation to first discuss this in the 1990s,

and reached a consensus to prioritize individual spontaneity

as "you should just give it a try" or "it's important to invite

other words, to ‘provide motivation' and ‘establish

important for a company to motivate employees toothers to try or urge them to participate." So, why is itwith the companies serving only to set wheels in motion; inparticipate in volunteer work? "Volunteering begins withenvironments' but to do no more, and to make sure to

someone realizing something and then moving to action,"

avoid mobilizing employees and forcing them to engage in

explains Mr. Edami, Director of the Fuji Welfare

volunteer work'" (Japan Business Federation 2008).

Foundation. "Doing something because someone told you

Companies likely drew this line (of establishing support

to do, it isn't volunteering. It's better to call it ‘experiencing

systems but doing no more than that) in the 1990s to urge

volunteering.' However, if someone feels something during

self-control on the parts of companies. This is most likely

such an experience, that might lead to true volunteer work."

the underlying cause for companies that have a "system but

Companies need to take a step beyond merely providing

no culture" to support volunteer work.

employees with information on volunteer work and need to

However, the situation clearly began to change with theestablish some way to urge employees to participate inturn of the 21st century. As we saw previously, morevolunteer work.

companies are now actively promoting employee volunteer

work to develop human resources and reform organizational
cultures. Currently, there are two ways for companies

Give employees a supportive
push and leave the rest to
their sympathetic feelings

to support the volunteer work of their employees.
The first is to support employees when theyexpress a desire to do volunteer work and second

13whether they will participate.

The company’s support for employees participating in

An employee who sympathizes with the agenda andvolunteer work continues to expand, from providing
employees with information on volunteer work andexpectations of the company is more likely to participate.

recommending volunteer work that fits the company's

to choose not to participate if they do not sympathize.

However, it is crucial to provide employees with the rightsupporting those employees who want to get involved in"Companies are switching their main reason for engaging in

agenda (such as pro bono programs).
However, the activities of a volunteer (whosocial contribution activities from taking a passive stancesuch as providing employee benefits, to a more active stancegenerally engages in creative social work based onsuch as pursuing innovation and cross-boundary learning,"

their own spontaneity) and those of a paid worker

explains Professor Toru Anzai, a social contribution activity(who earns a wage in compensation for following

researcher at Mejiro University. "There isn't just one rightthe orders of their manager) are completely

answer when it comes to supporting the volunteer work ofdifferent by nature. In supporting the volunteer work

employees. Each company will arrive at its own answerof employees, companies must be particularly

based on how it views people and society. Ultimately, it's aattentive in drawing a clear line between businessquestion of the company's readiness to manage humanand v olunt eer w ork and in r espec ting theresources."spontaneity of employees.
Currently, most of the volunteer programs, in which

companies provide information to employees, are held

Four issues to overcome inpromoting volunteer workoutside of work hours. Although there are cases where
volunteer work is done during work hours for someparticular purpose during introductory training, this cannot

There are several important issues to overcome inbe considered volunteer work in a narrow sense, because
these employees are paid a wage and are covered bypromoting volunteer work among employees. The top

its employment responsibilities (such as its duty tocontribution activities are, in the order of ranking,issues that companies are facing in promoting social

workers' accident insurance. Also, a company cannot fulfill"employee understanding/promoting social participation" atimplement safety considerations) during temporary

61%, "upper management understanding/leadership" atactivities conducted outside of the company. In such cases,

48%, "strategic positioning with management" at 42%, and

it is, therefore, often more suitable for employees to"establishing/enhancing an internal promotion organization

purchase volunteer work insurance and do volunteer work

(including cooperation across organizations)" at 37%.

outside of work hours to ensure a higher degree of freedom

For "employee understanding/promoting socialand creativity when doing such work. Companies could

help support such employees by, for example, paying

participation," the underlying issue is a corporate culture

work or allowing them to use conference rooms or other

there is a system in place to support it. Multiple

that does not welcome employee volunteer work, even if

expenses incurred during activities conducted outside of

respondents indicated concerns that, even if personnel infacilities. In other words, decisions need to be made at two

charge of social contribution shared relevant informationlevels: first, whether to incorporate these activities as a partwithin the company, the information would resonate onlyof work and second, the extent of support for activities

with certain employees who are already passionate aboutoutside of work.

social contribution activities and interest would not spread

The kind of satisfaction someone gets from doing

any further.

volunteer work also varies widely from person to person,"Upper management understanding/leadership" anddepending on the type of work and how the person is

involved. Some may feel a sense of meaning or joy for the"strategic positioning with management" are two factors

outside of work to develop human resources or reform theapproach social contribution. Companies that lead the fieldwith an extremely powerful influence on how employees

first time. If a company is recommending volunteer workin social contribution recommend that employees get

culture of an organization, it is important for the company

involved with volunteer work to develop human resources

to inform employees of the company's agenda andand establish a certain culture in the organization. They

expectations. It is then up to each employee to determine

14

Fig. 11

process and not just a one-time effort. Companies that

Important issues in promotingsocial contribution activities

Employee understanding/promoting social participation

boast of high ratios of employees and involved in volunteer
work develop volunteer programs for their employees andwork with their HR divisions or internal PR departments

61%

to actively share information. To clarify an organization's

Upper management
understanding/leadership

message, some companies include participation in

48%

Strategic positioning
with management

collaborative programs with NPOs, consider individual

employee awards, or hold open debriefing sessions following

42%

Establishing/enhancing aninternal promotion organization

volunteer work to discuss results. The average yearly37%

donation for social contribution activities among corporate(including cooperationacross organizations)

Establishing evaluation standards
for activity results

members of the Japan Business Federation's One 1% Club18%

Improving passion andexpertise of personnel/
department in charge

13%

Selecting appropriate partners andstrengthening partnership13%

is 1.17 billion yen (Japan Business Federation, "Survey on2017 FY Social Contribution Activity Results").

As social issues have become more complicated andpopulations shrink, many regions and communities willneed people to help. Company employees have the lowest
rate of participation in volunteer work of all the surveyed

Promoting use ofmanagement resources

9%

Reﬂecting stakeholder opinions
in conducting activities

9%

employees who want to help but cannot. Although

Establishing a global promotion
organization

6%

work of their employees, there is still much to be done to

Deciding how to respond tosocial requests

6%

number of companies introducing volunteer programs in

Othergroups. However, there is a considerable number ofcompanies have established systems to support the volunteer

establish a culture conducive to this. Nevertheless, theorder to develop leadership and reform organizational
culture is increasing.

1%

In the next chapter, we propose a modern method for

Source: Japan Business Federation "Survey Results on 2014 FY Social
Contribution Activity Results"

supporting employee volunteer work.

also invest the financial resources necessary to do this. No
respondents, working in companies wheremanagement takes an active role in urging
participation in volunteer work, indicated thatvolunteering was looked down upon in theworkplace. However, there were cases where achange in management resulted in a lower priority
placed on social contribution activities and a vaguer
positioning of these activities within the company's
management strategy. The degree to which a company
is involved in social contribution activities directly

connected with profit can be clearly seen in the company's

management policies; therefore, it is extremely important
to clarify the strategic positioning of these activities withinthese policies.

"Establishing/enhancing an internal promotion

organization (including cooperation across organizations)"

is also important. Organizations and budgetary measures

are crucial to ensuring social contribution as a continuous

15

Employee Volunteer 2020

chapter3

We propose supporting employee volunteer work not only as a form of social
contribution to the company but as a means of career formation for employees.

Employee Volunteer 2020
"Employee Volunteer 2020" is a means for companies to get involved in andsupport the volunteer work of their employees. It involves satisfying three
conditions and implementing four promotion measures.

