日本鉄鋼業の変容と今後の方向

抄録

I. Steel industry and change of its environment at home and abroad
Being a matured industrialized country, Japan's steel consumption per unit of GNP is on the decline Besides, because both “Direct steel products” and “Indirect steel products” depend considerably on external demand, recent revaluation of yen had an adverse effect on the steel industry. Moreover, steel consumption diversified and varied due to reasons of steel demand sectors, and the industry was compelled to satisfy such changing need of users by producing steel products of higher grades and sophistication.
On the other hand, there is steel production capacity in excess of steel demand, and structural adjustment is an urgent matter. In addition, some developing countries have succeeded in development or expansion of their steel industry and increased their steel exports to Japan, and increase of international competitiveness poses an urgent subject for the Japanese steel industry.
II. Increase of competitiveness and change of business management with technological innovation
…Divergence of behavior of (macro-) steel industry as a whole and (micro-) steel enterprises…
Under the change of environment at home and abroad, each steel enterprise is making efforts to regain growth potential through business diversification by development and innovation of technology centered on introduction of various high technologies and drastic, organic improvement of efficiency of management to make the industry competitive
The efforts may be divided to four main categories
a) Increase and confirmation of competitiveness of basic steelmaking activity, and Perfection of high technology and throughgoing rationalization
b) Development of new steel products and production of products with sophisticated quality, and Satisfaction of users' requirement and characterization of products
c) Extensive utilization of technologies accumulated in relation to steelmaking and establishment of new and different businesses, and Diversification of business with built-in factors for company growth
d) Expansion of business by utilization and application of technologies peripheral to steelmaking
III. Three aspects of internationalization of steel industry
a) Development of business overseas... Characterized by business activity in US in recent years
b) Internationalization of domestic market... Increase of steel import
c) An adverse effect of yen revaluation by reason of high dependence of steel production on external demand
IV. Change in business condition and problems related to management organization and labour
As a result of technical innovation, perfection of high technology and diversification of business, a big change occurred in management organization and employment adjustment of steel enterprises, and organic and efficient restructuring of the industry is now a big problem
V. Analysis of specific industries requiring study from new viewpoint
…Inter-industry problems and complex industry…
The change of steel industry as a particular industry resulting from multiple management and business diversification is considered to give various suggestions as a subject of industrial analysis.
When an industry or an enterprise diversified, the resultant subjects to be studied from the angle of industrial analysis would include, among others,
a) Problems brought about by business expansion exceeding the business proper to the industry and complex business tie-up,
b) Viewpoint from international industrial organization, more strongly required by reason of internationalization of relevant market, and
c) Necessity of formation of new industrial organization due to divergence in behavior of conventional macroindustrial organization and of micro-industrial enterprises as a result of their business diversification and multiple management.