Do you remember the previous blog about “Father of Management: Peter Drucker”? (Click here for the blog Who is P.F. Drucker?) In this blog, I would like to introduce our Institute’s social contribution projects, using Drucker’s words.

The core of the Institute’s activities is the “Social Contribution Project. We are conducting those projects with 50% of the profits from the membership fee of the “Takeo Harada Gemeinschaft” membership service, and members of the membership service are invited to participate in our social contribution activities through the Institute.

(Photo: IISIA Logo at the Office)

(Reference: Photo by the author)

The vision of the Institute is “Pax Japonica,” or the realization of peace in Japan. In our report on social contribution projects (click here to download the report on social contribution projects for 2023 (English version)), we define “Pax Japonica” as follows.

What is “Pax Japonica”?

(1) Prioritizing anticipatory governance

(2) Providing a risk-free environment to all stakeholders

(3) Enhancing the application of advanced technologies to social realities with public engagement

(4) Transferring the solutions of “Grand Challenges” to the entire global community

Let’s break it down a bit. The “Predictive Analytical Scenarios®” that we publish twice a year provide for our members scenarios are based on an accurate understanding of the past and foresight into several possible future situations, and which are the most realistic. We are engaged in research on the latest technologies, which we call “advanced science and technology,” while providing sufficient explanations to gain the understanding of our members and the citizens who make up our society. We are convinced that the implementation of these technologies in our country will have a significant and positive impact on the global society, rather than keeping them in the laboratory. For example, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which consist of 169 targets and 17 goals proposed by the United Nations, are the “desired future image” that global society wants to achieve in the future. However, if there is no social reform at the present time, it will be extremely difficult to achieve these goals. If we call “desired future image” as “B” and the future image that can be simply predicted based on a correct understanding of the past as “A”, we believe that the way to realize “A → B” is the “social implementation of advanced science and technology. Therefore, we call our activities to steadily fill the gap between “A” and “B” “Social Contribution Projects”.

(Image: A→B)

(Reference: Created by IISIA)

Our mission is “Giving the People Hope and Future”. The Institute is not limited to the domestic market, but actively fosters human resources and provides advice through “entrepreneurship education” in a setting that transcends all differences. Specifically, in the “IISIA Summer School” held in 2023, the sons and daughters of members of the “Takeo Harada Gemeinschaft” membership service (Bronze or higher membership rank) attended lectures by Takeo Harada, Founder and CEO of the Institute, and staff from the Social Contribution Group.

(Image: IISIA Summer School)

(Reference: Created by IISIA)

This year, Sony Ignite Your-Ambition social collaboration course at University of Tokyo; “UT-ONE,” an entrepreneurship course for first-year students. A total of 54 students visited our company in May and July, and we explained the vision and mission of our institute. As an extension of the lecture, we have been holding “IISIA reading club” since September, which aims to “entrepreneurship education that correctly understands the past and looks to the future.” Students are assigned two to three books on a specific theme, which they read carefully, and each group is given 10 minutes to make a presentation during the club. This is followed by Takeo Harada, CEO of our Institute. The students left comments as follows, “I was amazed at the intelligence skills of the participants, who verified certain hypotheses through discussions based on the reading of a vast amount of data and unraveled the structure behind the hypotheses.” and “Considering that the social system will change until 2045, I felt that it will have changed quite a bit by the time I graduate from college. It makes me realize that my knowledge of history and other subjects is not sufficient at all. I’m going to read more books.” It is clear that the students’ appetite for knowledge has been whetted.

(Photo: IISIA Reading Club)

(Reference: Photo by the author)

In addition, Takeo Harada, CEO of our institute, holds three master’s degrees: Kyoto Sangyo University Graduate(in Kyoto Studies), The Open University of Japan(in Humanities), and Rikkyo University(the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence and Science). He also successfully completed the Entrepreneurship Educational Skills Development Course at the Graduate School of Industry-Academia Collaborative Education Innovator Development Program, Osaka Metropolitan University in March 2024. he has taught the University-wide Free Research Seminar in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Tokyo, he has also served as a lecturer at Gakushuin Women’s College (lecturing on “Diplomat” and “International Courtesy”), and is actively advising young people who will create bright innovations for the future. The Institute will continue to make all the efforts to be actively involved in “entrepreneurship education” as described above.

Why do we conduct “social contribution projects”?

If the goal is to make money, we don’t need any “social contribution projects” at all?

Peter Drucker, who is known as the father of (business) management, described the impact of companies on society. The following is a quote from his book.

“…management has a role to play in dealing with the impact of its organization on society and, with it, in helping to solve society’s problems. All organizations and institutions exist to serve society. Simply excelling in business does not justify a company’s existence. It must excel as a social entity. An organization exists to contribute to the world outside the organization. Corporations do not exist to provide jobs to workers or dividends to shareholders. They exist to supply goods and services to consumers. Hospitals do not exist for doctors and nurses, but for the sake of patients who want to get out of the hospital early and want never be hospitalized again. Schools exist for students, not for the teachers. Management that forgets these things is not a management. [Drucker12,p60-61]”

(Image: Management -Revised Edition-)

(Reference: Photo by the author)

I have great respect for Peter Drucker, who so clearly refers to “social contribution”. I believe that his words may be the answer to the previous question.

I, as the author of this paper, participated in the 16th Global Peter Drucker Forum (hereinafter referred to as “Drucker Forum”) held in Vienna, Austria on November 14 and 15, 2024. This Drucker Forum is an annual event held since 2009 in honor of Peter Drucker, who was born in Vienna in 1909. The Drucker Forum featured a truly high-level lineup, including winners of the “Thinkers 50,” a ranking of the world’s most influential management thinkers, as well as business strategists from well-known brands and professors from the world’s top universities. The lessons I learned there will be shared in the membership’s community later. Please wait for a while until more details are posted on our official website and the members-only community “IISIA NEST”.

(Image: Drucker Forum)

(Reference: Photo by the author)

Lastly, we would like to introduce our social contribution projects in the next blog too, as we are unable to cover them all in this blog. Please look forward to a further report on the Drucker Forum and the next blog.

Chancellery Unit, Group for Project Pax Japonica, Maria Tanaka

※The statements in this blog are not the official views of the Institute, but rather the personal views of the author.

［References]

・［P.F.Drucker12］P.F.Drucker, Translated by Ueda Atsushi, “Management -Revised Edition-”, Diamond, Inc., 2012.