Global mindset and global corporate citizenship in a globalizing Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company

Globalization is changing the world. Companies have to adapt to the rapidly changing world and environment. Two concepts which may contribute to the success of a globally operating company are global mindset and global corporate citizenship. Without a global mindset companies cannot become global corporate citizens. Global mindset is about openness and awareness about different cultures and societies. Companies with a global mindset are better adapting to changes in the rapidly changing environment. Corporate citizenship is about the social responsibilities of corporations in society. Companies can be seen as citizens and are part of society with the same rights and duties as citizens. Corporate citizenship which is originating from corporate social responsibility (CSR) creates a stable environment which companies prefer doing business in. Companies and society are interdependent and successful corporations need a healthy community (Porter & Kramer, 2006). Although the theories of global mindset which are originating from cognitive psychology and the theory of corporate citizenship which is a social political entity come from different disciplines, this research shows that there is a relationship between global mindset and corporate citizenship. A company first needs to develop a global mindset and culture before it can become a global or business citizen. Different stages of mindset relate to different stages of citizenship. Furthermore, a balance between local responsiveness and global consistency is preferred for creating both a global mindset and for companies to become a global citizen taking into account the different cultures and societies the company is active in. Cosmopolitanism, cultural awareness and a common company language are factors which contribute to the development of a global mindset and global citizenship. This research is performed in Astellas pharma a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company in which the presence of the Japanese culture and development of a common language are factors which affect the creation of a global mindset and corporate citizenship. The company is growing and developing from a historically regionally organized multinational company to become a global player. Creating a global mindset would contribute to the success of Astellas and the development of the company beyond a corporate citizen.