Researching international transfer of the Japanese-style management and production system: Hybrid factories in six continents

Abstract

This article reviews the research on international transfer of the Japanese management and production system carried out by the Japanese Multinational Enterprises Study Group for over 25 years across 6 continents. It also provides a historical and theoretical review of the Japanese system compared with other management styles during the ‘Post-Fordism’ period. The group’s findings, encompassing around 500 factories across 30 countries, are based on an ‘application-adaptation (hybrid) model’ and represent a significant contribution to theories of Japanese technology transfer. The relationship between technology transfer and the creation of competitive advantage in newly developing regions, especially BoP markets, is also discussed.