Explores the influence of Japan’s culture on its innovative strengths and weaknesses. Indicates that Japan is good at evolutionary and process innovation but not so hot on inventing. Links this to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, comparing Japanese with US results. Attempts to link Japanese...

Japan’s economic success has been based primarily on social innovation. Western technology was accepted and used in institutions which retained their pure Japanese culture. Covers historical influences on and factors underpinning Japanese innovation. Concludes that traditional Japanese culture...

The Japanese “sogo shosha” – Japanese General Trading Companies – have played a major role in the phenomenal growth of the Japanese economy. Throughout the century, sogo shosha have secured raw material import inputs and have marketed and manufactured high value‐added exports of the...

Explores the cultural differences between Japan and the USA as they influence in the practice of creativity. Western logic reflects its Cartesian heritage of a clear, linear path of reasoning or the “scientific method”. The western approach to creativity is innovation through sponteneous...

Japanese corporate product development strategies are examined. Product development Japanese style is the dynamic and continuous process of adaptation to change in the environment. A background to the methods currently used, including the strategic role played by top management,...

Reviews the strategy and cultural foundations of Japanese pricing practices. Looks at: pricing objectives, pricing factors, pricing tactics, discounts, rebates and credits. Concludes that for Japanese companies it is not the apparent profit an individual product can earn, but the profitability...

As the Japanese have catapulted themselves to become a supereconomic power, many reasons have been given regarding their rapid progression – one of which is the claim that they are the world′s premier marketers. Certainly US marketers would argue this point. However, the unparalleled rise of...

In the last 30 years, Japan has come from a second‐rate status to the world′s economic giant, leading the world in electronics, automobiles, steel, shipbuilding and virtually anything else to which she has set her mind. The Japanese aim was and still is to be world‐class suppliers of the...