The purpose of this paper is to clarify how corporate activities are changing in the era of sustainability and what the role of corporations in 2050 will be.

　Sustainability must be achieved. In doing so, cost absorption is essential to achieve both economic value and environmental/social value. This will require innovation in products and services, business processes, and business models. Advanced companies are pursuing business models that combine the solution of social issues with their own survival. And there, they are defining or confirming their own purpose. It is also clear that they are strategically developing their businesses based on a clear concept with the intention of solving social issues. Such advanced companies are solving social issues faced by their stakeholders through innovation and generating financial benefits.

　The conclusions of this paper are as follows. First, strategic business development for solving social issues is observed in advanced companies. Second, companies solve social issues through innovation and become entities that gain financial benefits. We can present a corporate view of “social issue-solving.”

　In 2050, it will be necessary to develop management theories and models for social issue-solving corporations. It will also be necessary to construct a management theory for successful collective impact. At the same time, it will be necessary to examine corporate forms appropriate for social issue-solving corporations.

　Modern CSR calls for “responsibility for consequences” and “responsibility for roles” to pursue a sustainable global society. “Responsibility for consequences” refers to the responsibility for the negative impacts of global corporate activities, while “responsibility for roles” refers to responding to social issues through business. Companies transform social issues into business and have a positive effect on society. However, there are “collateral consequences” that make rational organizations irrational in society overall. CSR management is required because of collateral consequences.

　A sustainable society will be created when companies, which have a significant presence in society today, fulfill their responsibilities in regard to both their consequences and roles in CSR. Management and CSR research in 2050 will have the important mission of supporting this goal.

　This paper is written based on the content of the presentation given at the 97th annual meeting of the Japan Academy of Business Administration. The author suggests that the resilience of each research community is essential to the social relevance of management studies concerning the session’s theme: “How can the practical relevance between management studies and social issues in 2050 be enhanced?”

　Since particular academic findings are not necessarily put into practice immediately after publication, theories and methodologies must continue to be critically developed to apply past discoveries to future problems. In other words, if opportunities for dialogue within the research community diminish and past research agendas are not taken over, individual research results are isolated. This can undermine the potential for future scientific development and practical contributions, and whole management studies could lose reliability. Then, how does the resilience of a research community and the research domain they work on decline, and what is required to regain it? To answer the above questions, this article reviews the history and recent trends of the two research domains and describes examples of dysfunctional communication among researchers.

　First, consistency of terminology is vital. In studies on mid-sized enterprises, key concepts have not been defined with consistent criteria since around 2000, and shared assumptions have been lost even among literature using the same concepts. Japanese practitioners have had a strong interest in mid-sized enterprises since the 2010s, but this research domain currently provides misleading information to them. Second, interactions between different methods or perspectives are also important. In the late 2000s, a new approach was proposed to sidestep the methodological challenges of studies on long-established companies in Japan. Nonetheless, both the former and the recent approach persist in parallel, and the former has yet to be enhanced. The validity of early research findings in this domain has yet to be verified.

　Researchers could stimulate conversation within research communities to avoid the aforementioned scenarios by purposefully devising a discussion agenda for the conference’s thematic sessions.

　Japanese consumer electronics industry was highly competitive internationally from the 1980s to the early 2000s. But today Asian firms have already overtaken Japanese firms, at least in terms of sales and international market share. Why have Japanese firms been caught up and even overtaken by Asian latecomers such as Taiwanese, Korean, and Chinese firms? This paper addresses the following questions. How have Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese companies accumulated the capabilities to compete with Japanese companies? What are the unique competitive actions of these firms? This paper analyzes the dynamic process of international competition between Japanese and Asian firms, based mainly on the results of field research we have conducted.

　Conventional theories of international management have focused primarily on the utilization of advantages and the creation of further advantages of developed country MNCs. International management research on Japanese firms, in particular, has focused on the transfer of advantages overseas and the corporate growth through the benefits associated with overseas management. In the course of such conventional research, Asian countries in which Japanese firms have expanded have been regarded mainly as markets or production bases, and competition with local Asian firms has been ignored. However, the static competitive environment is not constant. In the international business arena, the competitive environment changes dynamically, influenced by the specifics and circumstances of each country or region in which MNCs operate.

