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"Compliance violations spark corporate backlash," "that's a compliance no-go"—we hear these phrases more and more, in the news and at work. Yet when asked "what exactly does compliance mean?", surprisingly few people can explain it accurately.
Compliance is no longer a concern only for management. Everyday actions—an offhand social media post or carrying a work PC around—can lead to unexpected violations. This article clearly explains the meaning and origin of compliance, how it is used in business (with examples), typical violation cases, and what each individual worker can do.
Compliance derives from the English verb "comply" (to obey or conform) and literally means "conforming" or "obeying." In a business context, it refers to companies and individuals acting in good faith in accordance with laws, rules, and society's expectations.
In Japanese it is often translated as "hourei junshu" (adherence to laws and regulations). Laws and regulations include statutes enacted by the national legislature, cabinet and ministerial orders issued by administrative bodies, and local ordinances. Observing these rules while conducting business is the starting point of compliance.
In recent years, conduct deemed "unacceptable as a member of society or as a company"—even when not illegal—has come under harsh scrutiny. As a result, compliance today is used as a broad concept covering not only legal adherence but also honest and fair conduct in line with social norms, corporate ethics, and internal rules.
The scope of compliance expected of companies is not strictly defined by law. In general, the following three are emphasized as standards for judgment.
Of these three, the hardest to judge is the third—social norms and ethics. Even without breaking the law, if something is deemed inappropriate by common social standards, a company can lose trust and suffer serious damage.
Compliance violations can lead not only to administrative penalties and fines but also to risks that shake management itself—loss of business partners, falling share prices, and the departure of talented staff. There is no shortage of companies that have gone bankrupt starting from accounting fraud or window dressing. Violations are increasingly viewed not as one-off scandals but as issues affecting a company's very survival.
With the spread of smartphones and social media, internal scandals and inappropriate conduct travel across the world in an instant. So-called "part-timer terrorism," in which employees' careless posts damage a corporate brand, also flares up periodically. Precisely because anyone can now broadcast information, both companies and individuals need to raise their compliance awareness.
ESG investing—which favors companies mindful of the environment (E), society (S), and governance (G)—has spread, and management aligned with ethics and social norms is valued more than ever. Because thorough compliance directly strengthens the "G" (governance), it has become a theme that cannot be ignored from the standpoint of fundraising and corporate value.
Compliance is often confused with terms used in similar contexts. Let's sort out the differences.
Corporate governance refers to the mechanism by which shareholders and the board monitor and manage executives so they do not run out of control. Whereas compliance is about obeying the rules, corporate governance can be understood as the management structure for making people obey them.
Internal control refers to the mechanisms and processes set up within a company to conduct business appropriately. If compliance is the ideal state (the goal), internal control is the means of achieving it.
CSR is a broader concept referring to the responsibility a company should fulfill toward society and the environment, not merely the pursuit of profit. Compliance is one of the foundations that support CSR; observing laws and ethics is a prerequisite for fulfilling social responsibility.
In business settings it is used as follows. The nuance changes depending on the speaker's position and situation.
Note that because the word "compliance" itself includes the sense of observing or obeying, the phrase "compliance adherence" is somewhat redundant. In documents requiring precision, phrasings such as "thorough compliance" or "strengthening the compliance framework" come across more naturally.
Compliance violations are not limited to serious crimes such as embezzlement or window dressing. Risks lurk in everyday work as well. Here are typical examples that can arise regardless of industry.
Long working hours, unpaid overtime, and unfair dismissal are the compliance violations most familiar to workers. In recent years, harassment such as power harassment and sexual harassment has been especially problematized, and its prevention has become a legal obligation. A growing number of managers struggle with the line between guidance and harassment.
Leaks of customer and confidential information occur frequently. Beyond malicious data removal, cases caused by carelessness—losing a work PC or smartphone, sending an email to the wrong address, or discussing confidential matters in public—are common. Even an accidental slip can become a serious violation.
Accounting fraud such as overstating sales, fictitious transactions, and inflating costs greatly damages the trust of shareholders and business partners. At the individual level too, padding expense claims by disguising private meals as client entertainment, or billing for unnecessary overtime, are full-fledged compliance violations.
Prank videos posted during work, and leaks via social media of information learned on the job, damage the trust of not only the individual but the entire company. Even a private post can develop into a corporate liability issue if the poster's employer is identified.
Using another company's materials or images without permission, or illegally copying software, are also violations. Especially in creative and IT roles, an understanding of copyright, trademarks, and patents is indispensable.
Compliance is not something to leave to the company; it is important for each employee to treat it as their own concern. At the individual level, the following habits help prevent violations.
In particular, if your company has a consultation desk (an internal reporting system) in place, knowing that it exists and how to use it provides peace of mind. An environment where you can speak up when something feels wrong prevents violations before they happen.
Compliance, expanding from its original meaning of adherence to laws and regulations, today refers to acting honestly and fairly, encompassing social norms and corporate ethics. For companies it is a foundation of management that protects trust; for working individuals it is a basic qualification as a member of society.
Violations arise not only from serious wrongdoing by management but also from everyday slips at work. First, know your company's rules, and consult others when in doubt—that accumulation protects both yourself and your company. When considering a job change or job hunting, a company's compliance framework is also an important indicator for gauging how comfortable it is to work there.
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