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ASSIGNMENT

ON
Social Responsibility of Sony Corporation
Course Title: Business Environment & Course code: BUS 201

SUBMITTED TO

Kazi Tashkin Huda


Lecturer
World University of Bangladesh

Submitted by
Group: E (Recourse with 48E)
Name
Khondoker Amin Uzzaman
Alida Islam
Jenifa Mahmud
Shovon Kumar Das
Rokshana Parven
Saila Haq Urmi

Roll
1757
1731
1743
1668
1969
1563

Batch
Batch: 33(A)
Batch: 31(G)
Batch: 31(G)
Batch: 31(E)
Batch: 36
Batch: 31(C)

ID
ID: WUB01/11/33/1757
ID: WUB01/11/31/1731
ID: WUB01/11/31/1743
ID: WUB01/11/31/1668
ID: WUB01/11/36/1969
ID: WUB01/11/31/1563

Department of Business Administration


Date of submission: 01 Dec 2014

Letter of Transmittal
01 Dec 2014
To
Kazi Tashkin Huda
Lecturer,
Department of Business Administration
World University of Bangladesh
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Subject: Submission of assignment on Social Responsibility of Sony Corporation
Dear Madam,
Here is the assignment that we assigned on the topic as per your request. The assignment has
been completed by the knowledge that we have gathered from the course Social Responsibility
of Sony Corporation.
We are thankful to all those persons who provided us important information and gave us valuable
advices. We would be happy if you read the report carefully and we will be trying to answer all
the questions that you have about the assignment.
We have tried our label best to complete this assignment meaningfully and correctly, as much as
possible. We do believe that our tiresome effort will help you to get ahead with this sort of
venture. In this case it will be meaningful to us. However, if you need any assistance in
interpreting this assignment please contact us without any kind of hesitation.
Thanking you.
Sincerely Yours
Khondoker Amin Uzzaman

Batch: 33(A)

ID: WUB01/11/33/1757

Alida Islam

Batch: 31(G)

ID: WUB01/11/31/1731

Jenifa Mahmud

Batch: 31(G)

ID: WUB01/11/31/1743

Shovon Kumar Das

Batch: 31(E)

ID: WUB01/11/31/1668

Rokshana Parven

Batch: 36

ID: WUB01/11/36/1969

Saila Haq Urmi

Batch: 31(C)

ID: WUB01/11/31/1563

Program: BBA
World University of Bangladesh

Table of Contents
Chapter One: 1.0 All about Sony Corporation............................................................................................. 1
1.1 CEO of Sony ......................................................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Business units ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter Two: 2.0 Social Responsibility ..................................................................................................... 10
2.1 Corporate social responsibility (CSR) ................................................................................................ 10
Chapter Three : 3.0 Social Responsibility or CSR of Sony Corporation .................................................... 12
3.1 CSR at Sony........................................................................................................................................ 12
3.2 Verifying Key CSR Agenda and Determining Materiality .................................................................. 13
3.3 CSR / Environment of Sony ............................................................................................................... 14
3.4 Youth were on assignment for documenting following Sonys CSR projects ................................... 16
3.5 Sony Picture The Greener Word ...................................................................................................... 18
3.6 Sony and the Environment................................................................................................................ 21
3.7 CSR Highlights ................................................................................................................................... 22
4.0 Social Responsibility of Sony Corporation in Banglades ..................................................................... 25
4.1 Model Study of Community Electrification in Bangladesh Using a Long-life Storage
Battery System ........................................................................................................................................ 25
4.2 Solving Social Issues in Urban Bangladesh by Utilizing IC Card Technology ..................................... 28
5.0 Key Findings .......................................................................................................................................... 29
6.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 29
7.0 Reference/Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 30

Chapter - 1
1.0 All about Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate

corporation headquartered in Knan Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified business is primarily
focused on the electronics (TV, Gaming Consoles, and Refrigerators), game, entertainment and
financial services sectors. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of electronic
products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony is ranked 87th on the 2012 list of
Fortune Global 500.
Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit

Sony Headquarters at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo

and the parent company of the Sony Group, which is


engaged in business through its four operating
segments Electronics (including video games,
network services and medical business), Motion
pictures, Music and Financial Services. These make
Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment
companies in the world. Sony's principal business
operations include Sony Corporation (Sony
Electronics in the U.S.), Sony Pictures Entertainment,
Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Music
Entertainment, Sony Mobile Communications
(formerly Sony Ericsson), and Sony Financial. Sony is
among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales
Leaders and third-largest television manufacturer in
the world, after Samsung Electronics and LG

Electronics.
The Sony Group is a Japan-based corporate group primarily focused on the Electronics (such

as AV/IT products and components), Game (such as PlayStation), Entertainment (such as motion
pictures and music), and Financial Services (such as insurance and banking) sectors. The group
consists of Sony Corporation (holding and electronics), Sony Computer Entertainment (games),
Sony Pictures Entertainment (motion pictures), Sony Music Entertainment (music), Sony/ATV
Music Publishing (music publishing), Sony Financial Holdings (financial services) and others.
Its founders Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka derived the name from sonus, the Latin word for
sound, and also from the English slang word "sonny", since they considered themselves to be
"sonny boys", a loan word into Japanese which in the early 1950s connoted smart and
presentable young men. The company's current slogan is BE MOVED. Their former slogans were
make.believe (20092014) and like.no.other (20052014).

1.1 CEO of Sony


Kazuo Hirai
Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai (born December 22, 1960) is the President
and CEO of Sony Corporation. He also serves as a member of
the board of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary of Sony. He was noted by Entertainment
Weekly as one of the most powerful executives in the
entertainment industry. Hirai became the President and CEO
of Sony on April 1, 2012.