Have a clear
strategic
agenda andpositioning

Promotethe support of
employee careerformation

Respectthe spirit ofvolunteering

Condition
1

Condition
2

Condition
3

Broadcasta message ofmutual benefit
frommanagement

Providemotivation tostart and support
continuing
efforts

Provideinvolvement/
support linked
appropriately withHR system

Create anorganizational
culture that makes
it easy toparticipate involunteer work

PromotionmeasurePromotionmeasurePromotionmeasurePromotionmeasure

1

2

3

16

4

Employee Volunteer 2020
Condition 1

Have a clear strategic agenda and positioning

Condition 2

Promote the support of employee careerformation

Condition 3

Respect the spirit of volunteering

Employee Volunteer 2020 promotes the volunteer work ofexperience, and perspectives gained through work? Somegeneral term used to include an employee's work-life balance,

employees' perspectives, increasing autonomy, widening

human resource development goals might include expanding

employees as a type of career formation. "Careers" here is apersonal networks, developing leadership and diversity

professional career, and career within the company.

management skills, responding to specialized social issues, orVolunteer work is closely connected with the four "Ls" (love,

creating opportunities for cross-boundary learning. In

labor, learning, and leisure) that create a positive work-life

deciding which social issue to tackle, a company should

balance. Volunteer work with a strong learning aspect (such asprioritize topics that will be important for future business. It

pro bono work) helps to develop an employee's professional

is important to clarify the goals and positioning of the

career and career within the company, while that with a strong

company in selecting certain topics and recommend certain

leisure aspect (such as episodic volunteering) can lead to a more

activities to the employees.

fulfilling private life. As we approach an age of 100-year life

Volunteer work has traditionally been pursued as a type of

expectancies with people retiring much later, volunteer work

can bring a positive outlook to employees' careers and is one

creative social work based on the spontaneous will of an

There are many types of volunteer work and as many

makes volunteering both wonderful and meaningful without

support of the companies also vary based on the purpose of

simply providing information to urging people to take theindividual. However, someone will not understand what

way for them to take control of their careers.

trying it first. It can sometimes be effective to go beyond

reasons for people to participate. The involvement andfirst step. In Employee Volunteer 2020, companies actively

the volunteer work. If volunteer work is done to achieve a

fulfilling work-life balance, a company should provide

urge their employees to participate in volunteer work andcontinue volunteer work. In contrast, if a company is

the employees themselves. If a company is doing this underthen leave the final decision on whether to participate withsupport so that it is easier for employees to participate andits own agenda (particularly when doing so as a means ofrecommending volunteer work as a means for employees toleadership development), it is important for the company todevelop their professional careers or their careers within thecompany, the strategy of the company becomes an issue.

clearly explain the reason and the expected goals, urge

resources strategies. Employee Volunteer 2020 focuses on thesympathize with the agenda of the company.

employees to take their first steps and get employees to

There are two types of strategies: business and human

For a company, supporting the volunteer work of its

latter. A company needs to determine the details of theemployees is not only a form of social contribution but also a

volunteer program that it will recommend. For example,

type of investment in forming the careers of its employees.

what skills or experience should employees gain throughRather than investing without any particular purpose, avolunteer work? Will there be any opportunities for acquiring

company should instead identify highly prioritized HR anda certain perspective? Can employees leverage skills,

17

employees to use meeting rooms on their days off, and makesocial issues and promote volunteer work while respecting theit easy for employees to take time off for volunteer work.

spontaneous will of its employees. Once its purpose forsupporting volunteer work has been clarified, a company can

Promotion measure 3

set up opportunities for dialog with its employees and leadthem to new realizations and determine how to invest (suchProvide involvement/support linked
appropriately with the HR system

Promotion measure 1

The degree to which a company will support the volunteer

Broadcast a message of mutual
benefit from the management

management policies and the type of activities. It is crucial

Companies have traditionally promoted social contributionof activities, such as setting clear rules on allowing employees

region/community and to improve the image of the company.

compensated, whether employees are provided with volunteer

mutual benefit. This includes those receiving aid, regional

working hours.

as supporting expenses required for volunteer work).

work of its employees varies based on the company's

for a company to clearly and appropriately define the scope

to take time off, whether travel and lodging expenses areactivities to fulfill the needs of those receiving aid or the

insurance and whether volunteer work is allowed within

The goal of Employee Volunteer 2020 is to work together for

It will also be crucial for the HR division to be involved insociety, the company, and its employees.

How will employees demonstrate their abilities throughdetermining programs and verifying their results for volunteer

company focus on a particular social issue among thesuch as leadership or skill improvement. To support the

management must broadcast a message to its employees,social contribution should work closely with the HR division,and how a company wants its employees to form their careers

policies appropriately.

work strongly linked with human resources development,

volunteer work? What will they learn? Why should avolunteer work of employees, the department in charge ofcountless issues that are faced by us today? A company’s

when needed, to ensure that these activities follow HR

which clarifies the relationship between employee volunteers

along with its outlook on business. It is especially effective if

Promotion measure 4

the management members participate in volunteer work andspeak from experience.

Create an organizational culturethat makes it easy to get involvedin volunteer work

Promotion measure 2

Provide the motivation to start andsupport continuing efforts

Methods used to urge employees to participate in volunteer

work can be broadly split into three categories: first, toprovide "pull-type" information through sources, such as the

A company should create a support program that takes thediverse needs of its employees regarding volunteer work into

company intranet; second, to provide "push-type" information

motivate employees to start volunteer work and then to"reality-based" information, such as holding open debriefing

Whether recommending pro bono work, casual pro bono

Although the first method ("pull-type") is currently the mostthrough means, such as sending an email; third, to exchange

consideration. The most important points here are tosessions or building communities between participants.

support them in continuing to do so.

work, or some other type of volunteer work, the important

popular, the third method ("reality-based") is effective inpush to take the first step toward getting involved withwhile the second method ("push-type") is effective in

getting employees involved and excited about volunteer work,thing is to motivate employees and give them a supportive
volunteer work. The company should act as the means

expanding activities among more employees.

clearly explaining what is expected of its employees andvolunteering if he or she does not have the understanding andOf course, an employee cannot get involved inthrough which employees take the first step toward action by

support of the workplace. It is important to promote

providing a supportive push, setting incentives, or otherwise

understanding by including SDGs and volunteer work duringmotivating employees. In order to keep employees

management training and online employee training.

volunteering, the company should help pay expenses, allow

18

Employee Volunteer 2020 checklist
01

The intentions of the company behind supporting/promoting volunteer work for the employees should be
verbalized.

02

Management understands the potential for volunteer work
to enhance the careers of the employees.

03

Management transmits a positive message regarding
volunteering.

04

Budgetary measures have been implemented to support
volunteer work.

05

The department in charge of social contribution works asneeded with the HR division to expand policies.

06

Management training and other means are used to createa culture that makes it easier for employees to participate
in volunteer work.

07

Employees understand the potential for volunteer work
to help them form careers.

08

Employees engage in volunteer work under their own
will (the company recommends but does not force
participation).

09

Employees who engage in volunteer work understandthe basic frame of mind for volunteering(such as the importance of meeting the needs of others).

10

There are physical means for employees involvedin volunteer work to get together.

19

20 key points

Employee Volunteer 2020 supports careerformation through employee volunteer
work. Each company could design its
own p rog ra ms in its own way, so a
company does not necessarily need tosatisfy all of the following 20 key points.

11

Information on volunteer work is provided to employees
over the intranet or through email.

12

The system in place for taking time off during volunteer
work defines a significant scope for activities and provides
employees with sufficient time off.

13

There is a support system in place to allow employees tocontinue to do volunteer work
(such as compensating employees for expenses).

14

There are incentives in place for employees to participate
in volunteer work
(such as donations based on the type of activity).

15

Employee benefits include volunteer participation andsocial contribution benefits, such as cafeteria plans.

16

Volunteer programs that are actively recommended to
employees prioritize activities that fit the skills and desires of
employees, as well as the business characteristicsof the company.

17

The company explains the reason why it is actively
recommending certain volunteer programs to employees
and what it expects out of employees.

18

Volunteer programs meant to develop employee abilities
are in place (such as a pro bono program).

19

Means of support for volunteer work are determined appropriately
for each type of activity (incorporated within work hours andexpenses compensated based on the type of activity, including notdefining activities that must be done for business as volunteer work)

20

The company understands the needs and actual conditionsof employees regarding volunteer work and revises policies
as needed.

20

From students andhousewives to businesspeople(such as organizational logic or optimization) to theI

This is an important point to keep in mind for companies

volunteer communities created by housewives over many
years, which sometimes damaged existing relationships.
involved in promoting volunteer work.

n Japan, university students first started getting
involved in volunteer work to help war orphans after

Employee volunteers
with superior execution
and planning ability

World War II. Once Japan entered its phase of higheconomic growth, the number of families with a working
husband and stay-at-home wife increased, therefore,housewives became the main force behind volunteer work.

