Ricoh 2012 Annual Report Download - page 77

Ricoh Group Sustainability Report 2012 76
Top Message About us Our Activities
To Grow with Society
Data
Contributing to solving social challenges
As globalization progresses, our society faces an increasing number of
challenges on a global scale that are diverse in nature, traverse various
aspects of society, the economy and the global environment. These issues
are too intricately intertwined by multiple factors to be addressed by
the public sector alone, including national governments, international
organizations and the social sector. Against this background, expectations
are rising for private companies that possess a wide range of global
resources to contribute to solving these complicated social concerns.
To Grow with Society
As such a corporate entity, the Ricoh Group works to meet these
social challenges, clarifying its stance under two principles: “contribution
to resolution of social issues through business activities” and “commitment
to and responsibility for social contribution.”
The contribution to resolution of social issues through business
activities constitutes a pillar of our “value-creating CSR,” a concept
promoted as our growth strategy aimed at simultaneously achieving both
social contribution and corporate growth. More specifically, we intend to
accurately understand factors involving global issues, and identify new
business opportunities for providing effective solutions by utilizing our
technology, products, services and human and other resources as well as
organizing cooperation with related parties. With these efforts, we expect
to tap into new markets, find new customers and drive innovation that
can resolve or alleviate global concerns as part of our ongoing and future
business activities.
We also place importance on commitment to and responsibility for
social contribution. This represents our firm determination that we will
continue social contribution activities in a steady responsible manner
once we decide to commit to them, within or outside of our business
functions. These activities include initiatives led by the Group and its
employees as well as support to outside social non-profit organizations.
To facilitate these efforts, we offer training to help individual
employees raise awareness and sensitivity toward social issues and to
encourage them to take action, thereby fostering a corporate culture that
can contribute to solving social challenges.
Example of Value-Creating CSR: BOP project
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Aiming to develop new businesses which lead to
community development in rural villages in India
While rapid economic growth is being witnessed in many emerging
and developing countries, there are still considerable population
groups in these nations living in severe poverty, often referred to as
the BOP (Base of the Pyramid). These people are suffering from a
wide range of social challenges.
In order to offer remedies to such challenges, Ricoh launched
the BOP project under the concept of value-creating CSR that aims to
create business and provide social resolution at the same time. The
first step in this project was taken at a rural Indian village in Bihar
state in 2010. Under the project, Ricoh employees were sent to stay
in local communities to understand their culture and customs and
to build trusting relationships with village residents. The staff then
conducted interviews and surveys
to accurately grasp concerns facing
the area. Based on the findings obtained from this field research,
Ricoh is discussing plans for sustainable business projects with local
parties that can support the lives of the people living there.
Since 2011, the project has implemented a range of initiatives
designed to cultivate entrepreneurship and assist start-ups, focusing
on business creation and female empowerment. Going forward, we
intend to develop Ricoh’s own business by offering our new products
and services to those local entrepreneurs so that they can expand
their businesses.
■ Value-Creating CSR
Sustainable society and business growth
Voluntary responsibilities to society
Areas of CSR Initiatives
● Community involvement and
development (Social/Economic
Infrastructure Development, Respect
for People, Living Standard
Improvement, etc.)
● Sound youth development
● Ensuring environmental sustainability
● Support for tackling environmental
and social problems
● New market/new customer
development
● Marketing methods
● Innovations
● Human resource development
● Improvement of employee loyalty to
the company
● Improvement of brand value
Resolution of social issues Business growth
Contribution to resolution
of social issues through
business activities
Fundamental responsibilities to society
Commitment to and
responsibility for social
contribution
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