CEO of Sony

Sony Corporation On April 1, 2011, Hirai was promoted to


Representative Corporate Executive Officer and Executive
Deputy President of Sony Corporation. He oversaw the
Consumer Products & Services Group. Hirai was speculated
to become the successor to Howard Stringer, the current
sitting president and CEO of Sony Corporation, who was then
expected to step down in 2013.

On February 1, 2012, Sony announced that Hirai has been appointed as President and Chief
Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2012. He was appointed to the Board at the annual
shareholders meeting on June 27, 2012.

1.2 Business units


Sony offers a number of products in a variety of product lines around the world.Sony has
developed a music playing robot called Rolly, dog-shaped robots called AIBO and a humanoid
robot called QRIO.
As of 1 April 2012, Sony is organized into the following business segments: Imaging Products &
Solutions (IP&S), Game, Mobile Products & Communications (MP&C), Home Entertainment &
Sound (HE&S), Devices, Pictures, Music, Financial Services and All Other.The network and medical
businesses are included in the All Other.

Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit


and the parent company of the Sony Group. It
primarily conducts strategic business planning of
the group, research and development (R&D),
planning, designing and marketing for electronics
products. Its subsidiaries such as Sony
EMCS[clarification needed] Corporation (6 plants in
Japan), Sony Semiconductor Corporation (7 plants
in Japan) and its subsidiaries outside Japan (Brazil,
China, England, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South
Korea, Thailand, Ireland and United States) are
Sony at Westfield Riccarton shopping centre in
responsible for manufacturing as well as product
Christchurch, New Zealand
engineering (Sony EMCS[clarification needed] is
also responsible for customer service operations). In 2012, Sony rolled most of its consumer
content services (including video, music, and gaming) into the Sony Entertainment Network.

Audio
Sony produced the world's first portable music player, the Walkman in 1979. This line fostered a
fundamental change in music listening habits by allowing people to carry music with them and
listen to music through lightweight headphones. Walkman originally referred to portable audio
cassette players. The company now uses the Walkman brand to market its portable audio and
video players as well as a line of former Sony Ericsson mobile phones.
Sony utilized a related brand, Discman, to refer to its CD players. It dropped this name in the late
1990s.

Computing
Sony sells many of its computer products using the VAIO brand. Sony
produced computers (MSX home computers and NEWS workstations)
during the 1980s, exclusively for sale in the Japanese market. The
company withdrew from the computer business around 1990. Sony
entered again into the global computer market under the new VAIO brand, began in 1996. Short
for "Video Audio Integrated Operation", the line was the first computer brand to highlight visualaudio features.
Sony faced considerable controversy when some of its laptop batteries exploded and caught fire
in 2006, resulting in the largest computer-related recall to that point in history.
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In a bid to join the tablet computer market, the company launched its Sony Tablet line of Android
tablets in 2011. Since 2012, Sony's Android products have been marketed under the Xperia brand
used for its smartphones.
On 4 February 2014, Sony announced that it will sell its VAIO PC business due to poor sales and
Japanese company Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) will purchase the VAIO brand, with the deal
finalized by the end of March 2014. However, in a news release on the Sony Global website,
published on 5 February, the corporations states: "Sony continues to address various options for
the PC business, but Sony has no further comments."

Photography
Sony offers a wide range of digital cameras. Point-and-shoot
models adopt the Cyber-shot name, while digital single-lens reflex
models are branded using Alpha.
The first Cyber-shot was introduced in 1996. At the time, digital
cameras were a relative novelty. Sony's market share of the digital
camera market fell from a high of 20% to 9% by 2005.
Sony Alpha DSLR

Sony entered the market for digital single-lens reflex cameras in


2006 when it acquired the camera business of Konica Minolta. Sony rebranded the company's
line of cameras as its Alpha line. Sony is the world's third largest manufacturer of the cameras,
behind Canon and Nikon respectively.

Video
In 1968 Sony introduced the Trinitron brand name for its lines of aperture grille cathode ray tube
televisions and (later) computer monitors. Sony stopped production of Trinitron for most
markets, but continued producing sets for markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. Sony
discontinued its series of Trinitron computer monitors in 2005. The company discontinued the
last Trinitron-based television set in the USA in early 2007. The end of Trinitron marked the end
of Sony's analog television sets and monitors.

Sony used the LCD WEGA


name for its LCD TVs until
summer 2005. The company
then introduced the BRAVIA
name. BRAVIA is an in house
brand owned by Sony which
produces high-definition LCD
televisions, projection TVs and
front
projectors,
home
cinemas and the BRAVIA home
theatre range. All Sony highdefinition
flat-panel
LCD
televisions in North America have carried the logo for BRAVIA since 2005. Sony is the third-largest
maker of televisions in the world. As of 2012, Sony's television business has been unprofitable
for eight years.
In December 2011, Sony agreed to sell all stake in an LCD joint venture with Samsung Electronics
for about $940 million. On 28 March 2012, Sony Corporation and Sharp Corporation announced
that they have agreed to further amend the joint venture agreement originally executed by the
parties in July 2009, as amended in April 2011, for the establishment and operation of Sharp
Display Products Corporation ("SDP"), a joint venture to produce and sell large-sized LCD panels
and modules.
Sony also sells a range of DVD players. It has shifted its focus in recent years to promoting the
Blu-ray format, including discs and players.
Semiconductor and component
Sony produces a wide range of semiconductors and electronic components including image
sensors, laser diodes, system LSIs, mixed-signal LSIs, OLED panels, etc. The company has a strong
presence in the image sensor market. Sony-manufactured CCD and CMOS image sensors are
widely used in digital cameras, smartphones and tablet computers.
Medical-related business
Sony has targeted medical, healthcare and biotechnology business as a growth sector in the
future. The company acquired iCyt Mission Technology, Inc. (renamed Sony Biotechnology Inc. in
2012), a manufacture of flow cytometers, in 2010 and Micronics, Inc., a developer of
microfluidics-based diagnostic tools, in 2011.
In 2012, Sony announced that it will acquire all shares of So-net Entertainment Corporation,
which is the majority shareholder of M3, Inc., an operator of portal sites (m3.com, MR-kun,
MDLinx and MEDI:GATE) for healthcare professionals.

