Creating a Common Language to Support “The Second Foundation”:

Forming a Foundation for Emergent Interactions Inside and Outside the Fujifilm Corporation

Abstract

Responding to changes in the environment is an ongoing issue for corporate management. The key question is how should a company face a change in the environment that threatens its core business? One answer to this question can be seen in the attempt at business transformation referred to as “The Second Foundation” at Fujifilm Corporation. In this approach, the company recognized the importance of a common language that can convey its strengths beyond differences in specialized fields, as a result of focusing on building a foundation for interaction that involves its employees and external corporate customers. This led to opening of the Open Innovation Hub. The trial and error approach can be seen as a process of creating and evolving boundary objects, while a boundary spanner with considerable influence on this process is also apparent.