Through engagement with stakeholders, who are important to the Company’s sustainable development, Mazda seeks to clearly define the key responsibilities and issues for the Mazda Group as it carries out daily business activities while making efforts for improvement. To ensure effective communication with customers and other stakeholders, the Company has defined major stakeholder groups and determined the frequencies of providing opportunities for engagement and information disclosure for each group. The information obtained through engagement activities is reported to the relevant departments or committee meetings attended by the Company’s management and used for planning and improving the Company's daily business activities. In the brand value management activities that the Company has been promoting in earnest since 2013, the Company is pushing ahead with various initiatives, aiming to continue to grow as a corporate group that earns the trust of all its stakeholders. By establishing indicators for its relationships with stakeholders, the Company is implementing a plan–do–check–act (PDCA) cycle.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Basic Approach
Initiatives
Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder Relationships and Opportunities for Engagement and Information Disclosure
| Major Stakeholder Group | Mazda Group’s Major Responsibilities and Issues | Major Opportunities for Engagement and Information Disclosure (frequency) |
|---|---|---|
Customers |
・ Improvement of customer satisfaction ・ Provision of safe, reliable, and attractive products and services ・ Appropriate disclosure and explanation of information regarding products, services, and technical terms ・ Provision of customer support in a timely and appropriate manner ・ Appropriate management of customer information |
・ Establishment of call centers (regular) ・ Mazda official website and social media (regular) ・ Day-to-day sales activities (regular) ・ Customer satisfaction surveys (occasional) ・ Holding events (occasional) ・ Interviews with customers (occasional) ・ Meetings with Mazda vehicle owners (occasional) |
Shareholders and other investors |
・Timely and appropriate information disclosure ・ Maximization of corporate value ・ Respect for voting rights (at the general meeting of shareholders) ・ Active investor relations (IR) activities |
・ Website for shareholders and other investors (regular) ・ Publication of the asset securities report and the quarterly financial reports (four times a year) ・ Publication of the summary of financial results (four times a year) ・ Quarterly presentation of financial results (four times a year) ・ Presentations and plant tours for investors (occasional) ・ Ordinary general meetings of shareholders (once a year) ・Publication of corporate governance report (occasional) ・ Publication of integrated report (once a year) |
Business partners ・ Suppliers ・ Domestic dealerships ・ Overseas distributors |
・ Fair and equitable trading ・ Support and requests for collaboration in promoting sustainability ・Open and transparent business opportunities ・ Appropriate disclosure and sharing of information |
・ Hotlines linking Mazda with dealerships (regular) ・ Conferences with representatives of dealerships (once a year) ・ Commendation of outstanding suppliers and dealerships (once a year) ・ Day-to-day purchasing activities (regular) ・ Conferences with supplier executive officers (once a year) ・ Supplier communication meetings (once a month) ・ Supplier meetings (once a year) ・ Production trend briefing meetings (once a month) |
Employees |
・ Respect for human rights ・ Provision of opportunities for choice and self-actualization ・ Promotion of a healthy work–life balance ・ Optimal matching of people, work, and treatment ・ Promotion and improvement of employee health and safety ・ Mutual understanding and trust between labor and management ・ Promotion of diversity |
・ Labor–Management Council (occasional) ・Direct communication with senior management (Mazda Business Leader Development program, occasional) ・ Global Employee Engagement Survey (occasional) ・ Career meetings (four times a year) ・ Career Challenge System (in-house recruitment and “Free Agent” programs, occasional) ・ Group and optional training (occasional) ・ Lectures (occasional) ・ Website for employees (regular) |
Global society and local communities ・ Community members ・ Government and administrative agencies ・ NGOs/NPOs ・Experts and specialists ・Educational institutions |
・ Respect for local cultures and customs ・ Prevention of workplace accidents and disasters ・ Activities for contributing to local communities (including cooperative work) ・ Disaster-relief activities in regions in which Mazda does business ・ Compliance with laws and regulations ・ Payment of taxes ・ Cooperation with government policies ・ Cooperative work and support in search of solutions to global social issues ・ Foundation activities |
・ Opening to the public of the Mazda Museum and plant tours (regular) ・ Social contribution activities and participation in and promotion of volunteer activities (occasional) ・ Communication through economic and industry organizations (occasional) ・ Interaction/exchange of views and cooperation with local communities (occasional) ・Response to hearings, information disclosure, etc. (occasional) ・ Communication, cooperation, and support through industry–academia–government collaboration (occasional) ・ Communication through donations, public endorsements, and aid (occasional) |
Future generations (environment) |
・ Consideration for the environment ・ Response to energy- and global warming-related issues ・ Resource recycling ・ Pollution prevention ・ Environmental management |
・ Organization and participation in environmental events (occasional) ・ On-site lectures on the environment (occasional) |
Dialogue with Shareholders and Investors
In its pursuit of continued growth and the enhancement of corporate value over the medium to long term, Mazda engages in a variety of IR initiatives in keeping with its policy of timely and appropriate disclosure of information and constructive dialogue. In addition to general meetings of shareholders, the Company holds frequent meetings with its shareholders and other investors, providing quarterly announcements to explain its business results and other activities. The Company is working to increase opportunities for engagement through such means as holding business briefings for securities analysts, institutional investors, and individual investors.
Mazda’s global website provides notices of the general meetings of shareholders, financial information, information on medium-term management plans, securities reports, corporate governance reports, and integrated reports. In doing so, the Company works to disclose information in a timely manner. The Company also discloses information on its engagement activities targeting shareholders and other investors. Opinions from shareholders will be relayed to the board of directors or the management team as necessary by the officer who oversees finances. Based on dialogues and opinions, the Company is expanding information disclosure.
