Mechanism of Building a Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Japanese Retail Firms in Emerging Markets: A Dynamic Capabilities Perspective

抄録

This study empirically investigates the mechanism of building a sustainable competitive advantage of Japanese retail firms in emerging markets from a dynamic capabilities perspective. We analyze the case of Aeon, a Japanese retail firm that has succeeded in globalization in many countries and has been rapidly expanding in Vietnam. We developed a conceptual model of dynamic capabilities that contains three component factors, “sensing,” “implementing,” and “connecting,” and applied this model to investigate the case of Aeon in Vietnam. The research results indicated that Aeon has been building a competitive advantage in Vietnam through its well-developed “sensing” and “implementing” capabilities. However, Aeon still faces issues in utilizing its “connecting” capabilities and in building organization. In view of these findings, we discuss strategies that can help Aeon gain a competitive advantage in the Vietnamese market.