T

In this way, the elderly and the disabled had received the
support of students and women in their communities.

okyo Voluntary Action Center connects companies

with institutions and organizations that needThis changed with the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

volunteers. For example, a certain bank conducts new

in Japan, 1995 witnessed the arrival of not only university

the training is complete, the new hires are split into teamsof 1995. Referred to as the "inaugural year of volunteering"

employee training for over 500 new hires per year. Once

Expectations for Employee Volunteer 2020

Interview

Volunteer work to regain anunderstanding of the true nature of service
that can be lost in the pursuit of profit

students and housewives but also businesspeople in theof five or six and sent as volunteers to facilities for patients

foreign-funded and Japanese companies with a global

The bank has continued to run this project over the lastdisaster-stricken areas to provide help. In the early 2000s,

with dementia or other serious intellectual impairment.

presence began to consult with Tokyo Voluntary Action

11 years and has noted that employees are able to learn

which their employees could participate. Companies began

communication skills, and engage in team-building. This

Center on implementing social contribution activities inabout actual conditions in society, improve their

to consider their connection to a regional society based on

has served as a very popular program for institutions, andEuropean and US concepts of corporate citizenship andend-users look forward to the next group of new employees

CSR.

every year in May. Institutions are very pleased with these

The Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 saw the birth

new employees for their sincerity and ability to plan andof a new trend among companies that actively supported

implement social events, and the program serves as a great

the participation of their employees in volunteer work.

opportunity for everyone involved.

From taking their first steps after the Great Hanshin-Awaji

Management candidates are also often sent to overseas

Earthquake, companies began to actively support theNPOs and NGOs. This differs from other types of training

However, businesspeople becoming active in providing

abundant resources and employees can learn aboutautonomous volunteer work of their employees.

where companies can tackle social issues even without

support in affected areas to provide volunteer work became

developing and exercising leadership based on a particular

an issue. These new volunteers brought corporate culture

mission, rather than simply doing so to follow orders or21

to show that they are taking the initiative in such efforts.

receive remuneration. For employees, volunteer work serves

as a rare opportunity to develop leadership while
experiencing the needs of society.

Feelings ensure the qualityof volunteer work

Upper managementtaking the initiativeTVolunteer work is gaining more and more attention
as we approach the Olympic/Paralympic Games,

Tokyo, 2020. This is expected to expand the scope of

wo important points to keep in mind whenvolunteering, but it is important to ensure the quality ofpromoting employee volunteer work is forvolunteer work.

employees to have a good understanding of the locations

Although the number of people participating inthey will be visiting and for the company to develop astrong sense of autonomy in employees. It is important forvolunteer work matters, the most important thing is forwant to get involved in volunteer work. For example, in theregions and communities. It does not matter what thevolunteers to want to engage in mutual support withthe employees to have a clear understanding of why they

Akiko Kawamura, Chief
Tokyo Voluntary Action Center
Established in 1981, Tokyo Voluntary Action
Center develops programs in collaboration withmany companies, NPOs, and social welfare
facilities every year. The organization has run
the "Corporate Volunteer Awards" since the2015 fiscal year.

Ms. Kawamura began getting involved withyouth volunteer work and overseas projects in
1989, and since 2001, she has worked withcompanies to implement projects with the goalof tackling various social issues. She first began
volunteering as a university student to help
disabled individuals and is interested in regionalsocial welfare. She also has experience
volunteering in homeless shelters in the US(Minnesota).

bank mentioned previously, employees take an entire day toreason for participation (even if that reason is simply

institution to talk about the work to prepare carefully.

job") is, volunteers need to realize that there are people out"because the company told me to" or "it'll help me do mytrain and then invite people from the relevant NPO or

there working hard for the benefit of others and society,

If an employee takes a passive stance in participating

should want to build a better society, and should realize

only because he or she was told to do so by the company,

what problems are facing regional societies.

the reputation of the company could suffer. It is importantCompanies are formed by providing a range of services.

to clarify why participation is meaningful and develop theautonomy of employees.

Volunteer work is another kind of service. Volunteering is atake the initiative. Companies with prosperous volunteer

which tends to get lost in the pursuit of profit, that isgreat opportunity to remember the true essence of service,

It is also important for upper and middle management tohelping others and society. Volunteer work is also a great

work programs are characterized by the active participation

way for a business to generate new value and make lifeof these managers. Japanese businesspeople tend to beeasier by making sustainable societies a reality.

devoted to working; some might think that people whohave nothing to do have time to volunteer.

If a company can create an organizational culture inwhich everyone can participate in volunteer work, it ispossible to establish a culture of volunteering in thatcompany. To this end, it is important for the higher officials

22

The important thing forvolunteering isself-determination

experience volunteering, then they will participate moreM

participate in volunteer work.

spontaneously the next time. Creating opportunities forparticipation and sustaining interesting initiatives are crucial topromoting self-determination and gathering more people toany people think of volunteering as doing workwithout compensation. However, if we consider the

Wipe away concerns to allow
people to act more freely

roots of the word, the important thing for volunteering is self-

determination, which is a form of spontaneity. Research on
happiness has shown that self-determination has a larger impact

P

on happiness than education or income. No matter how
meaningful volunteering might be on a social level, it is merely aforced service unless the individual is doing it because he or sheeople tend to worry about a lot of things related tovolunteering. They might think that once they start

volunteering, they will have to keep doing it or will have towants to. If someone volunteers because they feel they are beingschedule time regularly to stay involved. There is no need toforced to and then it does not work out, they will likely notworry so much. Plenty of people just volunteer once during a

Expectations for Employee Volunteer 2020

Interview

Strategic and creative support for
employee volunteers from companies

volunteer again.

disaster and that is enough. Even volunteering once during aamong employees. A company needs to narrow down on someongoing commitment. In these cases, having a system in place

This is extremely important in promoting volunteer workneed is a huge help. Some types of volunteer work do require an

key points that help employees to demonstrate their self-

to cover for volunteers, who are not able to make it, benefits

determination and recommend that employees get involved.

everyone.

This is important because employees should not feel like theyVolunteers do not even need to spend a whole day

are forced. Having said that, Japan does not have a rooted

volunteering. There are plenty of people who would volunteer ifwill be made if everything is left purely to the spontaneity ofhours. The provision of these types of opportunities is crucial toculture of volunteering like in Europe or the US, so no progress

they could do so for some time in the morning or during lunch

employees. This is what is so difficult about employee

promoting an employee volunteer program.

volunteering.

It is also important for NPOs to make it easier for people to

The important thing is to create situations in which help is

volunteer. It is important to not hold back when requesting help

because they are asked to do so. There are a lot of people who

design systems that help people to volunteer. The people whorequested from a related party. Most people start volunteering,from volunteers. This includes working with companies toare not interested in actively volunteering but would help if

are volunteering and organizations that are receiving help needasked.

to work together as partners to tackle social issues by asking forOnce that happens, it is just a matter of whether that person

and receiving help to create developmental relationships.

finds participating interesting. If someone has an enriching

23

Japanese companies should
promote volunteer work inthree steps: encourage,
promote, and support

I

companies need to focus more on promotion. If you skip thisstep, then it will be difficult for a culture of volunteering to
spread throughout the company.

Doubts on social contribution
activities that are aimless andwithout a strategy

n order to expand the number of employees volunteering incompanies, we should refer to the three steps to promoteAvolunteer work, defined by the United Nations Volunteers.

