The Overseas Strategies of Japanese Corporations

Abstract

Internationalization, including the internationalization of business, is widely discussed in Japan today. Starting with the trading companies and banks in the 1950s, followed by the manufacturers in the 1970s and increasingly by the financial institutions in the 1980s, the overseas spread of Japanese corporations in developed as well as in developing countries has been conspicuous. Comparisons have been made with American multinational spread in the 1950s, but it is not an exact parallel. Internationalization means more business, but Japanese managers fear the dilution of systems used so effectively at home. The companies therefore face problems, especially in the internationalization of management. Yet a high-level study group and others in Japan have concluded that this is the only viable path adapted to the changed needs of the 1990s and beyond and that taking it is a matter of enlightened self-interest.

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