著者

Nobuo TAKAHASHI

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.13, no.1, pp.31-46, 2014-02-15 (Released:2014-02-15)

参考文献数

54

被引用文献数

6 11

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In modern day Japan, an “organization” often comprises multiple, legally separate firms, although it appears as a single organization to customers and external users and may actually operate as one organization. The concept of an “organization” differs from that of a “firm.” The organization is a network or system functioning in practice, whereas the institution of a firm defines the boundary or partitions off a part of the organization by nature. Acknowledging that firms and organizations are different concepts significantly enhances our understanding and conception of the everyday scene of multiple firms functioning as one organization. Theories based on such a way of viewing organizations and firms are called “transfirm organization theories.” Theories on keiretsu corporate affiliation or supplier system, architecture-based interfirm specialization, value networks, Japanese industrial agglomeration, and transnational companies are a few examples. Transfirm organizations are created for economic reasons; however, transfirm organization theories are not concerned with the reasons to create transfirm organizations, but rather with the performance of the transfirm organization as a whole.

著者

Hideki FUJITA Fumihiko IKUINE

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.13, no.1, pp.1-15, 2014-02-15 (Released:2014-02-15)

参考文献数

14

被引用文献数

5 9

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Success in software development is not simply “a person” or “a team” succeeding in development, but rather the execution of a smooth “shift to the next-generation” of developers, who continuously upgrade a single software product over a long span of time. In this case, different generations of developers share the source code. This paper analyzes this process using “Denshin 8 go,” Japanese free software as one example. Initially, the original creator, Ishioka developed Denshin 8 go single-handed as closed source software and succeeded in motivating users through frequent upgrades. Several years after the initial release of Denshin 8 go Ishioka lagged behind in much needed upgrades, but one user group continued to use Denshin 8 go and was eager to improve the software. He disclosed the source code to the group, which in turn carried forward the process of development. As this case shows, the viewpoint that alternate generation of developers outside of a single company is caused by success in software development is known as “open source” software development. However, the reverse is not necessarily true. That is, simply becoming open source does not guarantee successful development.

著者

Heejin KIM

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, no.6, pp.327-343, 2013-12-15 (Released:2013-12-17)

参考文献数

39

被引用文献数

4 8

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Much research has been conducted about transferring the headquarters (hereafter HQ) staff to subsidiaries (expatriation). On the contrary, this paper reviews existing researches on transferring subsidiary staff to the HQ (inpatriation). Inpatriate staff clearly form a heterogeneous group and differ from expatriate staff in terms of their positions, strengths, and roles. The overall stream of related researches can be summarized into three topics. (1) Empirical surveys on Japanese companies have been conducted since the late 1980s, in which inpatriation was considered as a tool for localization of human resources. (2) Growing business opportunities in emerging economies stimulated researches on inpatriation since the late 1990s, especially focusing on Western multinational corporations. A research group headed by Harvey discussed the need for inpatriation and management issues that inpatriate staff may encounter at the HQ; Collings and his colleagues discussed the importance of strategic global staffing and preconditions for inpatriation. (3) In the 2000s, Reiche and others discussed knowledge transfer by inpatriate staff and the factors that facilitate this process (i.e., inpatriation) as a means of knowledge transfer in multinational corporations. It is possible that inpatriation, which has been discussed within the context of localization of human resources since the 1980s, will now present a new solution for many Japanese companies that are struggling to gain or transfer market knowledge from emerging markets.

著者

Yukari MIZUNO

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, no.6, pp.311-326, 2013-12-15 (Released:2013-12-17)

参考文献数

16

被引用文献数

2 2

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The deterioration of corporate performance is inevitable, and generally, corporations choose measures such as curtailing investment and reorganizing personnel. However, in the case of Kyoritsu Electric Corporation, the company's subsequent core strategy was determined amidst deteriorating performance, and aggressive investments were made in human resources, facilities, and M&A, which were deemed good opportunities. These decisions led to industrial adaptations and peripheral expansions using core technology, overseas expansion, and organizational growth in subsequent periods of economic recovery. Furthermore, before experiencing the downturn in performance, the company engaged in activities such as exploring customer-driven ideas, searching for industries with potential technology adaptation, internally retaining funds, securing procurement methods, developing an internal organizational structure, eliminating vertical organizations, and delegating authority. In other words, the company conducted organization building as a “provision” for withstanding such situations. Although Chandler (1962) advocates “structure follows strategy” for periods of organization building after growth in boom periods, the company turned recession into a turning point for growth by choosing a behavior pattern opposite to that advised by Chandler.