The first step is to "encourage." This involves delivering a

nother important point is how strategically a company

takes its efforts. Global companies in the US andpositive message within the company by praising volunteer

elsewhere link business strategy very closely with volunteer work

volunteering. The next step is to "promote." During this step, a

benefit for the company.

work in the company, such as awarding employees forto get something done through volunteering and obtain somecompany provides specific information on volunteering and

There was a case in the US where a company involved inestablishes an environment that wipes away the image ofOsaka Voluntary Action Center
Osaka Voluntary Action Center was the firstorganization in Japan to open a volunteer school(1965) and hold volunteer coordinator training
courses (1976). It has since served as a leadingorganization in Japanese volunteer culture
through such means as publishing "Weekly
Volunteer" (now "volo" published bimonthly).

social contribution had been sued for malfeasance and the owner

Noboru Hayase, Managing Director
Mr. Hayase entered the organization in 1978.
There, he established Japan's first disastervolunteer center during the Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake. He also participates in lobbying forthe establishment of NPO laws. Mr. Hayase also
serves as Representative Director of the JapanNPO Center, Deputy Representative Director ofth e Ja p a n Fu n draising A sso ciatio n, a n d
Chairman of the Finance Committee in theJapan Volunteer Coordinator Association.

volunteer work as something ascetic. The final step is to

had lost the case. However, this was then ruled, legally, that a

volunteers, such as time off for volunteer work and aid tocontribution. Due to this case, US companies focus mainly on"support." It is important here to establish systems to support

company could improve its image through other types of social

support these activities.

social contribution activities that are both meaningful and easily

However, many Japanese companies start right from theexplainable to their shareholders. Engaging in unclear andsupport step (such as offering time off for volunteer work), andaimless social contribution activities could even cause legal

this had the effect of encouraging employees. This means thatproblems.

There are some strategic cases even in Japan. For example, inThree steps to promote volunteer work

1990, Fuji Xerox was the first company in Japan to introduce

time off for volunteer work. The company had asked its
Step 1.
Encourage

Step 2.
PromoteStep 3.
Supportemployees for ideas on how to "create environments in which

Evaluate employees involved in volunteer work positively,
through introducing them in internal newsletters, providing
awards, etc.

diverse and unique employees could more easily work in orderto create innovation." Employees answered that "diverse human

Eliminate the information barrier that prevents employees fromunderstanding what volunteer work really is and promoteestablishing environments that make it easier to participate,such as holding volunteer classes to disassociate volunteer
work from its image as ascetic work and providing information
on volunteer work in a way that makes participation easier.

resources require time off to do diverse activities." It is true that
innovation begins with a company's human resources.

Therefore, it is important to clarify the strategic need for

Provide economic support, such as compensating employees
for volunteer work expenses or handling days taken oﬀ toengage in volunteer work as paid time oﬀ.

promoting employee volunteer work and develop creative
programs in which participants will be happy to participate.

24

2020 will serve as a newopportunity to start
volunteering

Volunteering at theParalympic Games as asource of deep reflection

TA

hose who volunteer during the Olympic/Paralympic
Games differ from other types of volunteers. We

conducted a survey on what came to the mind about

survey conducted in Australia found that typicalvolunteers were motivated by a desire to help

people. In other words, people, who volunteer during thevolunteering during the Olympic/Paralympic Games andOlympic/Paralympic Games, have a different motivation

found that the top response was "a once in a lifetime

for participating than that of typical volunteers. You could,

experience" at 44.2%, followed by "need to be bilingual" attherefore, classify volunteering during a mega-event as a

41.7%, "involved in a world event" at 41.5%, andcompletely new type of volunteering.

"international interaction" at 41.0%. Many people

Another interesting topic worth bringing up is thevolunteer because they feel that these events are full ofresearch on Paralympic Games volunteers. Volunteers

international flavor.

during these events indicated that they realized things that

Expectations for Employee Volunteer 2020

Interview2020 as a turning point to update
Japanese volunteer culture

In contrast with typical volunteers (who rank "helping

they did not anticipate before volunteering, such as "I felt I

society" as their top goals for volunteering), people whoand "I went from helping these athletes to supporting thempeople," "gaining satisfaction," and "connecting withhad more in common with disabled people than I thought"

volunteered during the Olympic/Paralympic Games Sydney

to be their best."

in 2000 felt that they benefited from doing so by "creating

Paralympic Games volunteers are unique because they

personal relationships," "improving skills," and "increasing

volunteer to help others as well as to gain some form ofopportunities for work."

self-satisfaction, and these events are highly likely to serve

Japanese volunteering developed in the context ofas a means of deep reflection for participants.

"helping those in need" during disasters or other similar

US companies engage
strategically in social
contribution activities

situations. However, more Japanese would likely consider
volunteering if they discovered that doing so would lead to
self-growth or help to develop their careers. Volunteering in

the Olympic/Paralympic Games attracts the attention ofA

the entire world and these events are likely to serve as anopportunity for this.

nother interesting aspect of volunteering during theTokyo Games is that many businesspeople will

participate. "Strategic volunteer work" by companies hastaken root in the US due to the nation's traditional cultureof volunteering. For example, most companies in the US25

To develop a culture of volunteering, it is important for afeel that "promoting volunteer work can enhance thecompetitiveness of a company." The same survey also

company to consider how to create an atmosphere in thevolunteer work "improves employee morale" and "canvolunteer. Large companies are mostly taking the lead incompany that allows employees to easily and efficiently

indicated that more than 90% of companies feel that

implementing systems to do this, such as providing time off

improve the image of the company."for volunteer work. However, there are still some employees

Of course, volunteering is done to contribute to society

who are somewhat resistant to participate.

and expects voluntary participation of employees. However,When working with companies, we have found that every

there are benefits to a company actively promoting these
activities. For a company to continue promoting social

company has at least some employees that are interesting in

its participation in a particular activity.

social contribution. Therefore, a company needs to position

volunteering. Many businesspeople have an awareness ofcontribution activities, it will need to clarify the reason forsocial contribution activities based on its business strategy

A type of activity that satisfies both the company and its

and have members of management take the lead in getting

workers will continue to have a positive impact on society.

involved in volunteer work. This is what employees areSome companies might worry that exposing their

waiting for. A company can expand its efforts by providing

employees to society through volunteering may result in

Nippon Foundation Volunteer
Support Center
The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Support
Center works with the Organization Committee
for the Tokyo Olympic/Paralympic Games inrunning a range of programs to train more than
110,000 volunteers and create a culture ofvolunteering.

Kazuto Sawatari, Executive Director
After joining the Nippon Foundation in 2006,
Mr. Sawatari has been in charge of examining
social welfare-related grant money. He traveled
to affected areas immediately after the Great
East Japan Earthquake to coordinate volunteer
work.
He has served in his current position since
NFVSC was established in September 2017.

those employees leaving the company. On the contrary, if

motivated employees with a supportive push.

employees who are staying active, companies should be able

Games in a mature city like Tokyo. Doing so will leave a soft

cycle is still in the hypothesis stage, our work with various

anyone can easily volunteer and all members of society help

Therefore, it is important to hold the Olympic/Paralympic

these activities can be used to increase the number oflegacy even after 2020. To create a cohesive society in which

to attract and retain superior human resources. Although thisone another, companies will need to work toward creating acompanies makes us think it is possible.
Improve morale
through social contribution

legacy of supporting their employee volunteers.

Understand social
issues and needs

Contribute tobusiness

Benefits obtained by
employees throughvolunteering

Improve morale throughsocial contribution

Improve
teamwork

Benefits obtained bycompanies throughemployees volunteering

Improve business skills Develop a sense of belonging
and leadershipand pride in regional society

Contribute toretention

26

Improve moraleand productivity

chapter

4

Efforts by leading companies
How will you promote Employee Volunteer 2020? Here, we introduce five leading
companies involved in social contribution activities, each with a different focus.

Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.
Employees: 2,254 (as of July 2018)● Focuses on "donating software and cloud resources to nonprofit organizations and social welfare facilities,""supporting regions through providing aid to nonprofit organizations," "engaging in activities using the free time and abilityof each employee," and "recommending a policy."● The company leverages the business and IT skills of its employees to send instructors to take programming classes,
teach students at its headquarters in Shinagawa, and support the creation of infrastructures for nonprofit organizations.

Social contribution activities continue tochange daily, just like businesswith the goal of leaving no one behind, and this will also
create a future market for the company. One example

Providing service so that noone is left behindwould be to provide IT skill training for young people who

are unable to find work. If these young people could
become engineers, it would benefit them as well as society.

These people could also become users of Microsoft products

Microsoft Japan is unique in positioning its social

in the future. Another example would be to provide freecontribution activities as business and human resource

help to people who are disabled or otherwise have difficulty

investments, based on its corporate philosophy of "enableengaging in social life and communication. This could play

all individuals and organizations throughout the world toa role in researching and developing new services.

accomplish even more." The key phrase for the former is"no one left behind," while the key phrase for the latter is"growth mindset." Microsoft also states that social
contribution activities continue to change daily.

