Published on December 24, 2020
Job titles and other details are as of the time of publication.
(The interview was conducted in Japanese and was thereafter translated into English.)

Researching Consumer Behavior for Over 20 Years Based in the UK

Focusing on consumer behavior, I have conducted research on themes such as “consumer decision making and ethics,” “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),” and “factors and motivations for unethical consumer behavior.”

After graduating from university, I began working, but there was a significant event that prompted me to move to the UK to study consumer behavior. Since then, I have spent over 20 years conducting research based in the UK. In the spring of 2019, I returned to Japan to teach at Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Business Administration. While teaching courses such as international marketing, marketing strategy, and business ethics, I also guide graduate students in research methodologies and dissertation development as part of researcher training.

Compared to when I first began my research, my interests have shifted from empirical studies to exploring conceptual development. Empirical research on individual and corporate decision-making examines questions such as “What motivates people to act in a certain way?” and “What environmental factors and interactions with others influence consumer behavior?” The scales used in such research are based on specific concepts that help us understand social phenomena and the underlying mechanisms. However, concept development becomes necessary when the interpretation of a concept varies among individuals, and those differences are analyzed. In other words, I am interested in the foundational aspects of research that precede the application of agreed-upon scales.

When researching ethical issues, defining what constitutes “good” behavior often arises, but the standards for “good” vary depending on the individual, time, and context. As a result, the concept I am currently focusing on is “empathy.” I’ll discuss why I chose to focus on “empathy” later.

Coming Across the Option of Studying Abroad at a Bookstore I Stopped by Between my work appointments

After studying business administration at university, I started working as a sales representative at a company that rented and leased temporary construction.

One day, between appointments, I wandered into a bookstore, found myself in the study abroad information section, and was spoken to by the staff in charge of that section. Back when I was a student, I’d always felt insecure about my language skills, so even after starting my job, I kept studying English. Maybe that gave off a vibe that made it easy for them to approach me. As I listened to what they had to say, I started thinking, “Maybe I should study marketing in the UK.”

The idea slowly started to take shape. In marketing, I was especially drawn to “consumer behavior” which is closely connected to issues I was already interested in. I applied to graduate programs that offered courses on consumer behavior and ended up getting offers from several schools.

Even then, I wasn’t completely sure if I should really study abroad. But when I talked to my sister about it, she said, “If you don't go now, you never will.” Her words encouraged me to make the decision to study abroad.

Choosing a Doctoral Program in Order to Develop My Specialty and Do Meaningful Work

The University of Salford, where I went to study, is a national university located in Manchester in northwest England. In my master’s thesis, I applied the concept of the strategic decision-making process to study how Japanese companies carry out their foreign direct investment (FDI) strategies.

At the time, the only direct flight from Japan went to Heathrow Airport. I conducted research from the corporate perspective on the following questions: If a direct flight from Japan to Manchester were introduced, what benefits would it bring to the activities of Japanese companies operating in the UK? And what impact would it have on Japanese companies planning to expand into the European Economic Area?

I worked hard to interview local companies and was close to finishing my master's thesis when I learned of the existence of a doctoral program. Up until that point, I had not given much thought to my future plan. But I learned that the doctoral program would require me to expand my current research and turn it into a larger project.

Just being able to speak some English was not enough. I wanted to establish myself as an expert in my field and take on meaningful work. My family in Japan understood my ambitions and gave me their full support.

So, I decided to go for it. I applied to the doctoral program at the University of Nottingham and was thrilled to be accepted. Thanks to the positive relationship with my doctoral supervisors, I felt encouraged to stay in the UK and to continue my research.

Being Told That “Japan’s CSR Is Lagging Behind” and Making an Argument as a Researcher

In my doctoral dissertation, I further applied the concept of the decision-making process and investigated consumer ethics, particularly “the motivations behind unethical behavior.” After completing my doctoral program, I decided to research CSR in Japanese companies under the direction of a professor at the University of Nottingham.

One thing that left a strong impression on me was when I was writing a paper summarizing the results of my research on Japan's CSR, a professor told me that “Japan's CSR is lagging behind.” I immediately objected. I made an argument as a researcher that “It’s not lagging behind, it’s simply ‘different’.”

CSR is a concept that originated in English-speaking countries. If that concept is applied to Japanese companies, it may appear that they are “lagging behind.” However, Japanese companies pursue their social responsibility as a company in a way that is different from CSR. Although the style is different from that of Europe and the United States, the desire to be considerate to people and the global environment is the same. The aspiration to clarify the differences in standards and scales was at the heart of my argument.

However, this is something that I understand because I am Japanese. These are values that only Japanese people may truly grasp. I wanted to convey these values in English to people in English-speaking countries and English-speaking people, portraying them as pure “differences” that are neither good or bad, superior or inferior. I realized that this is my job, and I continue to take on this challenge.

Looking At the Relationship Between Humans and AI From the Concept of “Empathy”

After taking on various research projects, I realized that more than 20 years had passed in the UK. Recently, my research has shifted from empirical studies to conceptual development. Currently, I am working towards publishing papers on the following themes.

In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in products and customer services has grown rapidly. Even consumers who are not particularly interested in technology find themselves replying on AI-based products and services, such as internet searches. However, this rise in AI has brought growing concerns. These include fears about AI replacing humans to do jobs, the safety of AI-driven products (e.g. malfunctions in autonomous driving), standard arithmetic methods, and the legitimacy of machine/deep learning (e.g. in recruitment). Globally, efforts are underway to establish rules for the ethical use of AI in business contexts.

This raises a research question: What applications of artificial intelligence are considered “good”? As mentioned earlier, the standards for what constitutes “good” vary depending on the individual, time, and context. Defining, specifying, and providing detailed rules for what constitutes a “good” application of artificial intelligence could lead to outdated stereotypes about rapidly changing technology. So, what if, instead, each individual consumer, business, and citizen asked what is the best way for them to interact with artificial intelligence, both for themselves and for others who coexist with them?

I believe the concept of “empathy” is the key to discovering the attributes that support such questions. “Empathy” may be translated as kyokan and kanjo inyu (in Japanese). While there is still room for debate about whether these (translated) terms are conceptually equivalent, “empathy” refers to the ability to set aside one's own perspective, sharing the feelings of others, and completely identifying with the feelings of others. For example, rather than considering only the profitability of an AI-equipped product or service for oneself, empathy encourages us to consider the merits and demerits from the perspective of others in society This allows us to explore how humans should live in the future, coexisting with technologies which possibilities are not fully understood. Such moral imagination is effective in thinking about how we humans should interact with artificial intelligence that we believe will be “good” in the future in today's diverse consumer and market environments.

Because I Have Continued Through Strength of Will, I Want to Say to the Students: “You can achieve it if you put your mind to it”

When I chose my path of research, I did not seek to be respected by others. However, the experience of persevering and realizing that I am capable has become a great asset that still motivates me today.

Therefore, if there is one thing I can tell my students, it is as follows: “You can achieve it if you put your mind to it.” Looking back, the master's program, doctoral program, and even writing a thesis in English were all very difficult challenges for me, but I was able to overcome those hurdles through the strength of my will and my belief that if I keep trying, I will achieve something.

I was able to do it, so if the students at Hitotsubashi University continue to put effort in areas that interest them, I believe they will be able to find and engage in something that is meaningful to them.