The case will be centered around the U.S. charges of sexual harassment at a Mitsubishi plant in Illinois. The crime was committed by Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America, or MMMA, who subjected around 300 women working at the factory to sexual harassment ( Mitsubishi Lawsuit par. 1). The involved parties included the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or EEOC and MMMA ( Mitsubishi Lawsuit par. 1). It is stated that on 9 April 1996, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court in Illinois against Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America Inc. ( Mitsubishi Lawsuit par. 2). The case was an outrageous one, where MMMA paid compensation to the victims and adopted a zero-tolerance policy.
The plaintiff, EEOC, brought the case to the court of law by claiming that MMMA violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The latter bans employers from discriminating against employees in their hiring, firing, and promotion practices on the basis of sex, national origin, color, religion, or race (OpenStax 105). In addition, it applies to employers who employ more than 15 workers for more than 20 weeks without any interruption (OpenStax 106). The case of discrimination on the basis of sex in the form of sexual harassment was brought by the plaintiff. Examples include physical assaults, verbal assaults, sharing of pornographic photos by male employees, flashing by male coworkers, inappropriate graffiti, sex bar business trips to Japan, and managers tolerance of such workplace behavior. It was evident that female workers were subjected to a toxic environment in the workplace, where managers ignored sexual harassment behavior and even facilitated such conduct.
Moreover, despite the numerous reports to the Employee Relations Department of the employer, the department was either unresponsive or slow to respond to these problems. The case also showed that the managers of the department were not interested in stopping the harassment instances. In response, MMMA argued that many complaints were time-barred, and the sexual harassment claims were in the form of summary judgment, which cannot be used as a claim. After two years, in 1998, the proposed argument by the defendant was rejected by the court because it was a case of pattern or practice. The court also ruled that there was no inexcusable delay by the plaintiff and no statutes limiting the sexual harassment cases applicability.
The outcome was manifested in the fact that a settlement was reached after six months in 1998. The settlement was that MMMA undertook a zero-tolerance policy in regard to sexual harassment by revising its policies and showing commitment towards the changes under a review of an independent panel. In addition, compensation of $34 million was paid to the victims. The final reports showed that significant progress was made at the workplace of the subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors.
In conclusion, the case illuminates the importance of fighting organization-wide violations and discrimination with an organized approach. Although the process took almost two years to settle, effective measures were undertaken to ensure that MMMA was held responsible for its actions. The role of the EEOC was of paramount importance in fighting the employers incompetence in a structured and direct manner, where all victims were united under one plaintiff. It is likely that plaintiffs, as individuals, would not have been as effective at bringing change as EEOC was.
Works Cited
Mitsubishi Lawsuit (Re Sexual Harassment in the USA). Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Web.
OpenStax. Business Law I Essentials. Rice University, 2019.
In the business community, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is considered to be a significant theme that underpins various moral, financial, and ethical judgments of corporate activities (Kotler and Lee 2005, 3). Instances of corporate giving and social responsibility can be observed in almost every segment of business. Several different concepts have been put forth attempting to describe the nature and understanding of social responsibility.
For example, CSR means that companies are responsible for their impact on society but other similar concepts include corporate social performance (CSP) which has been used to describe the financial returns an organization may see from CSR activities (Ono 2000, 45) and corporate social orientation (CSO) that refers to how people view CSR and CSP cumulatively.
A definition that gets to the core of the general construct is a companys commitment to minimizing or eliminating any harmful effects and maximizing its long-run beneficial impact on society (Fitzpatrick 2000, 294).
This concept is also regarded as a responsibility of every organization to consider how the effects may impact people who are either directly or indirectly may undergo some changes. As such, researchers are moving beyond just defining and identifying CSR activities, to examine the role of CSR in a broader organizational context (Hawkins 2006, 167).
Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsubishis origin dates back to 1870 and regarded as the leader in such spheres like marketing, engineering, and manufacturing (Mitsubishi Electric 2008). Originally started as a shipping company, it has evolved to result into a number of independent companies operating across the whole world (Carroll 1999, 270).
Its history is generally believed to parallel the story of modern Japan. Its rapid expansion has seen it transform into a number of strong multinational companies. Its breakdown into small multinational companies occurred after the war which left the Allied forces demanding that big industrial groups disband (Mitsubishi Motors Corporation n.d.).
Talking about corporate social responsibility of this particular company, it is very important to identify the standards in regard to which the representatives of the company have to work. It seems to be crucial to choose appropriate working conditions, and Mitsubishi managers succeed in developing clear and effective strategies.
There are three main principles according to which Mitsubishi Corporation (MIC) operates its business. They are corporate responsibility to the community, integrity and fairness preservation and understanding of international business operations (Mitsubishi International Corporation n.d.).
These principles in addition to the corporate conducts code define the level of corporate responsible activities which the society engages in. as a result of the recall problems in 2004, Mitsubishi Corporation put in place a number of strategies based on its investigations and the lessons learned from this experience (Mitsubishi Corporation 2010).
The adopted policy then was a safety first compliance agreement. A business ethics committee within the company oversees the implementation of the initiative. The company strongly believes in the conviction that the company cannot succeed unless it observes the written and the unwritten business ethics (Mitsubishi Corporation 2010).
Mitsubishi Corporation and Corporate Responsibility
Case against Mitsubishi
While Mitsubishi has seemingly been considered as one of the most prosperous multinationals globally, it has not been spared off some beating along its operations. There are two issues which are taken into consideration: the question concerning the competitiveness of its products in relation to its competitors like Toyota and Honda, and the question of its treatment to customers.
Though the achievements of this company are amazing indeed and may become a good sample of how a huge corporation should begin its development, the above-mentioned challenges make people think about the correctness of the methods chosen for work.
One of the most important aspects of work in any corporation is the necessity to develop appropriate relations with customers. The way of how a company is able to organize communication and cooperation defines the level of its success. Still, the company face a serious challenge that was based on customers blames in regard to the quality of Mitsubishi work. In several occasions, the company has shifted blames for its product failures to its customers.
The possibility to manipulate the clients who make complaints because of the sudden reverse acceleration may be taken into consideration. During several month, there were a number of reports which underline the problems connected to reverse acceleration. The possibility that some defects may influence the reputation of the company frightened the representatives of Mitsubishi Corporation, and, as in many other cases, the company neglects this evidence.
Unfortunately, the reports about poor quality of services have been introduced, and the reputation of the company was suffering. Instead of solving the problems and explaining the reasons of such misunderstandings, the company believed in its powers and fame, and it may become as one of the most serious shortages of social corporate responsibility.
Critics admitted that its possibilities to deny the evident existence of certain problems may become a serious challenge for several corporations. There are many shortages within the operations offered by the company under consideration, this is why it is very important to focus at solving the problems but not neglect the evidence and take care of certain aspects of work only.
In a surprising case, a raid by the Japanese Police yielded thousands of client complaints which had incidentally been hidden in companys locker room. In a similar situation, Mitsubishi electric notably admitted to have stashed away client complaints with regard to defective televisions sets. This is in addition to various cases where the company has been accused of applying unethical means in order to bully its smaller competitors.
Additionally, the company has often been accused of engaging in bribery activities in Japan. This factor may become a serious problem for the company that wants to compete with other firms of the same field. The issue of competitiveness undergoes certain changes, and Mitsubishi Corporation has to introduce some new effective methods to overcome the competitors in fair competitions.