Cultivating a mindset of growthin employees

Although Microsoft products are widely used, part of thecompany's corporate philosophy is to ensure that people
and regions without access to the latest technologies are not

In planning volunteer work to urge employees toleft behind. For example, there are many people worldwide

without the financial means to access IT tools or who areparticipate, Microsoft Japan focuses on four areas tothe digital divide grows worldwide, there are concerns overglobal business skills). Some specific examples include

leverage the strengths of its employees (their technical anddisabled and have difficulty using such tools normally. As

providing programming lessons to improve the digital skills

a widening digital literacy gap.

of children and pro bono work to help increase the

The company conducts its social contribution activities27

organizational abilities of partner NPOs involved incontribution activities. The founder of the company, BillAt the base of all of this is the fact that the company

CEO of the company, Satya Nadella, has shown a strong

Gates, is widely known as a philanthropist. The current

resolving social issues.

focus on helping others, stating that, "if you want to bebelieves that "skill and ability can be improved throughcool, go work somewhere else. If you want to make otherexperience and effort." Microsoft focuses very much on thispeople cool, I want you here at Microsoft."

growth mindset along with stances and actions that

The company has also introduced a system at its

promote this type of mindset, throughout all its locationsin the world. By helping others to succeed, Microsoft's

headquarters in the US to match employees with volunteer

philosophy. This type of volunteer work is the exact

converted into donations for NPOs. Each hour spent by anwork. The value of any time spent on such work is

employee volunteers are expected to embody this

employee on volunteer work is converted into a matching

opposite of volunteer work anyone can do.

donation of 25 USD. Using this system, the company
provided 15.6 billion yen during the 2017 fiscal year alone.

A strong commitment to thesocial contribution by
management

In the US, 75% of Microsoft employees do volunteer work.

This serves as a wonderful example of a company

tackling social issues in a strategic and effective way from aperspective of business and human resource investment,
based on the company's core competencies.

Another characteristic of the company is that thecompany’s managers also strongly embody social

Social contribution activity categories at Microsoft Japan
Four area of focus centered on technology

Employee matching program (offered in US HQ)●The company has for many years promoted its program of matching donations based on a converted valueof 25 USD for each hour of volunteer work
●This maintains employee freedom and autonomy while still having an enormous social impact through continuous activity−75% of employees participate in the program, providing 700,000 hours of volunteer work to nearly 200,000 nonprofit
organizations and schools−The company provided a matching donation of around 15.6 billion yen during the 2017 FY

Employee giving by the numbers
In 2017,U.S. employees rallied together to provide.

$156 million in
employee donations

700,000 employee
volunteer hours

19,550 nonprofits andschools supported

28

75% employee
participationSCSK Corporation
Employees: 7,273 (as of March 2018)● Social contribution activities include a workshop called "Children's Art Museum & Park (CAMP)," which helps todevelop "co-creation ability" in children, and the voluntary club "Earth One" for employees.
● The company offers two types of pro bono work in which employees leverage their skills, expert knowledge, andexperience to support NPOs: "Small Support (SCSK Small Support)" that leverages the IT skills of its employees and"Small Support + (SCSK Small Support Plus)" that leverages skills in fields other than IT.

Employees leverage their skills and experiences
to learn something from volunteering
day-to-day work. A total of 93 employees have thus far

SCSK began leveraging employee
skills to offer pro bono work after
the 2011 earthquake disasterparticipated in 21 projects.

Small Support（SCSK Small Support）
SCSK launched its "Small Support" program in 2014 to●Support projects that make use of

IT-related skills

leverage the IT skills of its employees in order to provide●Involve SCSK employees

support for social entrepreneurs and NPOs. The company

decided to launch its "Employee Dispatch Program" as a

Small Support+（SCSK Small Support Plus）

social contribution activity with the goal of supporting●Support projects outside of IT(that do not depend on IT)

reconstruction efforts after the Great East Japan●Involve SCSK employees and team

Earthquake. As this program expanded, the company began

members from outside the company

its "Small Support" program with the goal of using IT tosolve issues confronting social entrepreneurs, NPOs, andother organizations working in the disaster-stricken areas of

Effective in improving
motivation and diversity
management

the Tohoku region of Japan.

It soon became clear that some issues facing social

entrepreneurs and NPOs could be solved through theapplication of business skills outside the IT field. For thisIn addition to help solve issues in organizations receiving

reason, the company partnered with "Nimaimse no Meishi"(an NPO that leverages professional skills and experience tosupport, the "Small Support" and "Small Support +"launched its "Small Support +" program to help resolve

employees. Employees who have participated reported that

programs also help to develop the skills of the company's

help support the promotion of NPO projects) in 2015 andtheir motivation was increased by working with passionate

non-IT issues. "Small Support +" is unique in thatpeople in these organizations. As employees must deliver

employees leverage their business skills in areas other thanresults quickly in environments where customs, culture, andthe IT field and other pro bono volunteers outside theeven business language differs, they are also able to improvecompany could join project teams.

their diversity management skills so that they can deliver

Many employees apply to participate in the "Small

results working with diverse team members.

Support" and "Small Support +" programs, where the topics

The company reports that this tends to be the case, more

and team members differ from those involved in normal

29

Overview of Small Support/Small Support + promotion
Recruitproject
members

Selectproject
members

Kickoﬀ
meeting

Organize issues

Project work

Reportresults

Providefollow-up

Conﬁrm status

Hold advanceinterviews withproject members

Meet
together

Hold advanceinterviews Deﬁneissues Deﬁne scope

Project work
Periodic meetings
Meetings with NPOs

■ Period: Around 3 months■ Team conﬁguration: Around 3-4 members for Small Support, and 6 members(3 from SCSK, 3 from outside company) for Small Support +■ Project work: Can work without time or location restrictions■ Conducted as volunteer work outside of business

Solution
Brieﬁng
Debrieﬁng, etc.

Hold advance interviews
with project members

The next steps for the company are to expand theoften, during the "Small Support +" program (in which

company employees work with employees from othernumber of organizations receiving support and the number

than in the "Small Support" program (in which employees

employees to take the first step and spread information onof employees participating and determine how to support

companies to solve issues outside of the IT field), rathersocial contribution activities within the company.

are expected to use IT to solve issues). In some cases,

Collaborative pro bono work requires more coordination

employees are shocked to find that they cannot apply theirnormal working methods. However, SCSK sees even this aswith the organizations receiving support and more follow-

normally could not during day-to-day work.

imposes a heavier burden on administration than typicalup on employees during volunteer programs; therefore, it

an opportunity for employees to learn something they

volunteer work. With both employees and the organizations

Employees who have participated have been very pleased

receiving support, both have high expectations about how awith the programs since the very beginning. Now, thecompany can add new opportunities. It is also importantcompany has taken the next step. It holds interviews andfor a company to consider the best way to get employees

has employees answer questionnaires before and after

interested in these kinds of activities. Taking the first step

participating to assess their involvement and measure thetoward participating in volunteer work often poses a

actual results of their work. This allows the company tosignificant hurdle.

determine how an employee's skills and mindset have

To spread information internally, the company works tochanged as a result of volunteering and to verify thecommunicate the importance of solving social issues

effectiveness of a given project.

through business, holding project debriefings, andintroducing projects on its intranet portal.

The next steps: increase
participation, get employees toparticipate for the first time,and spread information within
the company

30

Nippon Life Insurance Company
Employees: 71,871 (as of March 2018)● Advocates for "developing human resources" that can contribute to customers and regional society as well as "being a friendly
and familiar life insurance company". It is currently expanding its "ACTION CSR-V: Social contribution activities from 700,000
people" program in which all company executives and employees get involved in social contribution activities.
● Nippon Life coordinates a range of social contribution activities, including classes inside and outside the company for middle
and high school students, tree-planting and cultivation in "Nissei no Mori," and individual activities proposed by the employees.

Nippon Life has included volunteering in
its human resources development policy since 2015,
and since then, it has involved approximately 700,000
people in volunteer work.
stands for "volunteer") that calls for executives andA corporate culture that is
passionate about social
contribution activities

employees to participate in at least one volunteer job per
year to strengthen the foundation for the company to serve
society as a virtuous one.

