Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Long noted as highly competitive, the Japanese market has become even more cutthroat in the “post-bubble” era, the period following the Japanese economic collapse. Only the fittest are likely to survive the correction taking place as Japan grapples with a severe recession that is threatening to extend worldwide. The research question pursued is how these “moment-in-time” market changes affect foreign-affiliated companies in Japan. The study examines whether lessons that may be learned from those foreign companies that have successfully negotiated the minefield of Japan's business culture can be applied to other world markets. It then aims to induce, from their responses, some implications for international marketing strategy. It is based on a study of the post-bubble changes in the Japanese market from 1990 to 1998. Using a Grounded Theory approach, the research process involves 58 personal interviews with executives of 52 successful foreign firms operating in Japan. A framework distilled from a previous article by the author is used to compare and contrast the pre- and post-bubble situations.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abegglen

J.C.

and Stalk

(1985), Kaisha: The Japanese Corporation. Tokyo: Basic Books.

Abrahams

(1998), “Japan's Antidote to Depression,” Financial Times, (October 6).

Adler

N.J.

, Campbell

, and Laurent

(1989), “In Search of Appropriate Methodology: From Outside the People's Republic of China Looking In,” Journal of International Business Studies, 20 (1), 61–74.

Aita

and Koseki

(1998), “Hashimoto Playing Word Games,” Japan Times Weekly International Edition, 38 (8), 6.

Allen

M.G.

(1994), “Succeeding in Japan,” Vital Speeches of the Day, 60 (14), 429–32.

Bailey

K.D.

(1987), Methods of Social Research, 3d ed. New York: The Free Press.

Barclays Economic Review, “International Economy: Japan,” (First Quarter), 25–26.

Burt

R.S.

and Ronchi

(1994), “Measuring a Large Network Quickly,” Social Networks, 16, 91–135.

The Economist (1998a), “Leaders: If Japan Should Crash,” 347 (8063), 12.

10.

The Economist (1998b), “Special Article: Worse to Come,” 347 (8063), 15–17.

11.

The Economist (1998c), “The Japan Puzzle,” 346 (8060), 15.

12.

The Economist (1998d), “The Japan Puzzle: Hurtling Towards Paralysis,” 346 (8060), 21–23.

13.

The Economist (1998e), “Time to Wake Up,” 348 (8087), 25–27.

14.

The Economist (1999), “A Japanese Taste for Luxury,” 350 (8106), 67.

15.

Financial Times (1998), “Exchange Rates,” (August 27).

16.

Focus Japan (1998), “Closer to the Big Bang—Deregulation Opens Up Opportunities,” 25 (2), 1–2.

17.

Glaser

B.G.

and Strauss

A.L.

(1967), The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Chicago: Aldine.

18.

Gleckman

(1996), “Elbowing into Japan,” BusinessWeek, (July 22), 26.

19.

Goodnow

J.D.

and Kosenko

(1993), “Strategies for Successful Penetration of the Japanese Market or How to Beat Japan at Its Own Game,” Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 7 (1), 41–49.

20.

Guild

, Shill

, and Yamaguchi

(1996), “Japan: How Outsiders Get In,” Director, 49 (10), 26.

21.

Hirsh

(1991), “US Goods in Japan: Many Successes, Many Failures, But Any Pattern?” The Associated Press, (March 12).

22.

Jameson

(1997), “Mapping the Road to Recovery,” Asian Business, 33 (7), 2–27.

23.

Japan Times (1998), “EPA Caught Hiding Recession Opinion,” 38 (10), 1.

24.

JETRO (1996), Nippon 1996: Business Facts and Figures. Tokyo: JETRO.

25.

Johansson

J.K.

and Hirano

(1996), “Japanese Marketing in the Post-Bubble Era,” The International Executive, 38 (1), 33–51.

26.

Jones

(1990), “Japan: Surviving the Mid-Life Crisis,” Asian Business (Hong Kong), 26 (10), 50–52.

27.

Jones

and Ohbora

(1990), “Managing the ‘Heretical’ Company,” McKinsey Quarterly, 3 (3), 20–45.

28.

Linstead

(1997), “The Social Anthropology of Management,” British Journal of Management, 8 (1), 85–98.

29.

Martin

P.Y.

and Turner

B.A.

(1986), “Grounded Theory and Organizational Research,” Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 22 (2), 141–57.

30.

Porter

M.E.

(1990), The Competitive Advantage of Nations. New York: The Free Press.

31.

Reid

D.M.

(1995a), “Executive Insights: Perspectives for International Marketers on the Japanese Market,” Journal of International Marketing, 3 (1), 63–84.

32.

Reid

D.M.

(1995b), “Critical Success Factors in Japanese Consumer Products Market: Guidance for Foreign MNCs,” The International Executive, 37 (6), 555–81.

33.

Sarros

J.C.

(1992), “What Leaders Say They Do: An Australian Example,” Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 13 (5), 21–27.

34.

Segev

(1988), “A Framework for a Grounded Theory of Corporate Policy,” Interfaces, 18 (5), 42–54.

35.

Shilling

A.G.

(1996), “A Yen for Japanese Recovery,” Forbes, 157 (5), 196.

36.

Simon

H.A.

(1993), “Altruism and Economics,” American Economic Review, 83 (2), 156–61.

37.

Strauss

A.L.

and Corbin

(1990), Basics of Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

38.

Sweetman

K.J.

(1996), “Doing Business in Japan,” Harvard Business Review, 74 (5), 13.

39.

Tajima

(1989), The Present Status and Future Prospects for Foreign Businesses in Japan. Tokyo: Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

40.

Takahashi

(1997), “The Labor Market and Lifetime Employment in Japan,” Economic and Industrial Democracy, 18 (1), 55–66.

41.

Thornton

(1998), “The Other Japan,” Business Week, (February 9), 52–53.

42.

Waldorf

and Biernacki

(1981), “Snowball Sampling: Problems and Techniques in Chain Referral Sampling,” Sociological Methods and Research, 10, 141–63.

43.

Wood

(1995), “Solving Staffing Problems,” Chemical Week, (Focus/China Supplement), s12.

44.

Yip

G.S.

(1996), “Global Strategy as a Factor in Japanese Success,” The International Executive, 38 (1), 145–67.

45.

Yoshihara

(1991), “Foreign Companies in Japan—Key Factors for Success and Failure,” Management Japan, 24 (1), 17–24.

Changes in Japan's Post-Bubble Business Environment: Implications for Foreign-Affiliated Companies

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References