Strategic Introjection of the SDGs Reflected in Corporate Executives’ Messages

Abstract

In recent years, the SDGs have become a common language for doing business globally. Corporate executives recognize the importance of the SDGs. How do large companies understand the SDGs and incorporate them into their strategic management? In this paper, I investigate the actual situation of "SDGs introjection" by Japan's three major automakers, and based on the "5 Ps," which classify the major themes that comprise the SDGs, I conduct the content analysis of the top messages in the sustainability reports of the three companies for the period 201520. As a result, the following points emerged. First, the analysis at the industry level revealed that the executives directly linked the SDGs to "corporate issues" and strongly emphasized their contribution to "prosperity goals" that are closely related to their product businesses. Second, the firm-level analysis revealed which SDG themes were perceived by firms themselves as lacking social recognition. In conclusion, this paper argues that although it is true that companies are introjecting the SDGs in tune with industry trends, the way they "introject" the SDGs is selective, and that it is a "strategic introjection" that shows the proactive initiatives of the companies.