For the three-year period from 2015 to 2017, 100% of

100 volunteer projects
distributed by email three times
per year

all executives and employees at Nippon Life participated involunteer work. The reason for this surprising participation

rate can be traced to a decision made by the managementin 2015.

An active culture of engaging in social contribution

The life insurance business was founded based on a spiritof mutual benefit in which policyholders help one another.

activities is by itself not enough to reach a 100%

wonder what they can do to help when a customer is facing

Nippon Life gathers volunteer work information fromparticipation ratio.

Employees in this field often have the opportunity todifficulty in life, such as an illness or a fatal accident.

each region and constantly posts it on the company

people in regional areas purchase policies, there was amembers engaging in volunteer work and distributes more

intranet. It also uses the intranet to show management

Because the insurance business would only grow as morethan 100 examples of successful volunteer projects from all

passionate culture of engaging in social contribution

over the country thrice per year by email. Employees began

activities from the beginning for mutual benefit andto form their own teams to participate in activities so as toprosperity with customers.

form a concrete image of that particular volunteer work.

From 2008 to 2014, more than 120,000 executives andFor some time now, many employees from Nippon Life

employees were involved in volunteer work. The company
launched its "Human Resource Value Improvement Project"

have attended the Intercity Baseball Tournament to cheerthat each have their own unique strengths of which they

where employees work together toward the same goal once

on their own team, and Nippon Life has long had a culture

in 2015 and set a goal "developing bold human resources

the company has decided the way forward. For example,

can be proud, that are active their whole lives, and that

100% of applicable male employees have taken childcare

support the Nippon Life Group." The company also

leave each year for five years straight beginning in the fiscal

expanded a policy called "ACTION CSR-V" (the "V"

31

The company is also recommending employees toyear 2013. This culture has certainly helped to increase

volunteer for sporting events such as marathons andemployee participation in volunteer activities.

parasports events in regions all over Japan leading up to the
Olympic/Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Adding new types of volunteer
work

Approximately 2,800 people volunteered for sporting
events during the 2017 fiscal year. Participants noted such

benefits as creating new connections with local people,

gaining a wider perspective, and enjoying closer
relationships with colleagues.

In addition to the spontaneous volunteer work done by

There are many kinds of volunteer work, from activities

individual employees, Nippon Life is also involved inorganizational volunteer work. One example of the latter isthat just require someone to be there to projects thatwith local people to plant and cultivate trees in 187 areas

providing a diverse array of participation opportunities,

demand learning and experience. Due to the company

the "Nissei no Mori" project, in which employees work

employees can act autonomously and select whicheverthroughout Japan. The company also works with local

project interests them, and the company reports that thismunicipalities to participate in regional cleaning activities.

helps employee awareness to develop and grow.

This helps the company to create connections with local
people and earn public trust.

"Human Resource Value Improvement Project" outline
Nippon Life Groupdevelopment concept

Develop bold human resources that each have their own uniquestrengths of which they can be proud, that are active their whole lives,
and that support the Nippon Life Group

Reform work styles

Develop human resources

Improve productivity and eﬃciency through putting
work-life balance management into practice

Support future group business through diverseand unique individual strengths

Promote diversity
Further promote the activity of diverse human resources based on the company's "Diversity Promotion Policy"

Develop individual mindsets
Strengthen as a foundation for executives and employees of the Nissei Group
Promote the spread of the company's basic
management philosophy and a sense of
mutual understanding throughout the Group
Manners

Understanding of
the insurance businessRespect forhuman rights

ACTION CSR-V

Healthmanagement

Compliance

Develop "family-friendly managers" based on Nissei policies and philosophies
Spread and establish the four types of child raising as organization culture32

Toyota Motor Corporation
Employees: 74,890 (as of the end of March 2018)● Since 1960, Toyota Motor Corporation has expanded its social contribution activities while facing issues such as
traffic congestion and environmental issues. The company established its Volunteer Center in 1993 and then created a
dedicated social contribution department in 2006.
● Toyota Motor Corporation is involved in a wide range of social contribution activities in fields such as the environment,
traffic safety, human resource development, and society/culture. The company spent approximately 24.3 billion yen on
these activities during the fiscal year 2017 (on a consolidated basis) and is involved to a significant degree in social
contribution activities on a global level.

The Social Contribution Promotion Division and HR
Division work together to promote volunteer work,with around 60% of employees participating involunteer work.
living in the automobile manufacturing industry due to theCompany labor and management
negotiated to set goals of"remaining competitive" and"being cherished"support of all of these people, look outside the company,and feeling a sense of humility and gratitude.

When an employee participates in volunteer work, he or

she earns points. The company converts these points into amonetary amount, which it then donates to a social welfare

institution or other organization, in the form of repaying its

Toyota Motor Corporation holds wage negotiations between

indebtedness to society. An employee gains a point when helabor and management each year during the spring. Prior to

or she volunteers, regardless of whether it takes 30 minutes

beginning negotiations, the company focuses on aligning theduring lunch or several days in a disaster-stricken area.

perspectives of both labor and management on issues in the wayof the continuous growth of the company as well as how toapproach these issues. During labor-management negotiations
held in 2015, the company decided to focus on "remaining

50% of employees are"interested but doing nothing"competitive" with manufacturing as its core business and on"being cherished" by local people in regions throughout Japan.

The goal of being cherished has its origin in "repaying

The participation rate for employees in volunteer work

obligations." Automobile manufacturers are supported bycountless dealers and suppliers. Their factories also must

started out low. A survey conducted in the fiscal year 2015 (theresidents living

showed that around 30% of employees had done some kind ofyear the company began its obligation repayment program)coexist withvolunteer work in the past year, which is a slightly higher ration e a r b y. T h ethan average compared with the general society.

company hoped

Around 50% of the employees, however, answered that

that, through theact of repaying

they are "interested in volunteer work but not

employees would

indicated they would participate if given the opportunity,

participating." A surprisingly high number of employees

obligations,so the company began offering a selection of casual pro

realize that theybono work projects that could be done even during an

are able to earn a33

company’s obligations to society. Employees were notified

employee's lunch break. As a result, around 60% of allof activities and other volunteer work through emails.

employees (45,000 people) participated in some kind ofvolunteer work during the fiscal year 2017.

There are three reasons why the employee rate ofEveryone gets something
different out of doing volunteer
work

participation in volunteer work increased so much in justthree years. First, the company helped employees tovisualize doing volunteer work as a key point and donatedfunds to related organizations when employees applied to

Volunteer work is unlike normal work. In this, what to

get involved in this work. This created an incentive for

employees to get involved. Second, the company prioritizeddo (or even whether to do it) is largely dependent on awhether large or small. This was particularly true fromto know how employees, who initially lack or show interest

person's individual feelings. That is why it is also important

getting potential employee volunteers to take the first step,

but do not participate, feel about volunteer work.

2015 to 2017, in which employees used their 30-minuteToyota Motor Corporation reported an overall high level

lunch breaks to plan volunteer activities in which they
could participate with their colleagues. This reduced theof satisfaction with volunteer work, even among these types

celebrating its 80th

an employee is invited to participate by a colleague meetsof employees. It is also reported that there are cases where

threshold for participation. Third, 2017 saw the company

new people and makes new realizations and then begins

year of operation,

volunteering regularly.

and the HR

Due to its traditional image of being a charity work, a

Division took acentral role insignificant number of people have an aversion to volunteer

a c t i v i t i e sparticipation so that people are invited by others towork without even trying it. Engineering the flow ofstrongly promoting

participate and get something out of doing it (even if thatthroughout theperson's autonomy somewhat suffers) could also be an

entire company tor e p a yeffective strategy.

t h eWhat to keep in mind before starting volunteer work (excerpt)● Stay cheerful and polite, and work positively●Protect confidentiality●Do your best to not inconvenience those around you●Always stay humble●Work based on the needs of others (what they ask you to do)●Keep safety in mind

Be careful that you do not injure yourself or cause any accidents, whether during volunteer work or not. If an injury
or accident occurs, work needs to stop. Stay safe and have a meaningful experience!
From: Toyota Volunteer Center

34

Recruit Management Solutions Co., Ltd.
Employees: 528 (as of April 2018)● Recruit Management Solutions promotes CSR at three levels based on the Group goals for SDGs: "continuous social
contribution through commercialization," "using management resources to solve social issues," and "supporting the social
contribution activities of employees."● The company is involved in "professional activities" and provides training to help NPOs solve issues under the bannerof "using management resources to solve social issues," and provides aid by contributing matching donations andcompensating each employee for up to 50,000 yen per year for volunteering expenses under the banner of "supporting
the social contribution activities of employees."