On 28 September 2012, Olympus and Sony announced that the two companies will establish a
joint venture to develop new surgical endoscopes with 4K resolution (or higher) and 3D
capability. Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (Sony 51%, Olympus 49%) was established on 16
April 2013.
On 28 February 2014, Sony, M3 and Illumina established a joint venture called P5, Inc. to provide
a genome analysis service for research institutions and enterprises in Japan.[38]

Sony Mobile Communications

Sony Mobile Communications AB


(formerly Sony Ericsson Mobile
Communications AB) is a multinational
mobile phone manufacturing company
headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and a
wholly owned subsidiary of Sony
Corporation.
In 2001, Sony entered into a joint
venture
with
Swedish
Sony Xperia Z2
telecommunications
company
Ericsson, forming Sony Ericsson. Initial sales were rocky, and the company posted losses in 2001
and 2002. However, SMC reached a profit in 2003. Sony Ericsson distinguished itself with
multimedia-capable mobile phones, which included features such as cameras. These were
unusual for the time. Despite their innovations, SMC faced intense competition from Apple's
iPhone, released in 2007. From 2008 to 2010, amid a global recession, SMC slashed its workforce
by several thousand. Sony acquired Ericsson's share of the venture in 2012 for over US$1 billion.
In 2009, SMC was the fourth-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world (after Nokia,
Samsung and LG). By 2010, its market share had fallen to sixth place. Sony Mobile
Communications now focuses exclusively on the smartphone market under the Xperia name.

Sony Computer Entertainment

The PlayStation 4 is the best-selling video game


console of all time.

Sony Computer Entertainment is best known for


producing the popular line of PlayStation consoles.
The line grew out of a failed partnership with
Nintendo. Originally, Nintendo requested for Sony to
develop an add-on for its console that would play
Compact Discs. In 1991 Sony announced the add-on,
as well as a dedicated console known as the "Play
Station". However, a disagreement over software
licensing for the console caused the partnership to
fall through. Sony then continued the project

independently.
Launched in 1994, the first PlayStation gained 61% of global console sales and broke Nintendo's
long-standing lead in the market. Sony followed up with the PlayStation 2 in 2000, which was
even more successful. The console has become the most successful of all time, selling over 150
million units as of 2011. Sony released the PlayStation 3, a high-definition console, in 2006. It was
the first console to use the Blu-ray format, although its expensive Cell processor made it
considerably more expensive than competitors Xbox 360 and Wii. Early on, poor sales
performance resulted in significant losses for the company, pushing it to sell the console at a loss.
The PlayStation 3 sold generally more poorly than its competitors in the early years of its release
but managed to overtake the Xbox 360 in global sales later on. It later introduced the PlayStation
Move, an accessory that allows players to control video games using motion gestures.
Sony extended the brand to the portable games market in 2005 with the PlayStation Portable
(PSP). The console has sold reasonably, but has taken a second place to a rival handheld, the
Nintendo DS. Sony developed the Universal Media Disc (UMD) optical disc medium for use on
the PlayStation Portable. Early on, the format was used for movies, but it has since lost major
studio support. Sony released a disc-less version of its PlayStation Portable, the PSP Go. The
company went on to release its second portable video game system, PlayStation Vita, in 2011
and 2012. Sony launched its fourth console, the PlayStation 4, on 15 November 2013.
On 18 March 2014, at GDC, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios
Shuhei Yoshida announced their new virtual reality technology dubbed Project Morpheus for
PlayStation 4. The headset, still in prototype form, will bring VR gaming and non-gaming software
to the company's new console.

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. (SPE) is the


television and film production/distribution unit of
Sony. With 12.5% box office market share in 2011,
the company was ranked third among movie
studios. Its group sales in 2010 were US$7.2 billion.
The company has produced many notable movie
franchises, including Spider-Man, The Karate Kid,
and Men in Black. It has also produced the popular
television game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of
Fortune.
Sony Pictures Plaza, next to the main studio lot of Sony
Pictures Entertainment in Culver City

Sony entered the television and film production


market when it acquired Columbia Pictures
Entertainment in 1989 for $3.4 billion. Columbia
lives on in the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of SPE which in turn owns
Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures. SPE's television division is known as Sony Pictures
Television.
For the first several years of its existence, Sony Pictures Entertainment
performed poorly, leading many to suspect the company would sell off the
division. Sony Pictures Entertainment encountered controversy in the early
2000s. In July 2000, a marketing executive working for Sony Corporation
created a fictitious film critic, David Manning, who gave consistently good
reviews for releases from Sony subsidiary Columbia Pictures that generally
received poor reviews amongst real critics. Sony later pulled the ads,
suspended Manning's creator and his supervisor and paid fines to the state of
Connecticut and to fans who saw the reviewed films in the US. In 2006 Sony
started using ARccOS Protection on some of their film DVDs, but later issued a recall.

Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment (also known as SME or Sony Music) is the second-largest global
recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony
Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony. The company owns full or
partial rights to the catalogues of Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Usher, Eminem, Akon, and
others.
In one of its largest-ever acquisitions, Sony purchased CBS Record Group in 1987 for US$2 billion.
In the process, Sony gained the rights to the catalogue of Michael Jackson, considered by the
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Guinness Book of World Records to be the most successful entertainer of all time. The acquisition
of CBS Records provided the foundation for the formation of Sony Music Entertainment, which
Sony established in 1991.
In 2004, Sony entered into a joint venture with Bertelsmann AG, merging Sony Music
Entertainment with Bertelsmann Music Group to create Sony BMG. In 2005, Sony BMG faced a
copy protection scandal, because its music CDs had installed a controversial feature on users'
computers that was posing a security risk to affected users.[citation needed] In 2007, the
company acquired Famous Music for US$370 million, gaining the rights to the catalogues of
Eminem and Akon, among others.
Sony bought out Bertelsmann's share in the company and formed a new Sony Music
Entertainment in 2008. Since then, the company has undergone management changes.
Environmental record
In November 2011, Sony was ranked 9th (jointly with Panasonic) in Greenpeace's Guide to
Greener Electronics. This chart grades major electronics companies on their environmental work.
The company scored 3.6/10, incurring a penalty point for comments it has made in opposition to
energy efficiency standards in California. It also risks a further penalty point in future editions for
being a member of trade associations that have commented against energy efficiency standards.
Together with Philips, Sony receives the highest score for energy policy advocacy after calling on
the EU to adopt an unconditional 30% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
Meanwhile, it receives full marks for the efficiency of its products. In 2007, Sony ranked 14th on
the Greenpeace guide. Sony fell from its earlier 11th place ranking due to Greenpeace's claims
that Sony had double standards in their waste policies.
Since 1976, Sony has had an Environmental Conference. Sony's policies address their effects on
global warming, the environment, and resources. They are taking steps to reduce the amount of
greenhouse gases that they put out as well as regulating the products they get from their
suppliers in a process that they call "green procurement". Sony has said that they have signed on
to have about 75 percent of their Sony Building running on geothermal power. The "Sony Take
Back Recycling Program" allow consumers to recycle the electronics products that they buy from
Sony by taking them to eCycle (Recycling) drop-off points around the U.S. The company has also
developed a biobattery that runs on sugars and carbohydrates that works similarly to the way
living creatures work. This is the most powerful small biobattery to date.
In 2000, Sony faced criticism for a document entitled "NGO Strategy" that was leaked to the
press. The document involved the company's surveillance of environmental activists in an
attempt to plan how to counter their movements. It specifically mentioned environmental
groups that were trying to pass laws that held electronics-producing companies responsible for
the cleanup of the toxic chemicals contained in their merchandise.

Chapter - 2
2.0 Social Responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical framework which suggests that an entity, be it an organization
or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large. Social responsibility is a
duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the
ecosystems. A trade-off may exist between economic development, in the material sense, and
the welfare of the society and environment. Social responsibility means sustaining the
equilibrium between the two. It pertains not only to business organizations but also to everyone
whos any action impacts the environment. This responsibility can be passive, by avoiding
engaging in socially harmful acts, or active, by performing activities that directly advance social
goals.
Businesses can use ethical decision making to secure their businesses by making decisions that
allow for government agencies to minimize their involvement with the corporation. For instance
if a company follows the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for
emissions on dangerous pollutants and even goes an extra step to get involved in the community
and address those concerns that the public might have; they would be less likely to have the EPA
investigate them for environmental concerns. A significant element of current thinking about
privacy, however, stresses "self-regulation" rather than market or government mechanisms for
protecting personal information. According to some experts, most rules and regulations are
formed due to public outcry, which threatens profit maximization and therefore the well-being
of the shareholder, and that if there is not outcry there often will be limited regulation.
Critics argue that Corporate social responsibility (CSR) distracts from the fundamental economic
role of businesses; others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing; others
argue that it is an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful
corporations though there is no systematic evidence to support these criticisms. A significant
number of studies have shown no negative influence on shareholder results from CSR but rather
a slightly negative correlation with improved shareholder returns.

2.1 Corporate social responsibility (CSR)


Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR has been defined by Lord Holme and Richard Watts in The
World Business Council for Sustainable Developments publication Making Good Business Sense
as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic
development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the
local community and society at large". CSR is one of the newest management strategies where
companies try to create a positive impact on society while doing business. Evidence suggests that
CSR taken on voluntarily by companies will be much more effective than CSR mandated by
10

governments. There is no clear-cut definition of what CSR comprises. Every company has
different CSR objectives though the main motive is the same. All companies have a two point
agenda- to improve qualitatively (the management of people and processes) and quantitatively
(the impact on society). The second is as important as the first and stake holders of every
company are increasingly taking an interest in the outer circle-the activities of the company
and how these are impacting the environment and society.

CSR Approaches

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Chapter - 3
3.0 Social Responsibility or CSR of Sony Corporation
Our companies are known for creating products that enrich people's lives. Through Sony
Corporation of America and its operating companies, were equally dedicated to improving
people's lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better
educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting
and improving the environment and encouraging employee volunteerism.
Our strategic philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are aligned to our key
businesses and focus on three distinct areas: arts and culture, technology and the environment,
with a particular emphasis on education in each of those areas. We are also quick to provide
assistance when large-scale disasters strike. We've helped victims of major hurricanes,
earthquakes, tsunamis and wildfires and other natural disasters.
The notion of corporate citizenship is deeply embedded in the culture of Sony in America. We're
proud of the programs and partnerships that have touched thousands of lives throughout the
U.S. and of the thousands of Sony employees who have given generously of themselves in
support of our goals.