Case for Mitsubishi
As it has been already mentioned, three principles of social corporate responsibility are taken as a basis for Mitsubishi work. There are a number of issues which have to be admitted in the work of such huge corporation. The corporate responsible actions that the company engages include both environmental issues and humanitarian issues.
The company has recognized that it existence is dependent on the concern it attaches to its environmental performance. It therefore has put in place initiatives aimed at preservation of the global environment and pursue business practices which facilitate sustainable development/production.
This is why one of the key elements of companys social responsibility is global warming reduction and pollution of air. Much focus is on CO2 emission reduction. In accordance with the Kyoto protocol requiring 6% emission cut, the corporation made milestone an emission reduction of 32% in 2004. In prevention of pollution of air, the companys priority is on reduction of emission for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).This is aligned to the current Japanese laws.
The company is implementing its own measurement standards aimed at even reducing gas emission further. The corporations manufacturing plants are in compliance with the Japanese and global regulation on emissions. The corporation is currently channeling vast resources building its global image.
In its endeavor to meet its environmental obligations, the corporation set the following behavioral standards upon which it should operate (Weigelt & Camerer 1988, 450):
Global warming prevention through reduced green-house gas emission
Pollution reduction through emission restriction on resource conservation of harmful substances.
Waste reduction maximal resource utilization.
Improved environmental management practices.
In June 2009, the company announced its Environmental Vision 2020, through which it intends to raise electric vehicle production by 20% (Mitsubishi Corporation 2010). While overcoming previous challenges with regard to electric vehicles, this measure is expected to reduce global carbon emission considerably.
They hold the key to realization of a low carbon society. Other than environmental benefits of the electric car, it is expected to impact positively on the lifestyle of individuals and the society in general. The vehicles will basically be charged at home eliminating the need to look for fuel at filling points.
The corporation has heavily invested in ensuring that human rights are upheld by its stakeholders. Its code of conduct re-affirms its commitment to upholding of human rights and not engages in practices which foster racism, ethnicity, and religious segregation among others.
The company exhibits intolerance to sexual harassment as well as foster activities which facilitate human rights issue awareness and respect for diverse cultures, customs and languages (Wilson, 1997, 58).The company has committed to uphold all international agreements which consider human rights like the universal declaration of human rights and the ILO core labor standards.
Conclusion
Global corporations have enormous power their actions affect how and where we work, the way we structure our social lives, the standards of health and security we receive, the quality of the environment, the laws we live by, and the services we desire and purchase (Abratt, Clayton & Pitt 1987, 307).
Mitsubishi as a company has taken a leading role in ensuring corporate responsibility. Their decisions directly or indirectly shape the social fabric of society socially, politically, and personally. However, such powers require lots of responsibilities.
The relationship between social power and social responsibility deserves much attention as the corporations with greater social power have more social responsibilities, and those corporations that do not meet their social responsibilities risk losing the power they have earned a principle referred to as the Iron Law of Responsibility (Backman 1975, 76).
Throughout the course of business development and the evolution of the modern corporation, a recent push of scholarly attention has been devoted to the understanding of responsible business practice and the idea that businesses exist for more than just profit maximization.
Reference List
Backman, J., Social Responsibility, and Accountability. New York: New York University Press, 1975.
Carroll, A. B., Corporate social responsibility: Evolution of a definitional construct, Business & Society, 38, (1999): 268-295.
The projector has a remote control which may be used to control the operations of the projector from a distance. Before using the remote control, ensure that the batteries are well inserted at the back of the remote control. The range in which the remote control can be used is about 10m.
While using the remote control, ensure that direct sunlight or fluorescent light does not impinge on the remote control sensor. The installation of the projector should be done carefully. The size of the picture on the screen is varied by changing the distance between the projector and the screen.
The front and rear projections can be achieved by mounting the projector accordingly as explained in the manual. Once the projector has been mounted, basic connections are made to the required equipment. This may be a computer, video camera or a DVD player.
While making these connections, it should be ensured that power is not supplied to the projector. Once the connections have been made, the lens cap is removed. The projector is then connected to a power source and adjusted to the required angle of projection.
There are several options on the projector’s menu and there explanations are provided in the manual. The options are used to set effects on the projected image. The lamp of the projector may be replaced in case it malfunctions. Maintenance of the projector involves cleaning of the air filter, cleaning the ventilation grille and cleaning of the lens.
All the maintenance activities should be conducted when the projector is not supplied with power. The projector also has LED indicators which are used to indicate the working conditions of the projector. In case of any faults, these indicators can be used to indicate in case there is a fault.
They are also used to indicate the state of the projector. All the specifications for all the components of the projector are provided in the user manual (Lannon, 2003).
Warnings:
Only appropriate power cords for either U.S. or Europe should be used.
The plug used for the projector should be a three wire with a ground connection. The ground pin should never be removed
The parameters of the power supplied to the projector are 100-240V AC50/60HZ. The supplied power should always be in the given range.
Always ensure that the power cord is not broken as this may result to an electric shock.
The power cord should not be reversed to prevent any chances of electric shock.
Direct eye contact with the projector’s lens should always be avoided as this may result in eye problems.
Troubleshooting
Problem
Cause
Possible solution
The power is off.
Air does not flow in the air grille or the air filter as a result of objects clogging the grille.
Remove any object that may be in the grille.
The projector is on but there is no picture on the screen.
The lens cap is still in place. The equipment that is connected to the projector is not turned on.
Remove the lens cap. Ensure the equipment is turned on.
The image is distorted.
The angle in which the projector is placed is not correct
Adjust the projector angle
There is no sound that is heard.
The volume control is on the low side. The equipment port that is associated with volume is not well connected
Adjust the volume control
Check the port connection and connect it well
Reference
Lannon, J. M. (2003). Technical Communication. New York: Longman.
The history and origin of the Mitsubishi brands trace roots in Japan. The Mitsubishi brand began back in the 1870s (mitsubishi.com committee, 2005). The initial owner was Yataro Iwasaki who operated a shipping enterprise. The Mitsubishi brand released Japan’s initial series production passenger car that is the Mitsubishi Model A in 1917 (mitsubishi.com committee, 2005). Nevertheless, post World War II so the birth of the different Companies that exist to date (mitsubishi.com committee, 2005).
The fragmentation was a result of pressure from the occupation forces. The Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company was distinguished as the first Japanese Company to initiate overseas travels to China (mitsubishi.com committee, 2005). Some of the member companies reunited later in 1954 (mitsubishi.com committee, 2005).
Most typical seat belt restraint systems provide lap and shoulder belt portions to harness the occupant on the vehicle seat. When the vehicle decelerates, the occupant instantaneously remains in a state of motion in the direction the vehicle is traveling until presses on the lap or shoulder belt parts. Energy management loops are also known as rip stitching. Rip stitching has been used on seat belts of some vehicles. Loops of extra seat belt webbing material are supposed to rip open in the event of an accident.
The rip open process can result in the length of the belt increasing by 8 to 10 inches. Bauer (1995, p.1) when patenting the invention of the adjustable energy absorbing component for use in a vehicle seat belt system; the author explained how it works. In case of a vehicle deceleration such as in a frontal collision such that the deceleration surpasses the systems locking threshold then the seat belt lock as the occupant lays against the belt parts at the shoulder or lap.
