We examine the use of partial equity stakes and volume-based dependence balancing in Japanese automotive supply relationships. Building on Williamson's (1983) hostage model, we argue that the robustness of different types of hostage arrangement depends on the value, durability, and observability...

Scholars increasingly emphasize the impact of institutions on multinational enterprises (MNEs), but the opposite relationship has attracted less research – that is, MNE agency in relation to institutions. Based on a comparative case study of six MNEs from the United States and Sweden, this...

We examine the use of partial equity stakes and volume-based dependence balancing in Japanese automotive supply relationships. Building on Williamson's (1983) hostage model, we argue that the robustness of different types of hostage arrangement depends on the value, durability, and observability</EM>...

Purchase-supply relations in Japanese electronics are less close and cooperative than in the automobile industry and involve less formal knowledge sharing. Our interviews with a number of major Japanese electronics firms reveal that suppliers are less involved in manufacturers' product...

The “keiretsu†structuring of assembler-supplier relations historically enabled Japanese auto assemblers to remain lean and flexible while enjoying a level of control over supply akin to that of vertical integration. Yet there is much talk currently of breakdown in keiretsu networks....