Published papers

To improve the feasibility of accomplishing the superordinate concepts for corporate social responsibility (CSR), the person in charge must efficiently execute development processes. This study aims to make persons in charge recognize task importance by visualizing the value engineering process in automobile interior development, especially design for environment (DfE) process based on the Spiral model and V-model approach of system engineering. Therefore, a method for visualizing the entire DfE process is proposed through the assurance case. The effectiveness of the proposed method was examined through a survey of DfE project members.

This study investigates the effect of element for the quality management system (QMS), especially the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in terms of Garvin’s quality dimensions. A quantitative survey approach was applied; results were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Both analyses were conducted in Japan and France, using sample sizes n = 264 for Japan and n = 286 for France. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among the various components of the conceptual model, including five different dimensions: serviceability, CSR, ownership cost, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. The results of the structural model support four of the five hypotheses and reveal that serviceability factors play an important role in improving customer loyalty. This study empirically tests the conceptual model and discusses the managerial implications.

This research investigates the customer's perspective on product serviceability, including its impact on after-sales service cost (AC) and satisfaction/loyalty when experiencing service or repair. Using a split-sample technique, exploratory factor analysisand confirmatory factor analysis are carried out on survey data from 1464 users of automobiles and air conditioners in Japan in order to identify dimensions related to serviceability as well as to examine the relationship between each construct. From this, the research identified four serviceability-oriented dimensions: tangibles dimension of serviceability, assurance dimension of serviceability, responsiveness dimension of serviceability and AC. Through structural equation modelling, a conceptual model was analysed. Hypotheses about the relationships between the four dimensions of serviceability, and their positive effects on customer satisfaction/loyalty (CS) were tested for both products and were found to be supported. As other contributions to the product serviceability literature, AC was found to act as a mediating variable, and CS for the product and for after-sales service experiences formed into a single dimension by which customers viewed the product. These research results provide insight to scholars and practitioners for strategising after-sales service requirements during new product development and for offering customer-friendly practices in after-sales service.

Personnel-adjusted added value (PAV) is an index to measure human resource management for internal purposes. In this study, the possibilities and limitations of PAV using external estimates are investigated. To measure the effectiveness of PAV, it is compared with the general added value. This proves the effect of the personnel adjustment. The relationship between future performance and PAV (and added value), including other control variables, are statistically analysed by hierarchical linear modelling. The essence of PAV is to separate the basic labour costs from the company-specific personnel costs. To calculate PAV from outside an enterprise, the basic labour costs should be estimated. For this purpose, in addition to financial data, this study uses survey data on recruitment and employment in Japan. Statistical analysis is applied to the 2008–2016 longitudinal company data of 569 Japanese companies. We find that PAV, a management indicator that includes the adequacy of human resource management, is a useful factor related to future performance.

© 2018 IEEE. In order to develop services utilizing robots, various AI element technologies and multiple robots and sensors must be integrated. However, at present, it takes a lot of cost to develop such integrated intelligent applications. Currently, we have been developing PRactical INTEligent aPplicationS (PRINTEPS), which is a user-centric platform to develop integrated intelligent applications only by combining five types of modules such as knowledge-based reasoning, speech dialogue, image sensing, motion management, and machine learning. In this paper, we report on a multi-robot teahouse at a university campus festival as a practical application of PRINTEPS. We also report the evaluation of the robot teahouse from the viewpoint of the service quality based on the questionnaires of the customers who experienced the robot teahouse.

The importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increased in corporate strategic management. Thus, this study focuses on three relationships: 1) the relationship between corporate financial performance (CFP) and CSR activities (CSRA), 2) the relationship between CSRA and human capital (HC), and 3) the relationship between HC and CFP. This study uses fact-based data to remove subjective influences as much as possible. Fact-based data include an ordinal scale such as the presence or absence of specific measures. In addition, since it is assumed that the three relationships are mutually affected, this study analyses them simultaneously to consider a mediating effect. In this analysis, structural equation modelling (SEM) and Bayesian SEM (BSEM) are applied to fact-based data collected from 219 listed companies in Japan. The analysis results clarify that CSRA directly impacts CFP and mediates the impact of HC on CFP. In addition, the path value of CSRA to CFP is larger in BSEM than in SEM. Thus, this study shows the merit of using a method that can handle ordinal scale indicators.