Pressure on the belt that causes the lock is enhanced by the tension rise. In severe crashes, the tension experienced on the shoulder and lap seat belts can lead to excessive load transferred to the occupant (Bauer, 1995, p.1). Thus a justification for the invention of the energy-absorbing seat belt system the occupant is allowed to press on the lap or shoulder belt part while in the state of movement in the direction the vehicle is travelling. In addition, the occupant pressure due to the forward movement is transferred into the lap or shoulder belt parts and depends on the extent of the occupant’s movement (Bauer, 1995, p.1).
Energy management loop that increase in length can subsequently lower the effectiveness during crashes where the occupant remains in a state of motion even to the extent of partial ejection. The energy management loops fatal risks are more evident in the event of severe crash and the vehicle experiences rollovers when the occupant is tossed and hits the vehicle interior components. During the vehicle rollover after crash impact the occupant’s head may partially eject outside and touch the ground. This may translate to fatalities or catastrophic injuries.
Levitt and Porter (2001, p.603) argue that road carnage had reported more death toll especially among the 6 to 34 years age group. On overage since 1972, traffic fatalities stabilized at 40,000, yearly (Levitt and Porter, 2001, p.603). Nevertheless, the trend in traffic fatalities had a down fall and was against the mean rise in the travel volume of the Americans (Levitt and Porter, 2001, p.603).
While citing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and others; Levitt and Porter (2001, p.603) explain that the rise in the use of safety belt and the advancement in the technology of safety bags were two among the leading factors that caused the reduction in the numbers of life losses on the roads. While in the 1980s safety belt use was at 11 percent, there was a rise in the two succeeding decades at 58 and 68 percent, respectively.
While citing NHTSA, Levitt and Porter (2001, p.604) explain that vehicles crashes that have deaths reported account for 0.5 percent, while those with injury cases are below 2 percent. While reviewing the literature, Levitt and Porter (2001, p.603) explain that some past studies found out that seat belt use had cut down on the fatalities and injuries within the range from 8 percent to 86 percent vis-a-vis other vehicle occupants who did not wear them. While citing NHTSA, Levitt and Porter (2001, p.603) brief that seat belt effectiveness in reducing deaths ranged between 45 percent and 55 percent.
Levitt and Porter (2001, p.603) argue that a range of methodologies are applied; however, the standard procedure for assessing the seat belt effectiveness involves identifying samples of crashes and comparing outcomes among those that have as well as that don’t have seat belts. The drawback of this approach is the chances of sample selection that may introduce biases.
The Fatality Reporting System (FARS) provides a detailed account of almost all fatal accidents; however this database provides only one dimension towards assessing the effectiveness of vehicle devices such as the seatbelts (Levitt and Porter, 2001, p.604). The limitation of analyzing the data for benefits of seatbelts is their influence on the eventualities of death occurrence. The nature of the data is already influenced by the use safety belts and airbags on the chances of fatalities in case of a crash (Levitt and Porter, 2001, p.604).
Sample selection introduces the biases of estimation. Nonetheless, if a case in point does not address the compromises (biases probabilities) that are brought about the sample selection then this systematically understates the gains of effective safety belts (Levitt and Porter 2001, p.603). In the case of the FARS data set, at least a death case was reported in 90 percent of the fatal crashes registered (Levitt and Porter, 2001, p.603). And thus, in case that single cases of fatality had not been reported then the crash case would not feature in the datasets (Levitt and Porter, 2001, p.604).
The case against Mitsubishi was on the grounds of product liability (LaBovick Law, 2008). A Mitsubishi vehicle was involved in a crash that led to the death of a vehicle occupant. The occupant was wearing a seat belt. The lawsuit sought the Company to compensate damages resulting in death on the theories of liability and negligence. The case against the Company argued on the grounds that seat belt and seatback defects that contributed to the death (LaBovick Law, 2008).
The occupant’s seat’s seatback deformed and thus exposed the occupant to danger. The driving occupant of the vehicle sustained minor injuries (LaBovick Law, 2008).
The verdict may have substantive if based on the argument provided by Shavell (1980, p.2) in liability and negligence rule. However, the parties in the case are strangers and not involved in the sell of the product. Preist (1989, p.2301) considers the realization of Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts in 1965 was a renaissance of the Law of torts. This led to a source of modern litigation of product liability; Section 402A includes observance of strict liability for defective and unreasonably dangerous products (Preist, 1989, p.2301).
In the recent past, the Company has had plans to recall of some of its products that include seat belt replacement on safety grounds. Some of the recall plans are at free of charge. The Company has in the recent been recognized for product safety. This demonstrates the Company’s commitment to product quality and safety. This may have had a direct policy implication or intention.
US Recall News (2007) explains that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was constituted in the fulfilment of the Highway Safety Act of 1970. The NHTSA is mandated to ensure safety standards related to safety of the motor vehicles. The effort by the NHTSA is to ensure the reduction of cases of deaths, injuries or economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes (US Recall News, 2007). The formulation of safety standards enhances the chances of quality assurance; NHTSA is also involved in enforcement of safety standards for compliance.
The NHTSA also conducts safety investigations for defects (US Recall News, 2007). Mitsubishi Company can liaise with NHTSA in research and development and product awareness that allows the product consumers to be part of the product safety. However, this has a shared responsibility between the Company and the consumer.
The Company benefits through information provided by the consumer. The Company can also provide detailed information regarding all safety measures put in place and thus a prospective buyer has an enhanced choice to purchase or not. This means that lack of awareness of the safety levels of the prospective vehicle the consumer wants to buy may put them off based on their would be negligence.
In order to avoid a recurrence of such lawsuits, there is need for enhanced awareness among public to ensure safety while travelling. The cases involving crashes and rollovers should be reduced if not eliminated. This is not a responsibility for one party but all who interact with motor vehicle industry. Everyone will comply with safety standards for vehicle safety devices without selection (Jonah and Grant, 1985, p.262).
This will avoid intentional negligence on defects by the consumer in order to gain an opportunity to file a case. Jonah and Grant (1985, p.363) suggest that the undertaking of selective traffic enforcement initiatives as an intervention towards awareness of the safety gains when the belts are used. The national Agency should be involved in this task. Information generated on such initiatives should be used to advise respective companies on possible areas where product component are seen as not effective and thus prevent deaths and injuries on the road.
On the other hand, the Companies may volunteer information regarding enhancing safety standards so that to disseminate to other players of the industry. Initiating of safety clubs among the industry players enables members to help each other effectively avoiding deaths, injuries and economic losses. This may also provide a corporate watch as well as a safety net against abuse by consumers. Corporate watch will help members to advise each other on new technologies as well as pinpoint on better ways to ensure product safety for all.
References
Bauer, B. J. (1995). Adjustable Energy Absorbing Device for Use in Vehicle Seat Belt Restraint System. United States Patent, 1-8.
Jonah, B. A. and Grant, B. A. (1985). Long-Term Effectiveness of Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs for Increasing Seat Belt Use. Journal of Applied Psychology 70(2), 257-263.
LaBovick Law (2008). Mitsubishi product liability case receives $11 million verdict. Web.
Levitt, S. D. and Porter, J. (2001). Sample Selection In The Estimation Of Air Bag And Seat Belt Effectiveness. The Review of Economics and Statistics 83(4), 603–615.
mitsubishi.com committee (2005). Origin. Web.
Preist, G. L. (1989). Strict Products Liability: The Original Intent. Web.
Shavell, S. (1980). Strict Liability versus Negligence. The Journal of Legal Studies 9(1), 1-25.
The case will be centered around the U.S. charges of sexual harassment at a Mitsubishi plant in Illinois. The crime was committed by Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America, or MMMA, who subjected around 300 women working at the factory to sexual harassment (“Mitsubishi Lawsuit” par. 1). The involved parties included the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or EEOC and MMMA (“Mitsubishi Lawsuit” par. 1). It is stated that “on 9 April 1996, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court in Illinois against Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America Inc.” (“Mitsubishi Lawsuit” par. 2). The case was an outrageous one, where MMMA paid compensation to the victims and adopted a zero-tolerance policy.
The plaintiff, EEOC, brought the case to the court of law by claiming that MMMA violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The latter “bans employers from discriminating against employees in their hiring, firing, and promotion practices on the basis of sex, national origin, color, religion, or race” (OpenStax 105). In addition, it applies to employers who employ more than 15 workers for more than 20 weeks without any interruption (OpenStax 106). The case of discrimination on the basis of sex in the form of sexual harassment was brought by the plaintiff. Examples include physical assaults, verbal assaults, sharing of pornographic photos by male employees, ‘flashing’ by male coworkers, inappropriate graffiti, ‘sex bar’ business trips to Japan, and managers’ tolerance of such workplace behavior. It was evident that female workers were subjected to a toxic environment in the workplace, where managers ignored sexual harassment behavior and even facilitated such conduct.
Moreover, despite the numerous reports to the Employee Relations Department of the employer, the department was either unresponsive or slow to respond to these problems. The case also showed that the managers of the department were not interested in stopping the harassment instances. In response, MMMA argued that many complaints were time-barred, and the sexual harassment claims were in the form of summary judgment, which cannot be used as a claim. After two years, in 1998, the proposed argument by the defendant was rejected by the court because it was a case of ‘pattern or practice.’ The court also ruled that there was no inexcusable delay by the plaintiff and no statutes limiting the sexual harassment case’s applicability.
The outcome was manifested in the fact that a settlement was reached after six months in 1998. The settlement was that MMMA undertook a zero-tolerance policy in regard to sexual harassment by revising its policies and showing commitment towards the changes under a review of an independent panel. In addition, compensation of $34 million was paid to the victims. The final reports showed that significant progress was made at the workplace of the subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors.
In conclusion, the case illuminates the importance of fighting organization-wide violations and discrimination with an organized approach. Although the process took almost two years to settle, effective measures were undertaken to ensure that MMMA was held responsible for its actions. The role of the EEOC was of paramount importance in fighting the employer’s incompetence in a structured and direct manner, where all victims were united under one plaintiff. It is likely that plaintiffs, as individuals, would not have been as effective at bringing change as EEOC was.
Works Cited
“Mitsubishi Lawsuit (Re Sexual Harassment in the USA).” Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Web.
OpenStax. Business Law I Essentials. Rice University, 2019.
In the business community, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is considered to be a significant theme that underpins various moral, financial, and ethical judgments of corporate activities (Kotler and Lee 2005, 3). Instances of corporate giving and social responsibility can be observed in almost every segment of business. Several different concepts have been put forth attempting to describe the nature and understanding of social responsibility.
For example, CSR means that companies are responsible for their impact on society but other similar concepts include corporate social performance (CSP) which has been used to describe the financial returns an organization may see from CSR activities (Ono 2000, 45) and corporate social orientation (CSO) that refers to how people view CSR and CSP cumulatively.
A definition that gets to the core of the general construct is “a company’s commitment to minimizing or eliminating any harmful effects and maximizing its long-run beneficial impact on society” (Fitzpatrick 2000, 294).
This concept is also regarded as a responsibility of every organization to consider how the effects may impact people who are either directly or indirectly may undergo some changes. As such, researchers are moving beyond just defining and identifying CSR activities, to examine the role of CSR in a broader organizational context (Hawkins 2006, 167).
Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsubishi’s origin dates back to 1870 and regarded as the leader in such spheres like marketing, engineering, and manufacturing (Mitsubishi Electric 2008). Originally started as a shipping company, it has evolved to result into a number of independent companies operating across the whole world (Carroll 1999, 270).
Its history is generally believed to parallel the story of modern Japan. Its rapid expansion has seen it transform into a number of strong multinational companies. Its breakdown into small multinational companies occurred after the war which left the Allied forces demanding that big industrial groups disband (Mitsubishi Motors Corporation n.d.).
Talking about corporate social responsibility of this particular company, it is very important to identify the standards in regard to which the representatives of the company have to work. It seems to be crucial to choose appropriate working conditions, and Mitsubishi managers succeed in developing clear and effective strategies.
There are three main principles according to which Mitsubishi Corporation (MIC) operates its business. They are corporate responsibility to the community, integrity and fairness preservation and understanding of international business operations (Mitsubishi International Corporation n.d.).
These principles in addition to the corporate conducts code define the level of corporate responsible activities which the society engages in. as a result of the recall problems in 2004, Mitsubishi Corporation put in place a number of strategies based on its investigations and the lessons learned from this experience (Mitsubishi Corporation 2010).
The adopted policy then was a safety first compliance agreement. A business ethics committee within the company oversees the implementation of the initiative. The company strongly believes in the conviction that the company cannot succeed unless it observes the written and the unwritten business ethics (Mitsubishi Corporation 2010).
Mitsubishi Corporation and Corporate Responsibility
Case against Mitsubishi
While Mitsubishi has seemingly been considered as one of the most prosperous multinationals globally, it has not been spared off some beating along its operations. There are two issues which are taken into consideration: the question concerning the competitiveness of its products in relation to its competitors like Toyota and Honda, and the question of its treatment to customers.
Though the achievements of this company are amazing indeed and may become a good sample of how a huge corporation should begin its development, the above-mentioned challenges make people think about the correctness of the methods chosen for work.
One of the most important aspects of work in any corporation is the necessity to develop appropriate relations with customers. The way of how a company is able to organize communication and cooperation defines the level of its success. Still, the company face a serious challenge that was based on customer’s blames in regard to the quality of Mitsubishi work. In several occasions, the company has shifted blames for its product failures to its customers.
The possibility to manipulate the clients who make complaints because of the sudden reverse acceleration may be taken into consideration. During several month, there were a number of reports which underline the problems connected to reverse acceleration. The possibility that some defects may influence the reputation of the company frightened the representatives of Mitsubishi Corporation, and, as in many other cases, the company neglects this evidence.
Unfortunately, the reports about poor quality of services have been introduced, and the reputation of the company was suffering. Instead of solving the problems and explaining the reasons of such misunderstandings, the company believed in its powers and fame, and it may become as one of the most serious shortages of social corporate responsibility.
Critics admitted that its possibilities to deny the evident existence of certain problems may become a serious challenge for several corporations. There are many shortages within the operations offered by the company under consideration, this is why it is very important to focus at solving the problems but not neglect the evidence and take care of certain aspects of work only.
In a surprising case, a raid by the Japanese Police yielded thousands of client complaints which had incidentally been hidden in company’s locker room. In a similar situation, Mitsubishi electric notably admitted to have stashed away client complaints with regard to defective televisions sets. This is in addition to various cases where the company has been accused of applying unethical means in order to bully its smaller competitors.
