Synopses & Reviews
In this new book, Hara, Kambayashi and Matsushima gather together a collection of case studies of innovation in various industries in modern Japan, including automobile, electronics, semiconductor, component, chemical, pharmaceutical and service industries. Unlike other books in this area, this book focuses on a broader range of Japanese industries from the post world war era to the modern day and considers the relationships between the characteristics of innovation and the features of Japanese society.
These chapters demonstrate Japan's shift from being product-oriented and domestic to being business system-oriented and global. Meanwhile the process of innovation in Japan continues to include the tendency of eliminating uncertainty through intimate in-process interaction between different functions, rather than through preset rule or contracts. This book goes some way in challenging accepted notions of Japanese innovation, emphasising new and diverse trends and practises.
Synopsis
The most up-to-date analysis of innovation and new technologies in modern Japan currently available, this book offers a thorough overview of Japanese industry using a range of case studies expertly analyzed by a collection of renowned contributors.
Diverse and engaging it examines various industries, including:
- the automobile
- electronics
- semiconductor
- petrochemical
- pharmaceutical and service.
Interdisciplinary in approach, each chapter is analyzed from the unique perspective of the contributor and with consideration of the social shaping of technology as well as whether industrial innovations in Japan have been influenced by the transformation (if any) of human resource management in Japan.
This book is a key resource for students of all levels studying industrial economics, technology and Asian studies.