著者

Masato ITOHISA

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, no.6, pp.291-309, 2013-12-15 (Released:2013-12-17)

参考文献数

28

被引用文献数

1 2

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This paper clarifies the mechanisms and conditions for improving product development performance in overlapping development processes. The (1) product design (upstream) process and (2) mass production preparation (downstream) process are interdependent. Yet, the results of case studies of Company X revealed insufficient robustness against noise that affected product functions in Product A during process (1). In process (2), although overlapping was routinely conducted, subsequent work was subject to continuous redesigning and did not result in a shorter product lead time. In contrast, for Product B, while more man-hours were required, the robustness of preliminary information was obtained by introducing Quality Engineering (QE) in process (1). As a result, by actively utilizing preliminary information prior to production preparation, the mold designer in process (2) is able to perform a “prior examination of the mold,” using methods, such as flow analysis. Moreover, access to the product designer allows the mold designer to pinpoint manufacturability problems/issues and implement the design for manufacturing (DFM) approach prior to production preparation (drawing release). Accordingly, in addition to the exchange of preliminary information, a condition that enables substantial overlapping is the frontloading and commencement of the (2) mass production preparation process at the (1) product design stage. Consequently, meeting this condition enables a considerable reduction in the amount of redesigning required to ensure manufacturability in process (2), a substantial improvement in mass production preparation performance, and a shortening of the overall lead time.

著者

Nobuo TAKAHASHI

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, no.6, pp.277-290, 2013-12-15 (Released:2013-12-17)

参考文献数

32

被引用文献数

9 15

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In Japanese companies, most of decisions at first seem to be illogical according to game and decision theories; however, they are in fact logically led by the high future parameter. In a non-zero sum environment, typified by the prisoner's dilemma game, there is no convincing equilibrium or stability. Axelrod's study on the evolution of cooperation states that players who survive are the ones who choose future cooperation over immediate benefits or revenge for past defection. In the repeated game of the prisoner's dilemma, the future parameter is defined as the probability of playing the next move. The future parameter is not simply a theoretical number; a high future parameter gives meaning to the actual behavior of organization members on the shop floor and those in the office. It forms the basis of the day-to-day experiences of Japanese company employees, giving them something from which they can derive a sense of achievement, something for them to feel worthwhile doing, and something to live for.

著者

Nobuo TAKAHASHI

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, no.5, pp.237-250, 2013-10-15 (Released:2013-10-15)

参考文献数

18

被引用文献数

11 14

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Japanese companies often criticize themselves on their own “nurumayu [lukewarm] nature.” Takahashi (1989) states that, in reality, however, the lukewarm feeling felt by organization members can be explained through the effective temperature hypothesis. The organization's propensity to change as a system is measured as system temperature, while the member's propensity to change as an organization person is measured as body temperature. The lukewarm feeling that the member feels can be explained using effective temperature, which is defined as the system temperature minus the body temperature. The effective temperature hypothesis was tested using the JPC Survey conducted every year from 1990 to 2000, where N = 10,356. The results show the coefficient of determination of 0.9886 with a surprisingly neat straight line, demonstrating a direct relationship wherein the lukewarm feeling ratio drops as the effective temperature rises. This paper also shows the possibility that the lukewarm feeling and effective temperature are leading indicators of the economic recession.

著者

Fumihiko IKUINE Hideki FUJITA

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, no.5, pp.251-263, 2013-10-15 (Released:2013-10-15)

参考文献数

24

被引用文献数

2 2

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It is difficult to identify easily adaptable software in its completed form. In its nature, the definition of “complete” is unclear. As a result, if one expects perfection in software, software products will never be released; the only alternative is to release software if it runs, and then gradually refine it over time. This results in the implicit conventional wisdom that the “continuous development” of the software is the best quality assurance. This paper looks at the highly capable Windows e-mail software called “Hidemaru Mail.” With current progress in IT, it is possible that the concept of software quality assurance can be applied to a broader array of products and services.

著者

Kenichi KUWASHIMA

出版者

グローバルビジネスリサーチセンター・東京大学MERC

雑誌

Annals of Business Administrative Science (ISSN:13474464)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, no.5, pp.265-276, 2013-10-15 (Released:2013-10-15)

参考文献数

21

被引用文献数

1

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This paper suggests three footnotes regarding heavyweight product manager (HWPM). HWPM, a term coined by Fujimoto (1989), refers to powerful managers that act as both internal and external integrators. Footnote 1: Fujimoto (1989) used the term “product manager” for project managers responsible for product development to emphasize their long-term and wide range of responsibilities and authority, which continue even after the completion of a product development project. Footnote 2: The list of internal integration index and external integration index used to measure HWPM and the organizational variables that comprise the two are given in the Appendix of Clark and Fujimoto (1991). However, the organizational variables noted as composition factors for these indices are misprints. In fact, it is necessary to reverse the organizational variables that refer to the indices. Footnote 3: Based on their empirical study, Clark and Fujimoto (1991) classify the following two cases as “lightweight product manager structures.” First is one in which “the degree of internal integration is high while that of external integration is low,” and second is when “the degree of internal integration is low while that of external integration is high.” However, the two product development organizations significantly differ. By classifying them, it is possible to glean deep insights into the relationship between the product development organization and product development performance.