Additionally, the company has often been accused of engaging in bribery activities in Japan. This factor may become a serious problem for the company that wants to compete with other firms of the same field. The issue of competitiveness undergoes certain changes, and Mitsubishi Corporation has to introduce some new effective methods to overcome the competitors in fair competitions.
Case for Mitsubishi
As it has been already mentioned, three principles of social corporate responsibility are taken as a basis for Mitsubishi work. There are a number of issues which have to be admitted in the work of such huge corporation. The corporate responsible actions that the company engages include both environmental issues and humanitarian issues.
The company has recognized that it existence is dependent on the concern it attaches to its environmental performance. It therefore has put in place initiatives aimed at preservation of the global environment and pursue business practices which facilitate sustainable development/production.
This is why one of the key elements of company’s social responsibility is global warming reduction and pollution of air. Much focus is on CO2 emission reduction. In accordance with the Kyoto protocol requiring 6% emission cut, the corporation made milestone an emission reduction of 32% in 2004. In prevention of pollution of air, the company’s priority is on reduction of emission for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).This is aligned to the current Japanese laws.
The company is implementing its own measurement standards aimed at even reducing gas emission further. The corporations manufacturing plants are in compliance with the Japanese and global regulation on emissions. The corporation is currently channeling vast resources building its global image.
In its endeavor to meet its environmental obligations, the corporation set the following behavioral standards upon which it should operate (Weigelt & Camerer 1988, 450):
Global warming prevention through reduced green-house gas emission
Pollution reduction through emission restriction on resource conservation of harmful substances.
Waste reduction maximal resource utilization.
Improved environmental management practices.
In June 2009, the company announced its Environmental Vision 2020, through which it intends to raise electric vehicle production by 20% (Mitsubishi Corporation 2010). While overcoming previous challenges with regard to electric vehicles, this measure is expected to reduce global carbon emission considerably.
They hold the key to realization of a low carbon society. Other than environmental benefits of the electric car, it is expected to impact positively on the lifestyle of individuals and the society in general. The vehicles will basically be charged at home eliminating the need to look for fuel at filling points.
The corporation has heavily invested in ensuring that human rights are upheld by its stakeholders. Its code of conduct re-affirms its commitment to upholding of human rights and not engages in practices which foster racism, ethnicity, and religious segregation among others.
The company exhibits intolerance to sexual harassment as well as foster activities which facilitate human rights issue awareness and respect for diverse cultures, customs and languages (Wilson, 1997, 58).The company has committed to uphold all international agreements which consider human rights like the universal declaration of human rights and the ILO core labor standards.
Conclusion
Global corporations have enormous power – their actions affect how and where we work, the way we structure our social lives, the standards of health and security we receive, the quality of the environment, the laws we live by, and the services we desire and purchase (Abratt, Clayton & Pitt 1987, 307).
Mitsubishi as a company has taken a leading role in ensuring corporate responsibility. Their decisions directly or indirectly shape the social fabric of society – socially, politically, and personally. However, such powers require lots of responsibilities.
The relationship between social power and social responsibility deserves much attention as the corporations with greater social power have more social responsibilities, and those corporations that do not meet their social responsibilities risk losing the power they have earned – a principle referred to as the “Iron Law of Responsibility (Backman 1975, 76).”
Throughout the course of business development and the evolution of the modern corporation, a recent push of scholarly attention has been devoted to the understanding of responsible business practice and the idea that businesses exist for more than just profit maximization.
Reference List
Backman, J., Social Responsibility, and Accountability. New York: New York University Press, 1975.
Carroll, A. B., Corporate social responsibility: Evolution of a definitional construct, Business & Society, 38, (1999): 268-295.
This report is a detailed description of the technology roadmap that will help the company BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance to manage its complex activities in the future. Better roadmaps are presented for security, infrastructure and core systems. The give technology roadmap for security will be of highly beneficial for the company in managing its security systems in the best possible way. Similarly, the technology roadmap of core system will help the company to manage the main functional areas properly. The technology roadmap for infrastructure has properly taken into consideration the need for the company to improve its infrastructural facilities.
Introduction
This report is the presentation of a technology roadmap for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance. Technology roadmaps refer to the usage of technological tools to perform the strategic activities of the organization. Technology roadmap is essential for a business organization to improve its efficiency for widening the market share. “The Technology Roadmap (TRM) concept is a consultative process that is designed to help industry, its supply-chain, academic and research groups, and governments come together to jointly identify and prioritize the technologies needed to support strategic R&D, marketing and investment decisions.” (Technology roadmaps, 2008). Technology is not only a concept that is related to only production and other technical activities in the organization but also a concept that is related and should be applied in every activity in a business organization for improving its efficiency.
This report gives a detailed technological roadmap for the given case of BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance. BHP Billiton Alliance is the largest coal miner and exporter of Australia. “BMA is a 50/50 alliance between the world’s largest diversified resources company and the world’s largest general trading company.“ (About BMA, 2008). The increased complexity of the business and the competition prevailing in the market has necessitated the need to make a technology roadmap for various systems in the company.
This report outlines the technology roadmap for the company in four areas such as security, infrastructure and core systems. Since the company is engaged in coal mining, security is a cause of concern. A better technological roadmap in security is intended to make the employees as well as the organization secured from the hazards that might arise. The infrastructure of the company includes all the internal and external infrastructural facilities of the company. Technological road map is very much essential for the sooth functioning of all the facilities in the organization. The core systems of the organization include the HR, pay roll and finance. A technological roadmap for these core systems outlined in this report.
Main body
Industry overview
Though BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance is a coal major of the country it faces stiff competition from other players. The other major coal mining companies in Australia are Anglo Coal Australia Pty Ltd, Aquila Resources Ltd, Centennial Coal Company Ltd, Coal and Allied, Felix Resources Ltd, Gloucester Coal Ltd, Griffin Coal Mining Company Pty Ltd, Jellinbah Resources Pty Ltd, Loy Yang Power, Macarthur Coal Ltd, New Hope Corporation Ltd, NRG Flinders, Rio Tinto Ltd, Straits Resources Ltd, Wambo Mining Corporation Pty Ltd, Wesfarmers Curragh, Wesfarmers Energy Ltd, Wesfarmers Premier Coal Ltd and Xstrata Coal Australia. Among these companies the major competitors are Anglo Coal, Xstrata Coal and Rio Tinto. “The main activity of firms in this industry is the mining of black coal for either domestic use or export. Mining includes the actual extraction of coal, together with associated activities such as coal washing.” (Black Coal mining in Australia, 2008) Due to the large quantity of mining assets in Australia, many foreign companies have started eying the market. The foreign companies are competing to either acquire or form partnerships with Australian mining companies.
Agriculture and coal mining are the two major economic activities in Australia. Among them coal mining is the major activity. Therefore any contingency in the coal mining industry will have very great impact on the country’s economy.
The concerns of the people and government about environmental safety have forced the government to be strict on the environmental protection standards of coal mining companies. The regulations by government on coal mining industry cannot go beyond a limit as it will affect the economy of the country as a whole. The environmental hazards caused by coal mining is much more that the one caused by agriculture. Most of the government regulations on coal mining companies create additional cost burden for companies to meet the standards. “By the 1970s, most mining companies in Australia were obligated under their mining lease to address air and water pollution concerns, and to rehabilitate mine sites.” (Mining and biodiversity, Rolfe, 2008) This regulation has great impact on the cost structure of BHP Billiton. The company has its mines at different locations and rehabilitation costs for these mines will be higher. Since the industry is large and the companies operating in the sector are less, it is easier for the government to regulate the industry. Change of government and political factors will impact the industry sector to a great extend in the form of regulations and deregulations.
Technology roadmap
Every technology roadmap will have three phases namely preliminary phase, developmental phase and follow up phase. A planning process is included in the preliminary phase. In the developmental phase the actual technology to be implemented is developed and implemented. In the follow-up process the working of the applied technology is assessed.
Security
Security in an organization can be seen in different perspectives. Security refers to the protection from the hazards due to nature of the job and protection from theft and other human activities in an organization. “Safety excellence is recognized as good business.” (Our safety improvement roadmap). Security is a very high cause of concern in the company as the company is involved in coal mining. Removing coal from the earth’s surface through mining is termed as coal mining. Coal mining is a complex activity that involves the usage of different chemicals and machines. The harmful chemicals used in the process make the employees’ more prone to health hazards. Safety also involves protection of the employees from natural hazards. Providing better safety measures is a planned approach by the organization. The most suitable technology must be implemented in the security management of the organization. The technology roadmap for security is as follows:
Determine the complexity of work
The complexity of performing mining and related activities should be determined by a proper analysis. A planned job analysis can be performed for this. The job analysis will help to outline the complexity to perform the job and the hazards that will arise from the performance of a particular job. The study must be conducted by the experts in this field.
Understand the existing situation
The existing situation in the organization should be clearly studied. The past records of hazards occurred in the organization should be analyzed in detail inorder to determine the frequency of occurrence. Moreover the major objective of examining the history is to study the reasons for the occurrence of such hazards.
Analyze the existing security system of the organization
The next step is to analyze the existing security system of the organization. The viability of the existing security systems for managing hazards should be studied.
Implement the new technology
The above three analysis will clearly explain the action plans to be taken in the present situation. The intensity of the complexity of work will help to develop new machines and tools for helping the employees to speed up the process with little efforts. By way of studying the past experiences the company can understand the areas to be developed. The security system that could have helped the company in that past situation should be implemented so that it can avoid such hazards in the future. The security systems that are used by the competitors must be considered for and implemented in the company.
Follow up
A follow up should be done at specified time intervals which may be twice or thrice in a year. After the review the result has to be compared with the past experiences of the company inorder to track the rate of improvement.
Infrastructure
A better infrastructure is very essential for the success of every business organization. The infrastructural facilities refer to the availability of space and other basic requirements that are essential for carrying on a business. The word infrastructure is a combination of building, land, better electric supply, better communication facilities and other basic requirements for the survival of a business. Even though all the infrastructural facilities are important for the business, better electric supply and better communication facilities are more important. Communication networks in the organization are to be of superior standard inorder to ensure smooth flow of information both internally and externally. Similarly electric power supply is the primary essential. The communication systems of the company will be distracted when there is a failure in the electric power supply. Another notable feature of communication system is that it changes very easily. Better and improved technology is being launched in the market every day. Thus the already existing systems will become obsolete very easily. A better technological roadmap is essential for the company inorder to survive in the highly competing market. Even though the company is the market leader in the segment inorder to sustain the existing market it has to make developments in the infrastructural facilities. The technology roadmap for infrastructural improvement in the company can be enumerated as follows:
Examine the present telephones networks of the company
In this process the present telephone network system of the company should be analyzed. The telephone network system must be analyzed on the basis of parameters such as its cost of maintenance, benefits gained from it, its coverage etc. This analysis will help to determine whether the existing telephone network is enough for the company in future.
Examine the system network of the company
The computer system network of the company must be examined in detail. When the work load of the company increases the computer systems will also have to be increased accordingly to manage the additional work properly. When the work load increases and changes have to be made in the departments or sections, the system network will also have to be changed. Therefore in this step the changes or alterations to be made in the departments should be properly examined.
Compare the server with the workload
The server of the company should be compared with the increased workload. The server of the system might be having less processing capacity and with the present speed it may not be able to manage the whole network.
Implementing the most modern technology
After completing the above steps successfully proper steps are to be taken for improving the situation. Telephone networks have to be improved in the area of mines as this will be of highly helpful at the time of any hazards. Similarly the system has to be upgraded to the most modern processors to ensure speed of operation. As the company is the market leader it will have many diversified activities. When the business activity improves the servers and other systems will have more and more data flooded to it. This necessitates an upgradation in the existing system. As per the previous process, a periodical follow up has to be made in this area too.
Core systems
HR, payroll and finance is included in this area. A technological roadmap is highly essential for the company in these areas. As the company is a big business enterprise Human Resource management is also a very complex activity. The HR activity of the company includes all activities concerning the employees from the time of recruitment till his termination of employment. There are many complex activities in between recruitment and termination of employment. Management of all those activities is not a one time activity. Technology implementation has accelerated the speed of HR management and will have to be updated at adequate intervals. The pay roll is included in the HR activities. Similarly, finance is another core activity that needs to be updated with technology. Technological implementation in financial activities refers to the usage of software systems for computation, accounting and other financial matters. The usage of new systems in the financial management has fostered the speed of operation of the financial department. In the case of BHP better technology in HR and financial management is essential inorder to ensure quality and efficiency. The steps to be followed for the implementation of technology in core activities are as follows:
Classification of the employees
The employees are to be classified on the basis of nature of the job. The pay scales and method of determining the pay scales has to be properly explained. The time intervals at which the employees are to be paid should be determined.
Parameters for performance appraisal
A proper parameter has to be developed for performance appraisal. The different rankings that should be given for the employees must be properly understood.
Determine the complexity of existing financial management
The existing financial management system of the company must be properly analyzed. This will help to determine the area to be improved.
Application of the system
Based on the classification of employees a software system has to be developed. The system should have the employees properly classified. The wage calculation system for each classification has to be developed in the system. All these should also be integrated to the performance appraisal so that the final remuneration is determined by the system easily. If the analysis shows that the existing system is outdated for managing the existing financial matters, an upgraded system has to be introduced for serving the purpose.
Conclusion
The report has given a detailed structure of the technological roadmap for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance. The vision of the company is to be the market leader of the world by mining and supplying best quality coal. For the achievement of this objective every sub-activities of the company should function properly. The technology roadmap has been given for all the areas that should be looked upon for the success of the business and achieve its final objective.
Reference
Technology roadmaps: Introduction to technological roadmapping, (2008). Industry: Canada. Web.
About BMA, (2008). BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance. Web.
Mitsubishi Motors is a motor vehicle production company based in Tokyo, Japan. It is a large scale industry that has been recognized worldwide. Its first motor vehicle production was in 1917. It was incorporated in 1970 and became a public company in 1988.
It is currently run as a partnership business under the Mitsubishi Family (comprising of Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi). Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Corporation together own about a 30% shares in Mitsubishi Motors.
Mitsubishi Motors aims at providing quality vehicles to its clients by producing vehicles that are safe as well as eco-compatible without compromising any benefits of convenience. The company currently markets passenger vehicles as well as light commercial trucks in Japan and parts of Asia and North America. The company sells about one million cars annually in more than 160 nations worldwide.
The Lancer, Galant, Eclipse, Outlander, SUVs and trucks, are manufactured at its industrial plants in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Approximately eight models have been reserved solely for sale in Japan. The company has research and development facilities in the United States, Germany, and Japan. Approximately 80% of sales come from outside Japan. Mitsubishi Motors Company also runs a financial services division which is in charge of overseeing the financing of car sales.