According to the survey “The circumstance of dropout and registered absence from higher education” conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 2014, the number of dropouts from higher education is around 80,000. This accounts for 2.6% of all students. As for studies about dropouts, some of them are focused on the reason why students quit higher education institutions. However, there is little empirical research focused on the individual career, such as an employment, changing jobs and income after dropping out of higher education. This study places importance on data at the individual level, and analyzes 323 samples of higher education dropout workers and high school graduate workers gathered through a web-based questionnaire in January 2018. Our question items included gender, age, the type of first and current employment, annual income in 2017, information about their adjusted standard deviation score at high school and higher education institution, and family background such as their mother's and father's education and so on in order to carry out a detailed analysis. This uses the Bayesian Network based on conditional probability to examine the effects of dropping out of higher education on employment and annual income in 2017 by making comparisons to those of high school graduate workers.

More companies focus on open innovation (OI) practices that enable them to acquire external resources by collaborating with external parties (e.g., companies in different industries and universities). Even though OI has received much attention in recent years, several companies are struggling to coordinate with external parties or select them. The purpose of this study is to clarify what kinds of opportunities contribute to accumulating know-how to acquire external resources through more effective OI. To achieve this, this study mainly focuses on the collaboration with suppliers that may enable such opportunities. Although this type of collaboration is a long-term relationship for companies, through this relationship, organizations can build an adequate system for coordinating with or assessing external parties. As a result, organizations having experienced collaboration with suppliers can utilize their know-how to acquire external resources. Based on this discussion, a theoretical framework is constructed and the framework is analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). In the analytical process, this study utilized questionnaire data obtained from Japanese manufacturing companies. As a consequence of the SEM analysis, the relationship between the degree how companies collaborate with suppliers and the degree of OI practices is evaluated.

© 2018 Japan Industrial Management Association. All rights reserved. In relation to Garvin’s dimensions of quality, this paper investigates the influence of ownership cost on automobiles customers’ perspective through maintenance, service and repair. A quantitative survey approach was applied and the results were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Both analyses were conducted in Japan using different sets of sample sizes (n = 300 for EFA and n = 668 for CFA). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for examining the relationships between various constructs in the conceptual model, including six different dimensions of product quality, ownership cost, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. From the structural model, nine out of twelve hypotheses were supported, and the ownership cost factor was revealed as playing a significant role in enhancing customer loyalty. In addition to empirically examining this new conceptual model, this research discusses the managerial implications corresponding to the research outcomes.

© 2018 The Author(s). While AI applications are very popular in many domains, they should be harmonious with domain exerts and end userS. Furthermore, in order to develop such harmonious AI applications, we need agile AI platforms for not only developers but domain expertS. Currently, we have developed Practical Intelligent applications (PRINTEPS), which is a user-centric platform to develop integrated intelligent applicationS. This paper evaluates the Service quality of a multi-robot cafe at a campus festival and reports on the cafe as a practical application of PRINTEPS. It is not clear if robot Services are perceived as attractive and/or valuable, and how the concept of robot Services could lead to customer satisfaction. Therefore, the evaluation of the quality of such Services is necessary to identify the key factors that could contribute to improving customer satisfaction. The objective of this study is to contribute to the realization of practical and economically feasible robot Services by obtaining effective knowledge for improving customer satisfaction. This will be achieved through the evaluation of the Service quality of the multi-robot cafe.

Quality management (QM), Human capital management (HCM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fields are closely related. Traditionally QM has been captured in the relationship between companies and customers. However, corporate sustainability is believed to depend on not only customers but also on various company stakeholders. In addition, QM is expected to widely affect its customer effect and the various stakeholder evaluations. CSR has been captured in the relationship between companies and stakeholders. However, Strategic CSR concept is underway. Strategic CSR is a corporate strategy concept of selecting CSR activities according to whether they have a positive impact on corporate performance. Employees who make quality improvements by themselves, are indispensable to increase the effectiveness of QM. Human capital is thought to be one of the most important factors for the success of CSR activities. A lot of previous researches have analyzed on a psychometric basis. However, the approach has problems, such that the psychological influence and actual influence may differ. Therefore, this research analyzes the data from the CSR data book and financial reports which are based on the fact basis by using Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling. It demonstrates the impact of each factor more objectively. Analysis showed how each factor affects each other. Particularly, this study suggests that environmental CSR has a positive impact on corporate performance.