Article ID: 2022-004
The purpose of this study is to clarify (1) how the autonomy set by the parent company affects the strategic decision-making of J. League clubs and (2) how clubs negotiate with their parent company over autonomy, focusing on agency. Although literature in management studies has discussed the relationship between subsidiary autonomy and strategic behavior, there is no empirical research on J. League clubs. Therefore, this study analyzes a fourteenyear case of Yokohama F. Marinos to examine the above two research questions. First, this paper describes how the parent company of Yokohama F. Marinos had an impact on the club from 2009, reducing the club's autonomy and constraining its ability to be strategic. Next, we describe how Yokohama F. Marinos responded to the change by extending its autonomy through negotiation and improving its productivity. Finally, we discuss the contributions of this study.