Volunteer work backed up by pro bono work, 50,000 yen
in volunteering expense compensation, time off forvolunteer work, and a range of volunteer projects.
Recruit Management Solutions is working to develop a

Developing human resources is
crucial in the solutions
business

culture of mutual respect and holds "Flower Petal Sessions"

Recruit Management Solutions is a consulting company

with that time. This is because to meet the needs of theirin which employees share within their teams how they want
to allocate their time (between work, family, study, hobbies,

side jobs, and volunteer work) and what they want to do
customers, each employee needs to engage in a wide rangethat helps client companies solve HR issues, such asof social experiences, increase their personal appeal, anddeveloping/assessing human resources and developing

accumulate knowledge.

organizations. The company provides expert knowledge on

The company's CSR policies are also designed to bringpeople and organizations, and due to the nature of its

business, its, approximately, 500 employees are required toabout social good and enrich the lives of employees withcompany's human resources are what makes it competitive,

opportunities.

the expectation that these experiences will serve as growthcontinue to grow as professionals over the long term. The

so the most important topics for management to consider
are human resource management that respects diversity,

Achieving SDGs throughthe "Professional Activity"
programand human resource issues.

"Flower Petal Session" to Foster Mutual
Understanding

One unique aspect of Recruit Management Solutions is

its "Professional Activity" program in which employee skills

NPO
Volunteer

are leveraged to support NPOs. In designing each
"Professional Activity," the company prioritizes areas in

Study

Side
Job

Oneself

which the company does not currently have enough insights
regarding the business and monetization methods areunclear. Some concrete examples include correcting

Familydisparities in education, reforming places of education, andWorkproviding support in regional construction or to venturecompanies. These efforts are run linked with the SDGs

Hobby

selected by the Group: "quality education," "decent work35

employee, providing time off to do volunteer work, andand economic growth," and "reduced inequalities."

allowing employees to use conference rooms free of charge.

Employee volunteer teams were sent out in 2017 to help

Recruit Management Solutions has continued to

an NPO tackling child poverty and education issues andthen in 2018 to an NPO involved in providing child-

implement these CSR efforts while promoting policies tofamilies. Team members spent three to five hours a week

result, questionnaires given to employees have continued to

manage each employee's work-life balance since 2017. As araising support, preventing abuse, and supporting foster

show increasing scores for "pride in work," "growth increating documents and selecting plans to increase

work," and "job satisfaction." The company's stance on

donations and retain volunteer staff members. Both thefacing social issues while supporting the rewarding lifestyles

NPOs and participating employees were highly satisfied

of its employees seems to have played a role in increasing

with the projects, and a questionnaire conducted after each

employee engagement.

project ended showed that all participating employees rated

their agreement with the statement "I want to recommend
this to others" with a full score of five points on a five-point

List of CSR policies

scale.

In engaging in pro bono work, employees faced a wider

range of issues than they normally would during their day-Using management resources
to solve social issues

to-day jobs, allowing them to make new realizations andengage in self-reflection. The "Professional Activity"

Professional Activity

program has synergy with the company's business and isPlanning courses for NPOs

intentionally framed to invest in human resources.

Supporting the social contribution
activities of employees
Donation matching

Improved employee job
satisfaction and pride in work

Reimbursement of social contribution activity expenses
System to provide time oﬀ for volunteer work
System to provide time oﬀ for long term volunteer work
Free use of seminar/conference rooms

However, not every employee can participate in the

Warm-hearted sales"Professional Activity" program or other programs planned

Family daysby the company. Recruit Management Solutions, therefore,

continues to expand its systems for supporting theComplying with environmental
protection laws and regulations

autonomous social contribution activities of its employees.

The company provides a range of systems for employees to

CSR training for new employees

donations to organizations, reimbursing up to 50,000 yen

Information seminars/compliance training for new
employees

expand their horizons, such as providing matchingin social contribution activity expenses per year per

36

chapter5

Creating a legacy of
Employee Volunteer 2020
As diverse stakeholders involved with Employee Volunteer 2020 promote efforts ineach area, they will end up creating a legacy.
Companies should refer to the included Employee
Volunteer 2020 checklist for help.

2020: A golden opportunity tosolve social issues

Three efforts are required by the government. The firsteffort is to spread awareness of the Employee Volunteer

2020 framework. To build a movement, it will be

important to share information with large companies in

The Olympic/Paralympic Games are certainly the events

urban areas, regional organizations, and small to medium

with the power to move people on an emotional level, andcompanies. The second effort is to eliminate factors

they also serve as golden opportunities to solve social issues.

prohibiting Employee Volunteer 2020 from spreading. For

The Olympic/Paralympic Games are said to have as their

example, an individual can purchase a one-year volunteer

legacy "a particularly positive impact over a long period of

insurance policy starting from 350 yen (price for 2019 FY).

time"(IOC "Olympic Legacy and Impacts"). There are

However, the procedure must be done in-person at theboth hard legacies (such as infrastructures and technicallocal social welfare council. This process incurs a high cost

revolution) and soft legacies (such as the creation of culture

in terms of the time it takes for busy company employees.

and lifestyles). During the Olympic/Paralympic GamesTo increase the number of opportunities for people to

London 2012, in which legacy plans had to be submitted

participate in volunteer work, a system must be

during the bidding stages, it is known that progress was

implemented that allows people to purchase volunteer

made in redeveloping poor regions and gaining social

insurance over the Internet or through some otheracceptance for the disabled and other minorities.
The goal of Employee Volunteer 2020 is to bringconvenient methods. The third effort is to collect data on
company support for employee volunteer work and to

mutual benefit to regions and communities thatretain a record of it. Soft legacies are intangible and it isneed help, employees who want a rewarding work-

therefore important to keep records so that these legacies

life balance and professional career, and companies

can be handed down.

who want to develop strategic social contribution

Social welfare councils, NPOs, and other intermediary

activities. With the Olympic/Paralympic Gamessupport organizations that have traditionally connectedTokyo 2020 getting close, 2020 will see increased

individual volunteers with organizations acceptinginterest in volunteer work. This is a golden

volunteer work will be expected to connect companies with

opportunity to make a legacy of Employee Volunteer

organizations and communities that have not yet contacted.

2020 in a way that improves sustainability forSome of these organizations can feel overly cautious orsociety, individuals, and companies.

daunted when it comes to working with companies.

Company employees are used to meeting the needs of their

The legacy will be made byeach stakeholder

customers and maintaining relationships through obtaining
compensation for services provided, as a part of their jobs.

Communicating the intentions of both sides and discussing

what can be done is a great way to build constructive

To create a legacy of Employee Volunteer 2020, involved

relationships.
For Employee Volunteer 2020 to spread, it will be

stakeholders will need to promote efforts in each area.

First, companies are expected to satisfy the three

conditions and implement the four promotion measures for

crucial to enhance the coordination functions of

Employee Volunteer 2020 described earlier.

these intermediary support organizations. An

37

in the same issue. People are equal, whether they're

increasing number of individuals are expected tovolunteering or asking for volunteers. Having sympathy forparticipate in the activities of these intermediary

whatever you're tackling is the key to creating

support organizations, either as volunteers or staff

relationships." There was a rush of volunteers for both themembers.

Tokyo Marathon and the Rugby World Cup 2019 precisely

Volunteer work is based on goodintentions and therefore, requires
both sympathy and dialog

because people felt sympathetic to the aims of these events

and were able to project their desires onto them. Whenasking for volunteers, it is important to sincerely explain
why you need them and what you hope to accomplish
through them.