Mitsubishi Motors Company is currently under the umbrella of the Mitsubishi Family after Daimler Chrysler‘s stake in MMC was sold to the Mitsubishi Family in 2004. The Mitsubishi Motors Company still maintains a fruitful relationship with Daimler Chrysler in terms of exchange of technological knowhow and marketing strategies.
Mitsubishi Motors Company is a small stakeholder in the global motor vehicle manufacturing industry. It was ranked as the fifth largest Japan based automobile manufacturers and the seventeenth largest worldwide based on production. Currently, Toyota tops this list.
Mitsubishi Motors Company has liaised with other motor vehicle manufacturing companies in order to increase sales and boost exports. These companies include PSA Peugeot Citroën, Colt & Lonsdale, Proton, Volvo and Hyundai which eventually pulled out of partnership with Mitsubishi Motors Company for different reasons.
Mitsubishi Motors Company currently employs a total of 31,003 people globally and has an 8% employee growth rate. In the year 2002, the company recorded net profits of 24.02 billion dollars. This year, Mitsubishi Motors posted a 55 million dollar profit for the period between April-June. Compared to last year, quarterly sales have risen by almost seven percent to 5.5 billion dollars.
Other sectors that have strongly contributed to the success of Mitsubishi Motors Company are the crude oil producers and metal ore manufacturers. The availability of fuel directly affects motor vehicle sales depending on fuel prices and metal production directly impacts the manufacture of cars.
Mitsubishi Motors Company has faced a number of challenges over the years. These challenges have greatly affected production and sales of vehicle brands not only in Japan but around the world. Some of these pressing challenges include globalization, individualization, and increasing competition. These are greatly changing the face of the motor manufacturing industry.
Moreover, the demands for more safety requirements as well as voluntary commitments to the conservation of the environment by industry have contributed to the problems faced by the company. It is important to appreciate the value of different business strategies. This is accomplished by identifying the cause for adopting these strategies (the cause) and the outcome of applying them (the effect). Some of the challenges and their possible solutions are highlighted below.
The diversity of consumer needs
Today’s consumers want products that satisfy their individual needs. They no longer settle for standardized products. In addition, due to growing competition, there is greater emphasis on the cost of the products provided rather than their quality.
It would, therefore, be more ideal for Mitsubishi to adopt a strategy to downsize their target group so as to attract more customers on the basis of product quality. That is, serving the broad needs of fewer clients. One way of achieving this is by shortening the life cycle of products in the market. This will ensure greater variety thus reaching out to the individual needs of consumers. Strategies should also be established to counter the power of the consumer by expanding services so that the clients do not seek for services from rivals.
Globalization
Over the years, there has been an increase in globalization due to the liberalization of markets. This has given Mitsubishi the opportunity to expand its horizons but has also offered the same opportunity to competitors and new players in the market. Currently, Mitsubishi faces great competition from rivals such as Toyota and Hyundai. Competition also means that Mitsubishi must greatly consider the individual tastes of clients.
Standardized products have no room in the current world market. The traditional boundaries of motor industries have also been removed. This has been seen through digitalization which has led to the establishment of horizontal and vertical alliances between companies. Therefore, traditional stakeholders like Mitsubishi have taken a great blow because of this new trend.
The possible solution to this challenge is positioning the company where negative influential forces are weakest. Mitsubishi could greatly benefit by exploiting these changes by creating alliances with potential parties, investing in products that differ from their rivals, scaring off new entrants by elevating the fixed, competitive costs and creating wider product accessibility.
Mitsubishi can also appoint heavy weight teams that will facilitate newer and faster processes. These processes are more efficient in integrating subsystems into new car designs.
Decreased Sustainability
In order to cater to the needs of individual clients, Mitsubishi has had to shorten the lifecycles of its products in reaction to the fast changing demands of its consumers. Currently, the average product life cycle is three years, compared to the eight year cycle a few years ago. This has increased the cost of production of new models over a short duration. Moreover, short cycles do not give products the opportunity to stabilize in the market. This has ultimately led to lower profits for Mitsubishi.
An effective solution to this challenge would be the implementation of a new strategy. One effective strategy would be for Mitsubishi to focus on the broad needs of fewer clients. This is called a tradeoff. Mitsubishi would be able to make profits by supplying a specific group of consumers by focusing primarily on one area of production.
This could be achieved by Mitsubishi focusing more on larger commercial vehicles like trucks, which have a longer cycle span, and greatly reducing the manufacture of smaller family cars. It is also important that Mitsubishi comes up with company activities that reinforce each other. This is known as creating fit. His will prevent competitors from imitating Mitsubishi’s activities because they would be set in such a way that one activity cannot run without another. This way, competition is minimized.
Unfortunately, the value of these strategies has not been appreciated. Tradeoffs have not been openly welcomed. This is because they concentrate on specific areas of the business, reducing the company’s safety in diversity. In addition, establishment of fit may take many years. This may be viewed as a liability because a lot of time and dedication are needed to create this environment.
It is important For the Mitsubishi Motor Company to identify its weak points and come up with sustainable strategies to counter the challenges that they face. If the company does not put the appropriate measures into place, it will no longer be considered one of the great stake holders in the automobile industry in a few years to come.
A management information system is considered as one of the most effective and successful systems that are able to provide the necessary information in order to promote the development and management of any organization in time.
In this paper, the analysis of five aspects will be given in order to evaluate the work and success of Mitsubishi Motors as the chosen enterprise in the automobile manufacturing industry: global MIS and risks (promotion of the organization all over the world), ethical and social issues (improvement of relations on different levels), project failures (awareness about possible types and ways of their overcoming), e-commerce (productivity), and strategies (presentation of qualified services).
Discussion
Backgrounds of the enterprise. The automobile industry is one of the most popular and fast-spreading ones in the whole world. It usually deals with developing, manufacturing, and selling motor vehicles which are in demand among people of all races, ages, genders, and social statuses.
This is why there are many reasons of why Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is chosen for this report and the analysis of the issues in management information systems. This enterprise appeared on the world arena at the end of the 1800s and continues developing nowadays.
Management issues for consideration. Among the variety of issues which are inherent to management information systems, the aspects described below with their own peculiarities and ideas to be taken into consideration are chosen for the analysis.
Global MIS/risks may be characterized by the next issues: self-contained services and users’ involvement for testing purposes that is increased quickly and controlled poorly. The development of self-contained services provides the enterprise under consideration with an opportunity to influence considerably proper building and harmony of the manufacturing process.
Ethics is defined as a powerful set of moral values which have to be met by any organization and any group of people in it. This management aspect may be observed in such issues like invasion of privacy of individuals who are eager to be anonymous but still have to undergo recognition in the chosen industry or necessity to install different programs, additional material, and details to the already manufactured vehicle.
Project failures may be caused by numerous reasons, and one of them is poor quality of management or lack of practice. Mitsubishi Motors is not a newbie in this industry; this is why its experience should not be an obstacle and the reason to fail the project. However, such issues like wrong cost-benefit analysis for the current and the next year or socio-political situation in the country may impact the development of the company.
There are a number of strategies which may be used to tackle forces, to improve the relations between manufactures, buyers, and customers, and to develop information technologies on the proper level.
Among the existed variety, it is possible to define the following issues: development of entry-barriers which aim at creation different types of obstacles for new organizations and entrants and promoting more stable positions in present and future and differentiation of products and services according to the demands of people who have different cultures and incomes and live under various conditions.