【Statics from FY 2024】
| Events | Number of Times | Main Attendees from Mazda |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Results Briefings | 4 | Representative Director, President and CEO, Representative Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer and CFO, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Managing Executive Officer |
| Product and Technology Briefings, Plant Tours, etc. | 1 | Representative Director, President and CEO, Executive Officer, Executive Fellow, General Manager (Plant) |
| Business Briefings, Small Meetings | 5 | Representative Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer and CFO, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, Managing Executive Officer, Executive Officer |
| Overseas Investors Visits for Dialogue | 2 | Representative Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer and CFO, Senior Managing Executive Officer |
| Participations in Conferences Organized by Securities Firms | 3 | Representative Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer and CFO, Managing Executive Officer |
| Briefings for Individual Investors | 1 | Managing Executive Officer |
| Dialogues with Investor | 200 | Representative Director, President and CEO, Senior Managing Executive Officer and CFO, Outside Director, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Managing Executive Officer, Executive Officer, IR Group |
| Dialogues with Analysts | 80 | Representative Director, President and CEO, Representative Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer and CFO, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Managing Executive Officer, Executive Officer, IR Group |
Information Exchanges and Dialogue with Suppliers
Mazda proactively offers opportunities for communication with suppliers to ensure that the Company can work in close concert with them in promoting sustainability and risk management initiatives. Seeing all its suppliers as important business partners, the Company takes steps to promptly brief suppliers on medium- to long-term business strategies and on matters related to sales and production, and arranges opportunities for information exchanges and dialogue on a regular basis. As part of such efforts, the Company also organizes seminars with the aim of enhancing awareness of environmental and other sustainability initiatives. In addition, the Company also maintains close liaisons with supplier-managed purchasing cooperative organizations.*1 In the constantly changing operating environment, the Company will maintain close communication with all suppliers as it strives to achieve mutual prosperity.
【Statistics from FY March 2024】
・Six information exchange meetings with purchasing cooperative organizations involving a total of 245 companies
・Once monthly production trend briefing meetings with Toyukai Affiliated Corporation*2 (Explanations and information sharing regarding changes in production plans due to natural disasters or semiconductor procurement issues)
*1 Purchasing cooperative organizations are autonomous management organizations comprised of suppliers that have a certain degree of transactions with the Company with the purpose of strengthening relationships between the Company and its suppliers as well as promoting mutual growth and prosperity. The procurement amount from member companies of Yokokai and Yoshinkai accounts for approximately 90% of the Company's total procurement volume.
*2 Established in 1952 as a voluntary organization by 20 collaborating companies having trading relationships with Mazda (then Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Toyukai Affiliated Corporation currently has a membership consisting of 63 companies. While sharing information with one another and with the Company and deepening cross-industrial exchange primarily through various committee activities, these member companies continue constant efforts to hone their skills.
Communication with Dealerships
Mazda works to provide all its dealerships in Japan and overseas with information on medium- and long-term management strategies, products, and services in a timely manner, and also makes proactive efforts to collect information from dealerships.
Opportunities for Communication with Distributors and Dealerships in Japan
| Participants | Frequency | Objective / Contents | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conferences for dealership representatives | Representatives of dealerships and Mazda directors |
Once a year | Communication of Mazda policies | |||||||
| Mazda Dealership Association in Japan executive board of directors’ meeting | Executive board members and others from Mazda Dealership Association in Japan | Twice a year | Exchange of opinions concerning sales strategies, product planning, used car policies, services, quality concerns, and other topics |
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Mazda Dealership Association in Japan committees |
Committee members from Mazda Dealership Association in Japan and Mazda representatives |
As needed | ||||||||
Opportunities for Communication with Overseas Group Companies and Distributors
| Participants | Frequency | Objective / Contents | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product launch events | Representatives from major overseas bases in theUnited States, Europe, China, Australia, etc. |
Irregular basis | Global sharing of information and exchanging of opinions regarding product launches |
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| Global brand events | Representatives from major operation bases in the United States, Europe, China, Australia, Japan, etc. |
Twice a year | Meeting of representatives of major regions to build common understanding and consensus on brand strategies and share initiatives | |||||||
Distributor events (regions other than Europe, North America, China, Taiwan, and Japan) |
Representatives from Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Middle East, and Africa regions |
Once or twice a year | Explanations and information sharing regarding businesses, product launches, and brand value management |
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Executive Officer and Employee Awareness Raising
Mazda endeavors to raise awareness and understanding of sustainability among all its executive officers and employees and to promote the undertaking of sustainability initiatives in the course of their daily business activities. The level of employees’ sustainability awareness is confirmed through the Global Employee Engagement Survey and training programs instituted by level. To ensure constant improvement of the sustainability awareness level, the Company will continue a range of initiatives.
Examples of Awareness-Raising Activities
- Implementation of sustainability training programs by level (lecture-type training and group discussions)
- Organization of seminars on ESG targeting executive officers (occasional)
【Statistics from FY March 2024】
Administration of level-based training programs to 1,885 employees (non-consolidated basis)
Communication through Mazda's Sustainability Website
Mazda's sustainability website is compiled in accordance with GRI Reporting Principles for Defining Report Content with the aim of informing stakeholders on Mazda’s sustainability initiatives. Opinions regarding the website’s content obtained from stakeholders are communicated to executive officers and the employees responsible for their division’s contribution to the website, and are utilized for designing the next year’s initiatives and for determining the information to be disclosed.