3.1 CSR at Sony


"It is the core corporate responsibility of Sony Group to the society to pursue its corporate
value enhancement through innovation and sound business practice."
(Sony Group Code of Conduct, adopted in May 2003)

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Sony's corporate
responsibility
reflect its
implementing
practices;
realize products,
content that
excite; assisting
in which we
helping to shape
sustainable
believes that
both benefit
enhance

social
(CSR) activities
philosophy of
sound business
innovating to
services and
inspire and
the communities
operate; and
a better, more
society. Sony
these activities
society and
corporate value.

Key Csr Agenda

3.2 Verifying Key CSR Agenda and Determining Materiality


Objective of Conducting Materiality Assessment
Sony currently promotes CSR initiatives in line with its CSR agenda, which sets seven key areas of
focus - corporate governance, compliance, human resources, responsible sourcing, quality and
services, environment and community - with the aim of strengthening its operating foundation
and continuously enhancing its corporate value. Stakeholder input on CSR-related issues and
suggestions is fed back to management and to pertinent Sony departments (e.g., legal,
compliance, environment, product quality, procurement and human resources), to be
incorporated into key actions, including the formulation of Sony Group policies. Sony's CSR
section is tasked with monitoring the progress of initiatives and disclosing information about
Sony's efforts by preparing CSR reports and promoting dialogue with stakeholders.

CSR Organizational Structure


To align and respond effectively to evolving social imperatives and changes in the business
environment, Sony recently conducted a CSR materiality assessment with BSR (Business for Social
Responsibility), an independent organization with expertise in global CSR trends and
international standards, with the aim of validating its CSR agenda by incorporating the
perspectives of stakeholders and to identify emerging CSR topics relevant to new business areas.

13

CSR Materiality Assessment Process


The Sony Group is a global organization with a broad business portfolio. Sony is engaged in the
development, design, manufacture, and sale of various kinds of electronic equipment and devices
for consumer and professional markets as well as game consoles and software. Sony is also
engaged in the production and distribution of motion pictures, television programs, music, and
digital networks. Further, Sony is also engaged in various financial services businesses through its
Japanese insurance subsidiaries and banking operations through a Japanese Internet-based
banking subsidiary. Given the diversity of the Group's operations, the expectations of its
stakeholders regarding its CSR initiatives also vary. Sony views CSR materiality assessment as a
process for understanding issues of importance to multi-stakeholders as well as business and
validating its CSR agenda which will help us prioritize our CSR initiatives.
In conducting the CSR materiality analysis, we first identified global CSR issues of particular
relevance to Sony. The Company then looked at issues that are most significant today as well as
emerging issues to its external stakeholders, which include nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), customers, and socially responsible investors, as well as at stakeholders' views regarding
the changes in roles and responsibilities of corporations. Sony then assessed those issues likely
to have the most importance to business and identified topics that are material from both a
stakeholder and a business perspective.

3.3 CSR / Environment of Sony


Youth on Assignment (YoA)
Working in conjunction with the World Photography Organization (WPO), as well as
collaborations between various NPOs, the Youth on Assignment programme harnesses the
power of imaging to generate awareness of some of the challenges currently confronting various
sectors of the global community.

Sony encourages talented students, including participants of the Sony World Photography
Awards Student Focus programme living in communities nearby Sony's CSR projects to take part.
Cameras and equipment donated by Sony will be used at their school to sustain further
educational opportunities.

14

Programme Outline

Programme Outline

By documenting the work being undertaken by various NPOs worldwide, the Youth on
Assignment programme provides aspiring photographers and videographers with a training
ground in which to take their first steps towards realizing career ambitions and dreams. The
programme also provides them with an opportunity to see and learn about global issues and to
use their skills as photographers and videographers to instigate social change.

15

3.4 Youth were on assignment for documenting following Sonys CSR projects

EYE SEE UNICEF Child Photography Workshop


The EYE SEE Photography Workshop encourages visual literacy among children, and increases
involvement in understanding and promoting positive social change. Sony has been supporting
EYE SEE since 2006, and been showcasing children's photography and messages around the
world.
Using digital photography, these workshops provide a
mechanism for children to present, through imagery,
their views on the world, and to communicate
challenges that may otherwise be difficult to share with
the wider community. It also provides an opportunity to
learn a new creative medium of expression, and an
opportunity for social participation.
In April 2013, through collaboration with WPO, one
student of the Royal Melbourne Engineering University
in Australia participated in the EYE SEE Workshop in Darwin. Under the guidance of Professor
Mark Geller, he documented children participated EYE SEE workshop, and families and
community surrounding these children.
YoA/Nicholas Walton-Healey

South Africa Mobile Library Project

Nina Grindlay

SAPESI, a NPO based in South Africa, leads this project


driven by its goal of increasing literacy. SAPESI donates
mobile library bus to the South African Department of
Basic Education to carry books to lend to teachers and
pupils in primary education around the country, and
provide operational support. At Sony, employees of
Sony Group companies in English-speaking countries
collect and donate childrens books in English, and we
also donate purchase funds for childrens books written
in indigenous languages.

Details of the South Africa Mobile Library Project


Youth on Assignment partnered with three schools in South Africa who all took part in a project
to document the activities of mobile library buses which travelled around various remote areas
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and schools with initiative of local NPO SAPESI. Using photographic equipment donated by Sony,
each school recorded activities in its community throughout the year.

Malawi Folktales Project


Malawi, a landlocked country in the southern part of the
African continent, is full of folktales and childrens
stories that have been passed down orally through the
generations. However, as they are oral stories, almost
none of them have ever been recorded in print or audio.
As the storytellers age and it becomes harder and harder
to pass their stories on, Sony is working to help record
these valuable intangible cultural assets as videos and
audio by providing equipment to UNESCO and the
Emanuel Michel Mawanyongo
Global Future Charitable Trust which are spearheading
this venture, as well as having our engineers provide technical guidance on how to operate this
equipment.
Details of the Malawi Folktales Project
Two students from the University of Malawi - The Polytechnic took part in a project operated by
Sony, UNESCO and Global Future Charitable Trust to document the tradition and culture of
folktales in Malawi over four days in July, 2012. Professional photographers taught the use of
photographic equipment, and helped during shooting and the students recorded each step.

