A Study on Management of an Organization that Aims to Employ Seriously Handicapped Persons : Lessons from a Case in Wakayama Prefecture

Acro Nainen Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Acro Nainen”), headquartered in Wakayama City, is a company with world-class technical and development capabilities in the manufacture of clutches, pistons and brakes for use in automobiles and industrial machinery. Mr. Kiichi Katsumoto (hereinafter “Mr. Katsumoto”), is chairman of the company, which was established in 1968. His background includes managing group companies in various business fields, ranging from precision mechanical parts through high-grade umeboshi for gifts, and he was responsible for expanding the scale and performance of those businesses. He has also been called upon to play various key roles as one of Wakayama Prefecture’s most successful business leaders. Among Mr. Katumoto’s group companies are two which aim to provide employment opportunities for seriously handicapped persons: Winnac, Co., Ltd. and Winworks, Co., Ltd. This article studies the characteristics of those organizations from the perspective of organizational information generation theory, with a particular focus on Mr. Katsumoto’s management philosophy.