Finally, such topic as e-commerce and its issues deserve a certain attention to be paid as well. This aspect of management information technologies has numerous characteristics because it starts its development in the late 1900s. Standardization of such business processes like manufacturing, advertising, and selling vehicles by means of multiple divisions (the more divisions are identified, the better quality of service is expected) is considered to be the first issue of e-commerce.
And the second issue that has to be admitted is improvement of Internet technologies and value propositions which evaluate customers’ demands and requirements and help to define what aspects have to be worked on more and what aspects have to be neglected, re-changed, or even omitted.
Viable options to consider for the organization. All above-mentioned issues are inherent to the organization under consideration (Mitsubishi Motors), any manager has to be able to present as many viable options to solve these issues and improve the situation as possible.
Lin et al. (2005) admit that “proper use of web-based information management systems has become a useful weapon for promoting interaction between enterprises and customers, achieving competitive advantages for companies, and storing and researching various knowledge (p. 112). This is why when such problems as, for example, a considerable tendency of self-contained services in the automobile industry.
Consideration of certain aspects in the certain area and lack of cultural differences’ understanding are considered to be the main problems and risks in global management information systems of any organization. And when the organization makes an attempt to focus on some personal ideas and interpretations, it is not always acceptable by other organizations and customers that lead to some misunderstandings and mistakes in the sphere.
The following point, users’ participation in testing products and service, also has its own negative points: users and customers differ from country to country, and, what is more serious, the conditions under which tests happen and under which the products are used differ as well, this is why it is necessary to pay more attention to this issue and be sure to provide proper conditions and services.
All professional managers have to inform customers as well as other sellers against possible misunderstandings and outcomes which cannot be predicted. Invasion of privacy is also a point that may be improved by managers.
For example, many automobile vehicles are equipped with different searching engines and details which help to define where the car is. However, not every customer is eager to share his/her privacy even in case to be protected from numerous frauds and thefts. As a result, this ethical issue may be improved by means of familiarization with all evident and hidden services.
What is more, “the expectation of privacy is lessened… because the automobile travels public thoroughfares and is subject to extensive government regulation” (Hewitt, 2000, p. 891). And another issue that is connected to social aspects and ethics and predetermined the actions which are required from customers.
For example, a customer buys a new car and expects that he/she does not have to do something more and can start driving at once. However, it is also necessary to remember about different precautions items such as protection of car-bottom or car-alarm. This is why to become ethically correct with customers and do not destroy their expectations, it is necessary for mangers to inform about such necessities.
Without any doubts, any cost-benefit analysis requires certain time, efforts, and resources (Katzen, 2006, p. 1317). The viable option that may be used to improve or even lessen the degree of project failure has to be directed to the work of analytics and their abilities to evaluate current state of affairs and give clear answers and more or less certain predictions.
The same happens to the evaluation of socio-political situation. There are a number of professionals who are responsible for such analysis, and in order to make their work more effective, it is better to re-evaluate their salary and working conditions and create a kind of stimulus for them.
The same actions may be taken to improve the process of differentiation products and, in this turn, attract customers’ attention. The development of entry-barriers may create a kind of support for the already developed organizations and enterprises so that their representatives become bothered with improvement of their services and skills instead of competing with other companies.
Standardization and development of Internet technologies is the last issue that has to be admitted and analyzed by any managers in any industry. Such manufactures and sellers like Mitsubishi Motors always take care of its client and potential customers, and their attempts to organize all information and define clearly their purposes, achievements, production, and services seem to be a powerful and reliable step.
Lessons to pay attention to
“Mitsubishi Motors is among those companies that have published a corporate sustainability program” those “environmental sustainability plan” is regarded as one of the most powerful ideas to minimize costs and improve the quality (Roosa, 2008, p. 192). This company and the ways of how information systems are managed and used may serve as a good example to rely on in this analytical report and to get all those lessons which may improve the understanding of the topic and management information systems.
One of the most significant lessons that are observed from the very beginning is the fact that it is almost always difficult for one organization to admit the demands of people from different countries with different needs and present qualified products for everyone. This is why the idea that representative office may fail to meet the basics of the company in order to satisfy the interests of possible customers.
However, there is one option that is accepted in a different ways, it is users’ involvement into manufacturing. This involvement for testing purposes as the aspect that leads to global MIS plays much more serious role and has more considerable effects. Managers are not always ready to define what functions need to be performed by manufactures, customers, and sellers, and the result of this mistake is observed in many different ways.
First, the lesson lies in the idea of definition what is ethically correct in the chosen industry and what is doubtful and help people make the necessary decision. Sophisticated managers have to pay much attention to ethics and social issues in the automobile industry because many people expect more then they have to due to deep trust and ongoing advertisements.
One more lesson and the material learnt differ because it is impossible to know for sure how economic or political crisis may influence the current state of affairs of the enterprise chosen.
For example, the economic crisis that is already lasting for one year in many European countries lead to decreasing in numbers automobile customers and those people who would like to repair or improve the already got vehicle. Such project failures are hard to prevent even for such serious and reliable enterprise as Mitsubishi Motors. This lesson has to be remembered in order to achieve the best results and be ready for unpredictable situations.
When the organization is able to define its strong and weak sides, it turns out to be easier to develop the necessary strategies and achieve good results in the defined time. The development of strategies also depends on the size of the organization because the large the company is, the more strategies and approaches are required.
One more point that has been accepted absolutely different is the role of e-commerce for such organizations as Mitsubishi Motors. The point is that “the Internet and other telecommunication networks increase the amount of information available to organizations and individuals… the amount of information available on the Internet more than doubles every year” (Turban et al., 2008).
Because of such frequent use of Internet technologies, it becomes more important to focus on the development of communication and differentiate everything according to groups and their demands. And the process of standardization of information seems to be one of the most effective because people will spend more time observing those sources where information is described clearly.
Conclusion
Management information systems turn out to be very important for the world business’ development and improvement as it is usually composed on numerous levels and touches upon different issues like security, initiatives, software system choices, etc.
The results of the report show that each management issue plays an important role and has its own characterization and description of functions and outcomes. MIS as well as other business systems are useful in many ways to gather, analyze, and utilize information on different levels. Strategy support, e-commerce, and ethical issues are the main fields in information technology system, and this the help of this report this fact becomes evident.
The evaluation of personal views on the topics and their role in the whole system is also important because it discovers new horizons and abilities of the system and also gives a number of lessons which have an impact on perception of management as a discipline that may be improved by managers any time.
Reference List
Hewitt, DJ 2000, ‘Don’t Accept Rides from Strangers: The Supreme Court Hastens the Demise of Passenger Privacy in American Automobiles’, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, vol. 90, no. 3, pp. 875-915.
Katzen, S 2006, ‘Cost-Benefit Analysis: Where Should We Go from Here?’, Fordham Urban Law Journal, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 1313-1319.
Lin, WT, Hung, YH, Huang, CT, & Wu, CC 2005, ‘A Performance Evaluation of the After-sales Service Information Systems Provided by the Taiwanese Machine Tool Industry’, International Journal of Management, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 112-126.
Roosa, SA 2008, Sustainable Development Handbook. The Fairmont Press, Lilburn.
Turban, E, Leidner, D, & Lean, E 2008, Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy. John Wiley & Sons, New York.