2008 Volume 7 Issue 5 Pages 235-262
How has the global market for flat glass used in construction become an oligopoly, even though production methods are public knowledge? Furthermore, how has Asahi Glass secured a large market share for a wide range of flat panel products? Glass factories are primarily located in the region of consumption. If a company has unique technology and know-how, how is that company able to transfer these attributes to their overseas factories to launch products? This paper answers these questions by following the analytic framework of competitive strengths proposed by Takahiro Fujimoto (2001, 2004) and conducts a competitive analysis of each product. In addition, it performs a survey analysis of overseas production of flat glass and factory management in Thailand, a major production location in Asia.
