In this paper, I apply the theory of property rights, developed by A. A. Alchian and H. Demsetz, to the problem of economic organization, and show both efficiency and weakness of the Japanese business organization. The paper is organized into three parts. The first part briefly discusses the theory of property rights and applies it to the organizational issues relevant to firms. The second part analyzes economic organization in Japan, Germany, and The U. S. based on the theory of property rights and discusses both efficiency and weakness of the Japanese business organization in comparative perspective. The third part presents empirical data for verifying the consequences of the analysis.

抄録全体を表示

This paper is concerned with the process of systemization of Japanese enterprise research and development activity and features of the related organization reform of the postwar modernization period. Supporting illustrations are given mainly from the major electric machinery and electronic manufacturing enterprises. Both before and after the Second World War, the importance of technology for developed countries' enterprises has been recognized. Particularly in the postwar period R & D with a strategic objective has become popular for developing countries, chiefly represented by newly industrialized economics (NIES). Further, in the latter half of the 1970s management has reconciled the importance of enterprise technology as an critical resource and responded by deliberately creating research and development (R & D) specialist departments. Japan currently is one of the Worlds' leading industrialized nations and was the first organizational authority to deal with research and development as a speciality. Originally, it was indifferent to their role and relegated R & D departments to a staff organization function. This changed naturally due to the impact of Japan's high growth economy. R & D departments gradually enlarged and established themselves as a line responsibility and specialist function. This change is typified by the major electric machinery and electronic manufacturing enterprises. This paper focuses on the systemization of R & D activity of Japan's main electric machinery and electronic makers which have been growing rapidly since the postwar era. In addition, the paper will illustrate the main characteristics of each period, examine the trends of organization reform established in the 1990s and propose possible future functional scenarios.

抄録全体を表示

The purpose of this study is fifth fold. The first one is to test the hypothesis that the rise of the position is proportional to the ratio of plateaued employees in the corresponding position. The second one is to investigate the differences in work values between plateaued and non-plateaued employees. The third one is to test the hypothesis that plateaued employees perceive their jobs as job enrichment of lower standard than non-plateaued employees. The fourth one is to test the hypothesis that career consciousness of plateaued employees is lower than that of non-plateaued employees. The fifth one is to investigate the differences in the relationship between perception of job characteristics and career consciousness between plateaued and non-plateaued employees. The facts and conclusions in this paper were drawn by using 216 employees in nine enterprises. About the first one, after using chi-square test, it was clear that the rise of the position isn't proportional to the ratio of plateaued employees in the corresponding position. About the second one, after using frequency distribution, it was almost clear that there isn't much difference between plateaued employees' work values and non-plateaued employees' them. About the third one, after using a t-test, it was clear that plateaued employees perceive their jobs as job enrichment of lower standard than non-plateaued employees. About the fourth one, after using a t-test, it was clear that career consciousness of plateaued employees is almost lower than that of non-plateaued employees. About the fifth one, after using multiple regression analysis, it was almost clear that the relationship between the perception of job characteristics and career consciousness in plateaued employees is stronger than that of non-plateaued employees. The probability that job design is more effective for plateaued employees than for non-plateaued employees, etc. was pointed out.

