Keiei Shigaku (Japan Business History Review)
Online ISSN : 1883-8995
Print ISSN : 0386-9113
ISSN-L : 0386-9113
Volume 40, Issue 2
Displaying 1-3 of 3 articles from this issue
  • A Case Study of Nihonnainenki and Nihonjidosha
    Inman Yeo
    2005 Volume 40 Issue 2 Pages 3-25,98
    Published: September 25, 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: November 06, 2009
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The purpose of this article is to study the process and features of the so-called 'military transition' of the Japanese automobile firms during the wartime. 'Small vehicle' manufacturing sector and automobile sales sector were then repressed by the military government, for they were thought to be unfitted to military use. Therefore, these sectors were compelled to change their product item, otherwise to be closed and to supply their labor forces to the military sector. In the meanwhile, the vast amount of capital for constructing and enlarging the factories was required by firms in order to transit the product item. The main focus of this article lies in the analysis of financing the capital for restructuring by the firms concerned.
    Nihonnainenki established in 1932, was the 3rd manufacture of small vehicles for civil use. In the initial phase, the management of this firm possessed to the Nihonjidosha. But, in 1936, it was transferred to Terada Zinkichi who was the top management of Terada Zaibatsu. Because he was the active manager for the military production, Nihonnainenki rapidly enlarged the production capacity. Since 1938, on which wartime economy began, up until 1942, production focused to small vehicle for military use. However, since 1943, it shifted to airplane parts under the financial support by the Nihon Kogyo Ginko (Industrial Bank of Japan).
    Nihonjidosha established in 1909, was the largest automobile sales firm in the inter-war Japan. It was originated as a division of the Okura Zaibatsu, but Okura's influence to this firm became weaker and weaker. Initially, Nihonjidosha was reluctant for transiting the business and enlarging the capacity, although automobile sales sector was repressed. However since late 1943, the firm also started to produce tornado parts for navy, under the financial support by the Senji Kinyu Kinko (Wartime Finance Fund).
    In conclusion, the transition of Japanese automobile companies during the wartime from civil to military production could be performed only under the financial aegis of the public banking institutions. And, nothing explains better than the firm's managerial strategy that makes a distinction between Nihonnainenki and Nihojidosha.
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  • Ayumu Banzawa
    2005 Volume 40 Issue 2 Pages 26-50,100
    Published: September 25, 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: November 06, 2009
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The aim of this paper is to see whether the Prussian (German) railroads in the 19th century evolved a system of internal labor markets and to investigate the influence of a traditional rule of employment in the Prussian bureaucracy on the employment relationships. It examines the promotion systems of the middle-ranked employees and assesses the existence of internal labor markets in the Prussian railroads from the 1850'S. This result indicates that the Prussian (private-and state owned-) railroads developed a modern employment system that was suitable for inducing available humane resources. The predominant employment of the retired officers and soldiers with the testimonial for maintenance in the civil service (Civilversorgungsschein) had a negative effect on the functions of these internal labor markets. The result of the introduction of traditional German-Prussian bureaucratic system in the railroads was ambivalent; on the one hand, the bureaucracy was a source of an internal labor market -some preferential treatment of the long-time employed in the employment relationship, but, on the other hand, it burdened the modern economic organizations with the risk and/or uncertainity of the supplied labor forces.
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  • Mitsuru Kawai
    2005 Volume 40 Issue 2 Pages 51-78,101
    Published: September 25, 2005
    Released on J-STAGE: November 06, 2009
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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