　In the past, the development of globalism has been viewed by Japanese firms as an opportunity to maintain and develop their competitive advantage under a static competitive environment. However, the international competitive environment is currently undergoing a major change as Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese firms have achieved overtaking through the dynamic competitive process as we have seen in this paper.

　Businesses play a vital role in society. As society changes, they must adapt accordingly. Business administration, which deals with corporate management, must also keep up with these changes. This paper focuses on the social transformation known as “the transformation of globalization and globalism.” In particular, it discusses the impact of globalization on the management of Japanese companies and the study of business administration.

　Globalization is a social phenomenon characterized by the integration of civilizations and the movement of people, goods, money, and information. According to Jones (2005), a leading scholar of international business history, globalization can be divided into three periods: (1) the first global economy (1880-1929), (2) the period of fragmentation (1930-1979), and (3) the new global economy (1980-). However, it is possible that (3) the new global economy ended in 2015 and (4) the era of re-fragmentation began in 2016.

　In the era of re-fragmentation, multiple globalizations will develop while globalism is maintained instead of globalism receding and nationalism and regionalism rising. In other words, globalization will be “differentiated” into two camps: the liberal camp led by the U.S. and the authoritarian camp led by China and Russia. As the movement of many kinds of resources is impeded, the distance between the two camps is expected to enlarge, particularly regarding laws and institutions.

　Japanese firms must deal with the differences in laws and institutions, which will also be a response to Japan’s economic security. The restructuring of the supply chain, especially semiconductors, will be an important management issue. It is an opportunity for management scholars to study non-market strategies such as lobbying and deepen the dynamic capability theory by applying psychology. Management scholars should use this opportunity to build up new knowledge in management research.

　The objective of this study is to investigate how foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to facilitating “structural adjustment.” The research focuses on Japanese transportation machinery industries’ overseas subsidiaries in Asia, specifically examining three aspects: “the sales-sourcing box diagram,” “reinvested earnings,” and “headquarters productivity.” Important findings were made from the study, specifically regarding the expansion of local sourcing networks through “pure horizontal direct investment” and the increase in local research and development investment funded by “reinvested earnings.” Additionally, improving local operations in foreign subsidiaries has a positive impact on the investing country’s economy. Expanding the number of overseas subsidiaries may lead to a productivity surge at the company’s headquarters. Additional research is necessary to validate this claim since the increase in “headquarters productivity” is solely due to the augmented labor input from white-collar personnel. For example, the Japanese government aimed at strengthening domestic industries through the flow of “reinvested earnings” back into the local market through FDI. To determine the effectiveness of this approach, further research is needed that considers the labor input from blue-collar workers.

　This paper discusses strategic value of utilizing personal data in companies. Data has become one of the keys to achieve new business models using new technologies such as IoT and AI. This paper focuses on personal data and considers some issues to use the data strategically. A new customer fit is critical to achieve competitive advantage through the use of personal data. Recently, companies have attempted to utilize the personal data including people’s image data taken with a camera, HTTP Cookie, biological information, and health data. Companies seek product and service differentiation and highly efficient business operation through a new customer fit using these personal data. Meanwhile, there is also a risk associated with using personal data. This study covers three laws pertaining to personal data utilization: Personal Information Protection Act in Japan, General Data Protection Regulation in European Union, and California Privacy Rights Act in the United States. This study focuses on two risks associated with using personal data in business. One is the risk of the leaking of personal information, and the other is the legal risk. The leaking of personal information significantly damages customer confidence in a company and may endanger the company’s survival. A company must take measures to prevent the personal data leak within and outside the company. With increasing globalization, the legal risk of personal data utilization also grows. The company violates a foreign law regarding the use of personal data can be hit with massive fines. A company must consider its personal data utilization from three perspectives: the effect, the cost, and the risk. If the effect of the personal data utilization could not be expected to exceed the sum of the cost and the risk, the personal data utilization in the company would be of little strategic value.

