Kimitaka Nishitani

Are firms' voluntary environmental management activities beneficial for the environment and business? An empirical study focusing on Japanese manufacturing firms.

In this paper, to clarify whether a firms voluntary approach to environmental protection is beneficial for both the environment and business, we analyze whether a firms voluntary implementation of an environmental management system (EMS) simultaneously reduces its environmental impacts and improves its productivity. Using data on Japanese manufacturing firms for 2002-2008, we find empirical support for the view that the implementation of an EMS simultaneously reduces environmental impacts and improves productivity, and that a reduction in environmental impacts also improves productivity. However, in the context of this relationship, the direct effect of implementing an EMS on productivity is conditional. If various other activities designed to improve productivity implemented in response to market discipline are also taken into account, the effect of implementing an EMS is hidden by the effects of these activities. This implies that voluntary environmental management activities are merely a minor component of these activities. Therefore, the relationship between the implementation of an EMS and productivity improvement is not strong, although implementing an EMS indirectly improves productivity by reducing environmental impacts.

Corporate Governance and the Role of Women

The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the relationships between financial structures and corporate governance on the one hand, and corporate employment systems, particularly female employment, on the other. We tested two hypotheses regarding governance and female employment. The first is that the long-term employment system is changing due to strengthened governance by investors, and that the resulting trend toward shortened terms of employment for full-time employees (FTEs) is working to the advantage of women. The second is that overall management efficiency is improving due to strengthened governance by investors, and as a result, the effective use of womens labor power is being promoted. The results of this empirical analysis provide some support, albeit not very strong support, for the first hypothesis. The results obtained were consistent with the hypothesis that governance by institutional investors is resulting in shortened terms of employment for FTEs, and thus is promoting the employment of women, but the correlation between shortened terms of employment and female employment was not very strong. By contrast, the second hypothesis was strongly supported by the data. The evidence showed that companies with stronger governance by institutional investors are involved in positive action and have many female FTEs and managers.

Firms' reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and economic performance : analyzing effects through demand and productivity

This paper analyzes how a firm fs reduction of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions affects its economic performance. The theoretical model used is derived from the Cobb-Douglas production function and the inverse demand function, and predicts that in reducing its GHG emissions, a firm will increase its value added because it promotes an increase in demand for its output and improves its productivity. The estimation results, using data on Japanese manufacturing firms, suggest that the reduction of GHG emissions increases a firm fs economic performance only through an increase in demand. Thus, firms can improve their overall economic performance because increased demand accompanies their reduction of GHG emissions, even if they cannot achieve this through an improvement in productivity, as estimates here support the traditional view that reducing GHG emissions imposes additional costs on firms.

Participatory action-research and a framework to evaluate community participation : Sustainability of one-forestry company village

This report addresses the issue of sustainability of one-forestry Company in Batu Majang, a remote village located in the tropical rainforest of east Kalimantan, Indonesia. In the given context, Batu Majang is facing uncertainties regarding the sustainability of forest maintenance in a scenario of discontinuation of a logging company operation in the region. The report is presented in a paper structure and is fundamentally based on secondary data and available references as well as updated information provided by Indonesian specialists during the 2010 summer course of the Graduate School for International 53 Participatory action-research and a framework to evaluate community participation: Sustainability of one-forestry company village Luciano Charlita de FREITAS