WPO(The World Photography Organisation)


Creators of the *Sony World Photography Awards, the World Photography
Organisation supports professional, amateurs and student photographers
worldwide. It delivers various initiatives including the Student Focus
programme and involves photographers in commercial, cultural and
educational activities.

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Sony World Photography Award

The Sony World Photography Awards is one of the worlds largest photography competitions.
They provide an opportunity for international exchange among professional, amateur and
student photographers. Sony has sponsored these awards since 2007.

3.5 Sony Picture The Greener Word

Partnering for Our Future

Sony Pictures has teamed up with numerous non-profits and other organizations
dedicated to advancing environmental causes that promote and inspire more green
practices in the communities where we live and work.
This small sampling of relationships demonstrates the broad range of activities and
partners Sony Pictures engages with each year in our efforts to maximize sustainable
practices both in our business and in our communities. Some of the groups the company
supports include:
TreePeople - For more than a decade, Sony Pictures has provided support for TreePeople
through the Sony Pictures Urban Green Fund. The fund provides resources for the
company's employees to become trained Citizen Foresters and to develop tree planting
projects in their communities. Sony Pictures is also a sponsor of TreePeople's Parks
Program, a partnership that will continue through 2013 and help expand its work in
neighborhoods through the planting and caring for trees in parks. The company was a
proud Tree Honoree at the organization's 2010 An Evening Under the Harvest Moon,
where it was recognized for "longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability
and picturing a greener world."
Habitat for Humanity - Two projects were completed with Habitat for Humanity of
Greater Los Angeles, including a 10-unit development consisting of five duplexes which

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were slated to be the first LEED certified housing development in the city of Lynwood.
Sony Pictures has donated to Habitat for Humanity over a thousand tons of set material
and props, which are used in the construction of new homes or sold in HoHs Home
Improvement Store located in Gardena.
Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) - The movie Bad Teacher was shot on location at
three schools in Los Angeles, California. ACE, The Environmental Media Association and
Sony Pictures came together to bring educational lectures to these schools and start a
gardening program at two of them. The company also funded school trainings and
lectures across Los Angeles.
California State Parks - Sony Pictures' employees volunteered with the California State
Parks, Los Angeles Audubon Society and interns from the Dorsey High School Baldwin Hills
Greenhouse Program on a park restoration project at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
located in Culver City. Over 150 employees and Dorsey High School students removed
invasive plants from the hillside and helped to restore the Overlook to its natural habitat.
Volunteers removed over 2000 cubic feet of non-native plant material from the park.

Global Corporate Social Responsibility

Sony Pictures Entertainment's Global Corporate Social Responsibility handles the studio's
strategic philanthropic efforts, cultural participation and community outreach activities with
particular emphasis on the company's involvement close to home here in Culver City. Sony
Pictures is dedicated to arts education initiatives, workforce development, the environment and
celebrating diversity.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is firmly committed to the principles of good corporate citizenship.
While our business is to create outstanding entertainment for audiences worldwide, we feel
equally responsible for making a positive impact on the quality of life in and around our
community.

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Greening the Footprint of our Productions


Sony
Pictures
requires
its
productions to follow
certain
green
practices
during
filming, helping to
create a much smaller overall environmental footprint. Each Columbia and Screen Gems feature
and all U.S.-based television series have five deliverables to track during the course of the shoot,
and turn in when they wrap:

Turn in a Carbon Footprint Calculator (to assess greenhouse gas emissions);


Complete a Best Practices Green Production Checklist for each department;
Enforce a no-idling rule for transportation vehicles;
Report lumber purchases; and
Submit an eco-vendor list.

We also recommend all shows contract with a green caterer and eliminate all disposable water
bottles from set. The information is incorporated as part of the Sony Pictures greenhouse gas
inventory towards the company's 2016 and 2020 carbon goals. Additionally, this information is
used to target our reductions activities and to find and share best practices with future
productions. Because no two productions are alike, many Sony Pictures shows have come up
with creative ways to be more sustainable, from re-using shoeboxes to fill out shopping bags that
characters carry (Rules of Engagement) to offering on-set battery recycling for the crew
(Community) to break dancing across a reclaimed-wood dance floor (Battle of The Year)!

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3.6 Sony and the Environment


Be moved by an amazing viewing experience supported by energy efficiency technology

Ensuring LED backlight brightness


Much of the energy consumed by a LCD TV is from the
backlight, which illuminates the screen. Compared
to HD
TVs, 4K sets require more LEDs in the backlight,
because the light must pass through more pixels.
One
way to improve energy efficiency is to reduce the
number
of LEDs while making each one brighter.
However, because brighter backlighting may
undermine picture qualityby causing faded
colors, for examplesteps must be taken to ensure
picture quality when increasing LED brightness. For
the
X85B series, we introduced much brighter
LED
backlighting
while
maintaining the vibrancy and wide
gamut that Sony TVs are known for. Here,
careful engineering has
yielded a set with about half as many backlight LEDs.

New LCD cells to suit the updated backlight


LCD cells cover the front of the LCD display,
functioning as the element that
turns light from the LED
backlight into the images we see.
Colors are formed as
light from the backlight passes
through color
filters of each pixel in the LCD cell. To
some extent,
improving energy efficiency of LCD
TVs depends
on improving the transmittance of LCD
cells.
The
X85B series introduces new LCD cells
tailored
to
specific characteristics of the new
backlight, with
approximately
1.4
times
higher
transmittance
than one used in the previous models.(*2)
Increased
backlighting efficiency translates into a high
energy-efficient
TV.

