東アジアにおける創造経営

Innovative Management of East Asia and the Concept of A Corporation as a Social Public Organ

While the notion of a corporation as a social public organ is very common in Japan and its origin can be traced back to Ishida Baigan of the 18th century in Japan, this subject has been left unrecognized in the literature especially in the West hemisphere. This paper therefore aims at shedding light on the public interest orientation in the history of capitalism, by focusing upon "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" written by Max Weber in 1904 and comparing it to the public interest orientation manifested in the Heart Learning theory presented by Baigan. Baigan, deeply rooted in Confucianism and Buddhism, can be viewed as a forerunner of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), which is critically important in the global management in the 21st century.