抄録全体を表示

In this article I have traced new developments in the integrated system of production and distribution of three manufacturing companies: automobile, steel, and semiconductor manufacturers. These three companies I have taken up in this paper refined their systems in the mid 1990s. I have tried to explore the similarities and differences in their respective developments. Section one presents a brief explanation of the integrated system of production and distribution as one of the competitive edges of big manufacturers. The production system of major Japanese manufacturers nowadays cannot be classified anymore as a classical type of mass-production of a single standardized product. It should be classified as a flexible production system of diversified products. Major companies are offering not only multiplied product lines but also a great number of product variations per line. With the proliferation of the product variations, it has become more difficult and complex for manufacturers to make adjustment between their production and market demand for their products. In order to solve the problem of matching supply to demand they need closer and tighter coordination between production and sales of their products. The integrated system of production and distribution of manufacturing companies has been established for the purpose of making this coordination successful. In sections 2-4 I have referred to some findings from the field research I conducted on these three major manufacturing industries recently. I have introduced the following conclusions in the section five : (1) Smaller lot size of production plannig and shorter length of leadtime for production scheduling prior to actual production were critical factors in the success of the coordination of manufacturing with sales. The smaller the lot size of planning and the shorter the leadtime are, the more a manufacturer could raise the accuracy of demand forecast, reduce the market uncertainty, and respond to the market change quickly. To sum up, the new developments of the integrated system of produciton and distribution introduced by the three companies have all had in common the shrinkage of the lot size of production planning and the reduction of leadtime for production scheduling. (2) Nevertheless, since the relative emphasis which the companies give to the improvement of this sysytem depends on the particular characteristics of their production technologies and markets, they do not share the same way of refining it. Because of longer leadtime for and larger lot size of production compared with those of the automobile company, the steel company and semiconductor manufacturer still face some difficulties in pursuing the above mentioned direction. From the results of my research I have concluded that the automobile company alone can possibly focus the improvemenmt of the sysytem in such a direction. We can see that the automobile company has established the most advanced and refined integrated system of production and distribution.

抄録全体を表示

This paper intends to trace the development of business management studies in Japan and to point out some trends and characteristics of its development through a review of all research papers printed in the annuals of the Japan Society of Business Administration (JSBA), established in 1926. The first yearbook was published in 1927 and the most recent, 66th volume in 1996. This paper shows that most papers, from the first to the most recent yearbook, have been devoted to discussing practical problems that Japanese business enterprises face. All the papers printed in the yearbooks have been checked from several viewpoints. For instance, what kind of industries, what size of business, and what kind of field in business enterprise have been discussed most frequently? Which approaches have been adopted? Are they empirical or not? First, this review points out that "star" industries were largely discussed in earlier papers. For example, textile, retail, and agriculture businesses were main subjects prior to WW II; coal mining, steel milling, and chemicals industries were prominent after the war; and automobile, bank, and non-profit organizations have been most frequently chosen for study in recent years. Small business is not discussed much, yet some papers refer to the small size of business. Also noteworthy is the fact that there have been several papers recently which deal with venture business or venture capital. Before and during WW II, the internal areas of business enterprise such as organization, personnel management, and production management were not discussed while external functions such as corporate finance, distribution and export were discussed. Themes especially referred to the relations between business enterprise and the market. After WW II, papers printed in the JSBA yearbooks gradually moved from an external to an internal focus according to the practical needs of Japanese businesses which were then heavily influenced by American management theories. There were many papers concerning organization, management, staffing, controlling, etc. in the 1950's. The 1960's saw an increasing amount of time devoted to external areas of business, including marketing, social responsibility, government relations, and so on. This paper suggests that from the 1960's until the first half of the 1970's, management studies in Japan not only dealt with traditional areas of external relations (although there were many new and remodeled problems in these areas), but at the same time also worked with new areas of internal problems in business. Then, management studies in Japan reached a new stage in their development. In the 1980's and through the first half of this decade, key words in Japanese management studies have been the following: strategy, globalization, Japanese-style management, corporate culture, and reengineering. From the viewpoint of these key words in management studies, management studies in Japan renewed substantially in those days. Finally, this paper submits that before WW II the major part of management studies in Japan took an economics approach. Therefore, such studies looked at the relations between businesses and the market. But after WW II, management studies in Japan came to use a different approach under the influence of American management studies. In the 1950's and the first half of the 1960's management studies in Japan took a variety of approaches such as sociology, psychology, or anthropology. Today, management studies as a whole use a variety of approaches to discuss or to analyze practical management problems, though this does not mean that a single Japanese researcher can take multiple approaches at the same time. However, recently empirical studies have increased in Japan. Before WW II, many papers printed in yearbooks were based on empirical studies, for example the analysis of answers to

(View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)

抄録全体を表示