Synopses & Reviews
Japanese distribution has been a major issue of concern for policymakers, business executives and academics internationally. Business executives around the world have complained for decades that JapanUs distribution system is essentially closed and does not permit external access to the Japanese market. Japanese business executives themselves, as well as Japanese government officials, have begun to introduce measures to open these distribution channels. Japanese Distribution Strategy brings together a collection of state-of-the-art articles highlighting the complexity of the Japanese distribution system from a variety of perspectives: Japanese, American and European. It does so by placing a greater emphasis on the business, policy, and research aspects.
About the Author
Michael R. Czinkota is one of the foremost experts on international business and marketing in the world. His insights and counsel are frequently sought by the media, global companies, and governments all over the world. He is a frequent speaker on issues related to trade, trade policy, and global business strategies. His key research is in the field of export promotion and export development. He has served in the U.S. Government as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce, where he was responsible for trade analysis and support of trade negotiations. He holds three honorary doctorates and advises universities around the globe. He currently serves on the faculty of The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Masaaki Kotabe is the Washburn Chair of International Business and Marketing and Director of Research at the Institute of Global Management Studies at Temple University. He also serves as the Vice President of the Academy of International Business. Dr. Kotabe lectures regularly at various business schools around the world, including Germany, Finland, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Indonesia, and Turkey. He is also an active consultant for AT&T, NEC, Philips, Sony, and Ito-Yokado (parent company of 7-Eleven stores). Dr. Kotabe's scholarly activities include numerous publications and participation on several editorial boards. Recently, he was ranked as the most contributing international business researcher in the world in the last ten years.
Table of Contents
PART I: CHANGES IN THE JAPANESE CHANNEL ENVIRONMENT AND STRUCTURE. 1. Understanding and Responding to Changing Distribution Conditions. 2. The Effects of Changes in the Environment on Retail Structure. 3. Japanese Wholesale Distribution: Its Features and Future. 4. Changes in Japanese Grocery Distribution. 5. Discount Stores in Japan: A Revolution in the Japanese Distribution System. 6. Japan Department Stores: Does Size Matter in Supplier-buyer Relationships? 7. The Large Scale Retail Store Law: One of the Thorny Issues in the Kodak-Fuji Case. 8. The Realities of Change in Japanese Large Retail Stores. PART II: COLLABORATION IN DISTRIBUTION. 9. Collaborating for Change in Japanese Distribution: Strategic Alliances, Team Merchandising and 'Enemies in the Same Boat'. 10. Long-term Manufacturer-Distributor Relationships. 11. The Effect of Perceived Interdependence on Distributor Attitudes: Cross-National Comparison and Trans-National Integration. 12. Product Specialization among Japanese Wholesalers: The Role of Policy and Consequences for Market Access. PART III: SUPPLIER - DISTRIBUTOR RELATIONSHIPS. 13. Strategic Effects of Structural Changes in Distribution: Japanese Auto Makers in the United States. 14. Control and Performance in U.S. - Japanese Distribution Relationships. 15. Managing Manufacturer-Distributor Relationships in Japanese and U.S. Firms. 16. Structural Factors Affecting Supplier Dependency: Australian Tourism Service. 17. Performance in the Japanese Market: Experience of Agribusiness Exporters from New Zealand. PART IV: IMPLEMENTING DISTRIBUTION CHANGE. 18. Margin or Sales: A Comparative Analysis of Two Royalty Structures in the Japanese Convenience Store Industry. 19. Consumer Behaviour, Retail Store Choice and Preference Hierarchy in Japan: A Review. 20. Innovation of the Convenience-Store Order Entry System in Japan. 21. The Strategy of Distribution in the Japanese Cosmetics Industry. 22. Developing and Implementing Reverse Distribution Systems. 23 The Role of Historical and Institutional Context in Transferring Distribution Practices Abroad: Matsushita's Monopolization of Market Share in Malaysia. 24. Japan's Second Distribution Revolution: The Penetration of Global Retail Formats. 25. Repeal of Japan's Fifty-Year Zaibatsu Ban: The Potential Impact upon Negotiating Leverage within the Supply Chain. PART V: CASE STUDIES OF SUCCESSFUL MARKET ENTRY AND PERFORMANCE IN JAPAN.