The Mitsubishi companies share a strong sense of corporate responsibility. That sense dates from the origin of the old Mitsubishi organization over 130 years ago. The most lucid and best known expression of Mitsubishi principles is a creed articulated by the fourth president of the Mitsubishi organization, Koyata Iwasaki, in the 1930s. Even after more than 70 years, the spirit and values of this "Sankoryo" remain alive and current today.
The Spirit of Mitsubishi: The Three Principles Calligraphed by Koyata Iwasaki
Strive to enrich society, both materially and spiritually, while contributing towards the preservation of the global environment.
Business is a public undertaking, and corporations are responsible for advancing the larger interests of their host nations. That perspective has characterized Mitsubishi management from the beginning. He declared that the business ideal for managers and employees must be the ideal of contributing to national prosperity. The ultimate purpose of business, in other words, is to contribute to the greater good of society.
Maintain principles of transparency and openness, conducting business with integrity and fairness.
Koyata repeatedly cautioned Mitsubishi managers against focusing blindly on numbers and losing sight of business ethics amid the fury of competition. He urged managers and employees to respond to unscrupulousness with integrity, to counter deceit with honesty. He reminded them that companies need to fulfill the highest social expectations in regard to ethical conduct. That means doing more than simply obeying the law. It means respecting customs and sensitivities in every nation where the Mitsubishi companies operate.
Expand business, based on an all-encompassing global perspective.
Two days after the outbreak of WWII, Koyata made a bold statement on the friendship between business partners separated by war: "We count many British and Americans among our partners. They have undertaken many projects with us... should peace come again, they should again become good and faithful friends." By "Ritsugyo Boeki," Koyata expressed the importance of an international perspective.