Volunteers work based on their good intentions. It is

Asking for volunteers also assumes that you will respect

therefore extremely important for anyone involved to value
sympathy.

their ideas, perspectives, and creative ingenuity. It is

Mr. Hayase, Managing Director of Osaka Voluntary Action

be creative, no matter how clearly the roles may have been

important for an activity to have some room for people to"People asking for help can tend to shrink back," explains

defined. Of course, it goes without saying that it isCenter. "They could change how they view things if they

important for people to engage in volunteer work based on

look at it as providing a chance for people to get involved

Fig. 12

Volunteering for the mutual benefit of society, employees, and companies• Enrich work-life balance until age 100• Build professional career until age 70• Update mindset from continuous employment until age 70,
to policies to develop abilities• Transition from labor shortage, to attraction and retention

Support for employee career formation(company investment in human resources)
Olympic/Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 "Employee Volunteer 2020"

IndividualCompany
Volunteerwork

Individual participationin volunteer work
1995: Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
and the "inaugural year of volunteering"Society

Corporate CSR/CSV
2011: Great East Japan Earthquake
and the "inaugural year of corporate volunteering"• Increasingly complicated and advanced social issues• Shift from a dwindling birthrate and an aging population,
to a cohesive society and labor shortage in the social sector

38the needs of others and not just for the purpose of self-

autonomously and develop their own careers for life that is

thinking and then providing your own ideas and solutions

practice, as it requires autonomy and creativity.

rewarding and long lives. Volunteering truly puts this into

satisfaction. Understanding and accepting what others are

For individuals to sustain their livelihoods and careers,

has the effect of forming a healthy cycle of volunteering.

Over the course of the history of volunteer culture in

we need a sustainable society. Having a sustainable society

heavily criticized for being used just to reduce government

Volunteer 2020 aims to create a constructive recurrence

is what allows companies to continue to develop. Employee

Japan, there was once a time where volunteer work was

relation between individuals, society, and companies. If wecosts in providing social welfare or maintaining

can arrive at a modern form of mutual benefit for all, thencommunities. Now, government services (which focus on

we will truly have created a legacy.

fairness) and volunteer work (which focuses on individual

Employee Volunteer 2020 is the key to a new future ofcreative ingenuity) are seen as having a complementaryprosperity for a mature Japanese society.

relationship. The fact that volunteer work is provided
without compensation assumes that volunteers help people
struggling with hardship due to poverty or some otherfactor. This means that the person asking for help and theperson providing help are living in opposite economic

conditions. If the person being asked for help is himself or
herself facing economic hardship, then one cannot assume
that he or she could help without any compensation.

Traditional charity or altruistic work is characterized bya high ratio of volunteers participating out of "L" for "love."
In contrast, the kind of episodic volunteering that is now
gaining so much attention during mega-events ischaracterized by a higher ratio of people participating due
to the "L" for "leisure." This type of volunteering has beencalled "special volunteering." This is a type of volunteeringthat creates memories for people and that is why it is so

fascinating to the many people who want to participate insuch events. Establishing a social consensus on what type of
remuneration should be provided to people volunteering

during mega-events is an issue that will need to beaddressed. Engaging in a social dialog and demonstrating
new ways in which people can volunteer will also serve tocreate a legacy.

Toward a new future ofprosperity continuing after
2020
The Japanese economy made extremely rapid progress

after the Olympic/Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 1964.
What will happen after 2020?

Japan is the first country in the world to deal with adwindling birthrate and an aging population at such a scale,and the country is now in a transition period in terms of

how individual careers are formed and how companies arefacing social issues. Individuals will be expected to act

39

recovery and developing the next generation) and hard
legacies (Japan as a world leader in technology) and isEfforts in the business
community to create a legacy

currently working on efforts covering each topic.

Companies leverage their unique strengths and expertiseto participate in each topic, gather employee volunteers foreach activity, and assign their employees to projects as apart of their professional duties. This not only improves

The "Olympic/Paralympic Games Business Community

employee engagement and social skills but allows them toCouncil" was established by the Japan Business Federation,

use the knowledge they have gained through work to give

the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Japanback to society, resulting in work that has an effective andAssociation of Corporate Executives, and otherefficient impact on society. Thanks to the activities of theorganizations, with the goal of working with member

Business Community Council, some companies havecompanies and municipalities throughout Japan to create alaunched new social contribution activities or havelegacy after 2020. The organization has declared both soft

expanded their existing activities.

legacies (sports, barrier-free, the fascination of Japan, andTopic

Activities

Major activity details/participating companies[Sports]
Create a culture andopportunities to allow
everyone to enjoy sports• Dispatch
athletes/para-athletes• Hold parasports trial
events• Support parasports
eventsCreate a parasports movement by creating opportunities for
employees to participate, through such means as dispatchingcompany athletes and supporting disabled sports trial eventsand gatherings throughout Japan.
Asics,Meiji,Japan Airlines, etc.

[Barrier-free]
Create a society withoutbarriers for all• Hold classes on
foreign cultures• Provide education on
tearing down emotional
barriers• Create barrier-freemaps

Support cultural exchange projects by having companies provide
resources to municipalities responsible for cultural exchange.
Provide education on emotional barriers and create barrier-freemaps to help realize a society in which everyone can live withoutworry.
Fujitsu,Dai Nippon Printing,East Japan Railway Company, etc.

[Fascination of Japan]
Provide information onwhat makes Japanfascinating to create
prosperity throughout
Japan.

• Support cultural
programs

Make use of each company's sites/facilities and theparticipation of employees in volunteer work to help boost
cultural events.
Mitsui Fudosan,All Nippon Airways,JTB, etc.

[Recovery anddeveloping the next
generation]
Create a model fordeveloping the next
generation to lead Japan,
with its genesis in the
Tohoku region• Hold classes inelementary and middle
schools• Support small andmedium companies

Have employees with a wide range of experiences in ﬁelds
such as ﬁnance, manufacturing, and nutrition education
provide opportunities to children to learn in schools in the
Tohoku region. Use business skills such as marketing and IT
to support business operators.
Nomura Holdings,Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group,
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, etc.

[Japan as a world leader
in technology]
Establish a new value
system and social image
for Japan as a leading
country tackling issues• Hold a corporate
technology exhibition(Countdown Showcase)

Attempt to create a framework for industry-academic-government
cooperation in order to implement leading-edge technology with2020 as the target year. Topics include safety/security, theenvironment, universal society, sports entertainment, andhealthy/interesting local regions
NEC,Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Corporation,Panasonic, etc.

40

Works cited
Ishiyama, Nobutaka. Cross-border Learning Mechanisms: Knowledge Brokers who Develop Careers within Multiple Communities of Practice. Fukumura
Shuppan, 2018.
Kawamura, Masahiko. "2003 is the Inaugural Year of Corporate CSR Management: Taking Corporate Social Responsibility from Perception to Reality."
Nissei Kiso Kenkyusho Report, July 2003 Issue.
Japan Business Federation Social Contribution Promotion Committee. Social Contribution Activities in the Age of CSR: From the Corporate Field.
Keidanren Shuppan, 2008.
Toshida, Yuko. Compilation and Review of Literature on Volunteering: Essential Characteristics of Volunteer Work (Digest). Tokyo Volunteer Center, 1991.
Nakayama, Atsuo. The Birth of a Volunteer Society: Mechanisms for Sensing Deception. Mie University Press, 2007.
Hagiwara, Aiichi. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Background and Efforts." Survey & Information: Issue Brief, vol. 476, National Diet Library.
Hayase, Noboru. "Volunteering in Transition: From Doing the Right Thing, to Doing the Fun Thing." Kikan Mado, 20.
Fujisawa, Rie. Report on Survey of Participants in the "Panasonic NPO Support Pro Bono Program". Web, 2015.
https://www.panasonic.com/jp/corporate/sustainability/citizenship/pnsf/npo_summary/2017_rmreport_01.html
Porter, Michael E. and Kramer, Mark R. "Competitive CSR Strategy." DIAMOND Harvard Business Review, 2008 (trans. Yutaka Murai).

Project leader

Akie Nakamura (Chief Researcher)
Yukio Okubo (Chief)
Komei Ishikawa (Associate Researcher)
Tomoko Tanimoto (Assistant)
DesignYusuke Saito (blue vespa)
Photography

Hiroshi Mizuno (Brother Planning Corporation)[page 24]
PhotosOlympic/Paralympic Games Business Community
CouncilToyota Motor Corporation
Nippon Life Insurance Company
Published March 2019
Recruit Co.,Ltd.
Recruit Works Institute
TEL 03-6835-9200
URL www.works-i.com/
It is prohibited to copy or otherwise transfer the
information contained in this document without
permission.
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Volunteer legacy 2020