Buildings on past energy-saving features


Besides incorporating a new LED backlight and LCD cells, the X85B series builds on energyefficient features developed by Sony to date. A good example is Eco Drive, which adjusts LED

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backlight brightness frame by frame to avoid wasting energy. Similarly, backlighting is reduced
for dark scenes such as evening scenes which also produces deeper blacks.

Another advantage: Made with Sony recycled plastic SORPLAS


The X85B series (55/65inch) saves new resources as well as energy. Some internal parts are
made with SORPLAS recycled plastic developed by Sony.

Plastic SORPLAS

3.7 CSR Highlights


Corporate Governance
Sony has long been committed to strong corporate governance, as one of its most important
management initiatives. As a part of this effort, in 2003, Sony adopted the "Company with
Committees" corporate governance system under the Companies Act of Japan. In addition to
complying with the requirements of applicable corporate governance laws and regulations, Sony
has introduced its own requirements to help improve and maintain the soundness and
transparency of its governance by strengthening the separation of the Directors' function from
that of management and advancing the proper functioning of the statutory committees. Under
Sony's system, the Board of Directors defines the respective areas for which each of the
Corporate Executive Officers is responsible and delegates to them decision-making authority to
manage the business, thereby promoting the prompt and efficient management of the Sony
Group.

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Compliance
Ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws and regulations are fundamental
aspects of Sony's corporate culture. To this end, Sony has established a Global Compliance
Network comprised of the Compliance Division at the corporate headquarters, a global
compliance leadership team and regional compliance officers around the world. Additionally, it
has adopted and implemented the Sony Group Code of Conduct, and set up Compliance Hotline
systems through its Global Compliance Network. Sony has taken these actions in order to
reinforce the Company's worldwide commitment to integrity and help assure resources are
available for employees to raise concerns or seek guidance about legal and ethical matters.

Human Resources
Sony endeavors to create a rewarding corporate climate that supports the efforts of a diverse
range of employees.
Since its establishment in 1946*, Sony has sought to remain at the forefront of technological
development, building continuously on its achievements to create new lifestyles for people
everywhere. Sony has also fostered groundbreaking new businesses, adopting an innovative
approach to this challenge that exceeds national and regional boundaries. In these efforts, Sony
recognizes its employees to be one of the most crucial aspects of its corporate foundation.

To fulfill its commitment to providing uniquely Sony products, services and user experiences that
inspire dreams, excite curiosity and enrich lives, Sony acknowledges the importance of securing
and fostering talented employees with a wide range of values and personalities, irrespective of
nationality, culture, race, gender, age, or the presence or absence of physical limitations. Guided
by the concepts of diversity and inclusion, Sony recruits individuals from various backgrounds.
Sony also strives to create positive working environments and opportunities that enable
individuals with diverse backgrounds to fulfill their potential by learning from one another,
believing these to be essential to a rewarding corporate climate.

Sony Group Code of Conduct


In May 2003, Sony adopted the Sony Group Code of Conduct, which sets the basic internal
standards to be observed by all directors, officers and employees of the Sony Group, in order to
emphasize and further strengthen corporate governance, business ethics and compliance
systems throughout the Sony Group. In addition to legal and compliance standards, the Code of
Conduct sets out the Sony Group's basic policies concerning ethical business practices and

23

activities on such topics as respect for human rights, safety of products and services,
environmental conservation and information disclosure.
The Code of Conduct has been adopted and implemented by each Sony Group company globally
and is the subject of frequent "tone from the top" messaging and other training. To date, the
document has been translated into 26 languages.
The Sony Group Code of Conduct reflects principles set out in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the United Nations
Global Compact and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sony also
participated in the formulation of and observes the standards outlined in the Charter of
Corporate Behavior of the Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), an alliance of Japan's leading
corporations.

Responsible Sourcing
In recent years, stakeholders have grown increasingly aware of the importance of companies
fulfilling their overall responsibilities to society as corporate citizens, including managing their
supply chains in a responsible manner. In response to stakeholder concerns, Sony is working with
its suppliers to address issues related to human rights, labor conditions, health and safety, and
environmental protection at the production sites of outsourcing partners and parts suppliers, as
well as in its procurement of minerals and other raw materials.

Quality and Services


Sony has various businesses
globally to provide products
and services that meet
customer requirements in
terms of satisfaction, reliability
and trust.

At Sony, we strongly believe in the importance of informing stakeholders, including customers,


about our environmental philosophy and initiatives. Furthermore, employees of each Sony Group
24

company receive environmental training and have access to other self-development programs to
help raise environmental awareness.

4.0 Social Responsibility of Sony Corporation in Bangladesh


Contributing to the International Community through Business Activities. Working to Address
Social Development through the Utilization of Technology

4.1 Model Study of Community Electrification in Bangladesh Using a Long-life Storage


Battery System
From August 2013 through February 2014, Sony undertook a study* in an unelectrified area of
Bangladesh (Gaibandha district, Saghata sub-district) aimed at encouraging the effective use of
renewable energy generation and improving living conditions and hygiene for local people using
a long-life storage battery system** and photovoltaic (PV) panels. Based on the results of this
study, Sony has begun considering the feasibility of building a new business model.
Project name:
Electrification of an unelectrified area using solar power generation and a long-life storage
battery system
Objectives:
To effectively utilizes renewable energy generation and to promote the use of electricity
To contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

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To improve living conditions and hygiene through the electrification of an unelectrified area

Project Overview

Research Overview:
I.
II.
III.
IV.