　The advent and evolution of Information Technology (IT) have demanded transformation across individuals, organizations, and socio-economic systems. IT, initially viewed as optional, has become indispensable due to its undeniable utility. In the corporate world, IT integration spans products, services, and business processes, establishing it as a general purpose technology.

　This paper focuses on Digital Transformation (DX), a comprehensive concept that encapsulates the recent IT responses within enterprises. We explore how DX diverges from traditional discussions about IT and examine the significance of adopting the term ‘DX’ for a better understanding of its role in modern business. Through this exploration, the paper aims to organize research on the DX concept, addressing the specific challenges associated with it in management.

　A key aspect of this study is the investment strategy of established corporations in startups, particularly in the context of DX. As startups are the primary drivers of digital services propelling DX, their role is critical in the larger scheme of DX implementation and its challenges, especially in Japan. The paper delves into the dynamics of these corporate investments and their impact on the startup ecosystem.

　Despite technological innovation and the introduction of new IT concepts, Japan faces a notable lag in IT, as evidenced by its consistently declining position in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking from 2018 to 2022. In contrast, the globally dominant IT corporations, formerly grouped under ‘GAFAM,’ continue to enhance their competitiveness. This disparity underscores the urgency for Japanese corporations to embrace DX effectively.

　By examining DX within the Japanese context, the paper aims to uncover the unique challenges faced by Japan in leveraging IT for corporate advancement. It highlights the strategic importance of established companies investing in startups, the key players in digital service provision, to drive effective DX and overcome Japan's stagnation in IT.

　This paper discusses the importance of digital transformation (DX) in Japanese companies and its impact from the perspective of organizational capabilities. It analyzes organizational capabilities supporting DX, the maturity model of DX capabilities, and barriers that hinder DX. The organizational capabilities critical for the promotion of DX are DI (digital innovation) organizational capability, transformational capability, and leadership. The paper also examines the organizational and institutional challenges Japanese companies are experiencing during DX projects. This study emphasizes the importance of a research approach focusing on organizational change in understanding DX activities in Japanese companies.

　This paper aims to present an overview of the book, “Mechanisms of Organizational Decline: Traps Caused by the Uses of History.” This book aims to clarify how and why a successful organization declines and addresses Kanebo’s decline as a case study. The book has three challenges under a single theme: theoretical contribution, case study as business history research, and methodological discussion. The book comprises 11 chapters, from the introduction to the last chapter and a supplemental chapter. Chapter 1, which follows the introduction, critically examines existing theoretical studies, and Chapter 2 discusses methods. Chapters 3 to 9 analyze and describe the case with historical explanations. The final chapter redescribes the case using abstract concepts and theories to find theoretical findings and concludes with implications.

　This article presents an overview of the book in five major parts. The first part presents the purpose of the book. In particular, this part points out the problems with existing theoretical studies on organizational decline. It discusses what analytical perspectives still need to be improved, which has led to the problems. The second part explains the methodology adopted in the book. The book adopts historical explanations in the case analysis and is premised on critical realism as an ontological and epistemological assumption to balance historical explanations and theorizing. The third part explains the expected significance of the case study as business history research. The fourth part presents the conclusions of the book. There, we present the re-description of the case, the theoretical findings, and the generative mechanisms underlying the organizational decline. The fifth part describes the implications of the book. After presenting the book overview, we conclude with the book’s limitations and avenues for future research.

　This essay is a summary of the article entitled “Startup Acceleration: An Empirical Analysis of Accelerator Programs in Japan” published in the Journal of Business Management. The article investigates how accelerators aid the growth of startups and how they influence startup performance by focusing on the role of accelerator experience. Specifically, through an empirical analysis using data from 38 accelerators in Japan, we hypothesized and found that the effect of accelerator experience on the amount of funding raised by startups participating in the accelerator program in the year after the end of the demo day is positive only for early-stage startups that had not yet raised sufficient funds before participating in the program. This result implies that accelerator programs are not necessarily effective across all stages of startups because the programs may be specialized for specific stages. To the best of our knowledge, this article is the first study that systematically analyzes accelerator programs in Japan; it contributes to the literature by clarifying the role of accelerator experience in the development of startups.