No abstract

Issues concerning Black Companies have been extensively discussed in Japan recently. This paper aims to understand how discourses on Black Companies have been constructed and altered within the Japanese social context. To achieve this, we conducted discourse analysis using the case of Dentsu Inc., focusing especially on the multi-levels of discourse and power relations. We find that the process of power emergence in Black Companies and of values relating to the ethic of hard work on the part of employees relate to three levels of discourse: micro-discourse, meso-discourse and macro-discourse. This paper contributes to discourse studies by establishing that one discourse emerges under the influence of other discourses. As a practical contribution, this finding will assist those struggling with injustices in their organisation by enabling them to change their difficult situations via involvement with various discourses.

This study is founded on contingency theory, which is derived from organization theory, and in it we examine the structural problems of the modern Japanese recycling business using J. D. Thompson's model of contingency theory. Based on the results of our interviews conducted with 16 companies through the nondirective method, we argue that there are multiple contingency factors in the modern Japanese recycling venture and that these factors increase uncertainty and reduce the stability of the business as a result. We conclude that as an active level of 'sub technology,' recycling businesses created as diversifications of major companies will eventually manage the multiplicity of contingency factors.

Previous studies suggest that humans have significantly upset the balance between nature and society and that people should realize the impact of their activities on nature given the repercussions of global warming for the world at large. Simultaneously, business organizations are under increasing pressure to proactively contribute to a sustainable model that minimizes harm to the world. This study examines innovative green technologies that have emerged in response to this social demand. It applies the causal texture model and examines green technology emergence using discourses from Japanese firms. It further focuses on the Japanese cultural values of mittomonai and mottainai (both relating to the avoidance of undesirable actions) and their role in the learning process of collective causal beliefs. Finally, we present an amended causal texture model to more positively account for the natural environment and to clarify the interdependence between organizations and the environment.

The present study discusses modern managerial means and nature through telework, which has been viewed favourably for not only increasing white-collar productivity but also for improving work/life balance. In existing studies, the effect on society has been at the forefront of discussions while investigations about introductory methods or the actual conditions of telework are also active. However, there are few studies on conceptualization and the essential significance. For these reasons, this study will exactingly define the classifications and examine whether telework is a modern labour form in the context of "space-time" and "trust" and clarify the functions of organizational communication and leadership. Finally, we will present a research framework for further studies to comprehend the transformation of managerial nature from traditional work to modern telework through interviews with two Japanese information and communications technology companies.