Store renewable energy generated by a solar PV system in Sony's long-life storage battery
system.
Transfer the stored energy to portable batteries and delivere to 100 households in an
unelectrified area to supply power.
This energy enables to replace kerosene lamps with LED light bulbs which consume lower
energy. (A portable battery powers a 2-watt LED light bulb for approximately 15 hours.)
Residents can work and study indoors even after sunset. Indoor air contamination is also
reduced, thereby enhancing living environments.

26

Benefits:

Be able to charge the long-life storage battery system with solar power generation during
daylight hours. The stored energy will be divided into portable batteries and are delivered
to the village to supply power for use at night.
Residents can work and study indoors even after sunset, which leads to an improvement
in residents' quality of life.
Inside the houses, air contamination by kerosene lamps is reduced.
The power is also used to charge widely used mobile phones and enhances convenience.

Secondary benefits:
The project employed InfoLady consultants to deliver portable batteries to each household and
undertake programs to promote the uptake of the system. The InfoLady program is managed by
a local NGO, and can be described as "a consultation-based assistance program carried out for
women and by women." By utilizing the InfoLady program, the project promoted increased
employment of local women and contributed to their empowerment.

Based on knowledge gained in the study conducted by Sony Energy Devices Corporation, Sony
Corporation and cooperating organizations as outlined above, Sony has begun from May 2014
considering the feasibility of developing a new business in partnership with local companies.

This is an action program managed by local NGO D.Net. The


program seeks to organize entrepreneurially minded
women in rural areas. At present the program covers 12
areas from 13 offices, with approximately 80 women acting
as InfoLady consultants. The participants use netbooks,
digital still cameras and mobile phones while making
rounds in their assigned coverage areas on bicycles. They
provide information and knowledge necessary for life in
Action program
rural areas (related to health and hygiene, legal matters
affecting women and agricultural matters). This program is
attracting significant worldwide attention as a successful case of ICT use in a developing country
for poverty reduction and empowerment of women.
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4.2 Solving Social Issues in Urban Bangladesh by Utilizing IC Card Technology


Sony is involved in activities that aim to solve social issues in urban Bangladesh by using Sony's
FeliCa contactless IC card technology.
In the capital city of Dacca, majority of people use buses for their transportation, which causes
traffic jams and were their social problem. Moreover, people have to purchase paper tickets by
the roadside for every boarding, which made it inconvenient and easy to do fare dodging.

Commuter in Dacca, Bangladesh, pays his bus


fare using a SPASS IC card

To help solve such problems, an IC card-based system using FeliCa technology was introduced in
2011 to replace paper tickets. In addition to improving convenience for passengers, it realized
speedy boarding and alighting time, utilizing incoming and outgoing records to optimize bus
operation management, and the system has also contributed to the alleviation of traffic jams and
made fare collection more transparent.

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5.0 Key Findings


Sony's materiality assessment reaffirmed the importance of the seven key areas of its CSR agenda
in which continues to be in the areas that Sony shall promote its initiatives. The assessment also
showed a cluster of topics related to Sony's electronics business, including managing its
operation's social and environmental impact and improving transparency across the supply
chain, as being of particular concern to stakeholders. In addition, the assessment identified
emerging topics such as those concerning the management of content and information with the
growth of Sony's network and entertainment businesses. The assessment also identified topics
that Sony has limited influence or have already been addressed through ongoing programs. At
the same time, the assessment showed that stakeholder expectations are high toward innovation
in developing sustainable products and services and creating value to society.

Going forward, Sony pledges to continue working to better understand the expectations of its
stakeholders and to address the challenges and opportunities identified through the materiality
assessment.

6.0 Conclusion
Sony recognizes that ensuring its customers' satisfaction, reliability and trust is one of its most
important management tasks and strives to prevent quality-related problems through the
systems and efforts described above.
Sony responds swiftly in the event of a quality-related issue, with local operations, the business
unit in charge and Sony's headquarters in Japan working together to investigate facts and take
appropriate action on a global scale. When such an issue arises, Sony also seeks to address the
concerns of customers, following a process common to all Sony products: conducting various
inspections, determining the content and timing of public announcements, and responding to
market concerns. This process starts with the gathering of information from Customer Service
Centers worldwide and collaboration with concerned local parties to ensure an accurate grasp of
the issue. Based on information collected, Sony then works to determine the correct response by
identifying the cause of the issue, implementing countermeasures and promptly verifying the
effectiveness thereof, and reviewing the issue from the customer's perspective. Sony also
cooperates with individuals in charge of CS at sites in each country to ensure the same level of
service is provided to customers the world over.

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7.0 Reference/bibliography
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

"Sony Global Corporate Information". Retrieved 27 March 2014.


Sony Corporate History (Japanese). Sony.co.jp. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
Sony Corporate CSR Report 2012
Sony Corporate CSR Report 2013
The PlayStation Quest." Macleans 6 November 2000: 81-. ABI/INFORM Global; ProQuest
Research Library. Web. 27 May 2012.
6. Pioneering firm upsets Japan hiring: Pattern broken. By Nobuo Abiko Staff correspondent
of The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file); 26
March 1966; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Christian Science Monitor (1908-1998)
pg. 14
7. "Sony History on development of Magneto Optical Discs". 2007. Archived from the
original on 24 December 2006. Retrieved 6 February2007.
8. http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr_report/
9. http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr_report/contribution/index7.html
10. http://www.sonypictures.com/green/collaborate/corporate-social-responsibility/
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony
12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility#References
13. http://www.sony.com/SCA/social-responsibility/overview.shtml
14. http://www.indiacsr.in/en/sony-corporation-2011-csr-report/
15. http://www.sonypictures.com/green/collaborate/corporate-social-responsibility/
16. http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr/ForTheNextGeneration/YoA/index.html?j-short=yoa
17. http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/print_news.php?nid=176093

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