JAPANESE ENTERPRISES IN A GLOBAL MARKET?

Abstract

It is my belief that the world economics of society in the 21st century will survive as the result of a global hybrid of Occidental/Oriental rationality and values. Although the diffusion of Japanese influence at the global level has prompted considerable debate, it is unrealistic that Japanese enterprises will transform into tangible transnational corporations unless such organizations leave behind their ethnocentricity and adopt open-minded policies in international business.This is testified by a proposed coporate philosophy model which depicts “Environment-Corporate Culture-Decision-Making-Behavior-Performance, ” which has been drafted based upon research in five regions (countries).First, I review Japanese corporations, which base their performance on sales rather than maximizing profits. This stance, in turn, greatly depended on their behaviors in the postwar era; that is, a concentration on exports and reluctance to make overseas investments.Second, I disccuss Japanese business style utilizing the proposed Cobweb Network model on the basis of a network triad relationship combining international trade and production strategy, Case studies of Japanese and South Korean enterprises, the transfer of Japanese technology to Asia and US corporations in Japan (trust-commitment theory) are outlined.Third, I conclude that the rationalization of integrating trade and overseas production with individual creative innovation (open-minded policies) may lead to the actual transformation of Japanese enterprises into transnational corporations.