Comparative study on corporate scandals in Japan, China and Korea

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12615
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05010:Legal theory and history-related
• Research Institution: Hakodate University
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Rin 函館大学, 商学部, 准教授 (40755005)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 企業不祥事 / 東アジア / 環境優位型社会 / 権力優位型社会 / 政経協働型社会 / 法文化 / 比較法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study attempts to model the relationship between social systems and law in Japan, China, and South Korea through a survey and classification of corporate scandals and a comparative analysis from a legal culture perspective.
The study period was from 2011 to 2018, covering 88 cases in Japan, 85 cases in China, and 70 cases in Korea, using a combined literature review, questionnaire survey, and interview survey. The author then classified and analyzed the causes of scandals into (1) internal corporate problems (management (1)-1 and employees (1)-2), (2) inadequate administrative management and supervision, (3) inadequate legal system, (4) ambiguity in judicial decision criteria, and (5) legal culture (social system failure). In conclusion, I found that the relationship between the social system and law in Japan was of the environment-dominant type, in China of the power-dominant type, and in Korea of the political and economic cooperative type.

Free Research Field

人文社会／公法学／比較法学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

まず、中国と韓国の企業不祥事についての本格的な研究は少なく、学術的な意義は大きい。
次に、実務上、企業不祥事の調査と再発防止策の検討は、企業内部の統制機能の強化に集中しがちである。一方、本研究で明らかになったのは、日本の場合、従業員に起因する不祥事は、直接的な個人の経済的利益より組織的な利益が動機となっている事件が多いこと、法文化、例えば長年の業界の慣行と欧米の商慣習のコンフリクトに起因する不祥事が目立つことであった。組織の垣根を越え、業界ないし国家をまたいでの不祥事防止策を検討する必要性を指摘している点で、本研究の社会的意義を認めることができる。