This article examines the developmental process of the Japanese petrochemical industry during the high-growth era, 1955-73, focusing on institutional changes in public–private relationships. Previous studies have primarily emphasized the investment regulation process for industrial development and evaluated the role of the government as being positive or negative. However, the actual dynamics of public–private relationships within the industrial policy remained unclear. The institutional background of such relationships and changes therein were little evaluated despite the interrelation being considered as “public–private cooperation” being used to describe this interrelation. Notable changes during this period included those in government objectives, influential firms, investment guidelines, the degree of liberalization, and the Naphtha problem. This article aims to identify the beliefs held by the government and private sector while highlighting their strategic relationship concerning capital liberalization and the Naphtha problem, which were significant external environmental changes during this period. The study utilizes the theoretical framework of comparative institutional analysis to show the strategic relationship between the government and private sector, considering that multiple interrelations could be inferred depending on their beliefs. A public–private cooperation was established in this period based on their shared interest in addressing the threat of capital liberalization. As part of this cooperation, the petrochemical roundtable conference was conducted on investment regulations for the industry to acquire international competitiveness. Additionally, beliefs regarding the Naphtha problem differed between petroleum-related and chemicalrelated firms, which influenced the sector’s bargaining power against the government. Petroleum-related firms had advantages in implementing investments compared to what chemical-related firms did and such diverse strategic relationships between the government and private sector are likely to have led to the differences in firm performances. Institutional changes during the period had significant influences in the context of public–private cooperation and industrial development considerations.
We aimed to reveal the positioning of corporate-sponsored sports from the perspective of the activities performed by those organizations that have been the main organizers of these sports.
Corporate-sponsored sports are said to enhance employees’ sense of belonging to, and unity with, their organizations. Focusing on this point, we examined whether this function works similarly even in an organization such as a conglomerate, where several companies comprise one group. We then used the results of our examination to clarify the positioning of corporate-sponsored sports in this type of group organization.
We targeted the Mitsubishi Club, an organization set up within the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu (a financial conglomerate) in 1914 (and continued to 1941). As there is little information available on the Mitsubishi Club, we first investigated its essential characteristics and nature in order to clarify its activities.
The Mitsubishi Club was an organization consisting of employees of all Mitsubishi Joint Stock Company hierarchies. It conducted sports and related literary activities ― not only in Tokyo, where Head Office was located, but also in the places all over Japan where the Mitsubishi group was doing business.
The Mitsubishi Club grew as the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu expanded, and after the Mitsubishi Joint Stock Company separated its divisions into separate companies, it became a cross-cutting organization across the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu and included the employees of these companies.
When Japanese society entered a recession after World War I, the activities of the Mitsubishi Club began to shrink as Mitsubishi Zaibatsu’s performance deteriorated. Budgets were cut, and some branches were forced to suspend their business activities.
In conclusion, we found that the Mitsubishi Club functioned to make everyone who belonged to it aware that they were a member of the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu, regardless of their business location or their company. It also enhanced members’ sense of belonging to, and unity with, the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu. The activities of the Mitsubishi Club, or those of corporate-sponsored sports, were positioned as a benefit for the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu.