Research on joint ventures in China: progress and prognosis

Previous published studies on international joint ventures (JVs) in China are reviewed and assessed by summarising important research patterns. A model of management of international JVs in China is developed which emphasises the central theme of cross-cultural management. Dimensions in research on international JVs in China and directions for future research are also discussed

Visor

A visor is a piece of plastic object that can protect or cover the eyes area. Visor is designed transparent to protect the face and eyes. Therefore, the visors can disguise as a mask. For example, some of helmet in suit of the armour can protect our eyes and in automobile, the driver or front passenger can lower the part of windshield to block the sun. In the year 1924, Hathway has invented the car visor. Originally, he calls it as the glare shield because its function to block out the harmful sun’s x-ray. Therefore, Henry Ford from the creator of the Ford company patented the Hathway’s invention in 1938 that led many innovations to Ford Corp. The main of this purpose is to reduce the direct sunlight to driver’s eyes

Asset Price Fluctuations, Structural Adjustments, and Sustained Economic Growth: Lessons from Japan's Experience since the Late 1980s

In this paper, we examine implications of asset price fluctuations and resultant structural adjustments on sustained economic growth, based on Japan's experience since the latter half of the 1980s. In doing so, we offer the view that the protracted economic stagnation in Japan can be seen as a result of the incomplete economic adjustments to significant changes in relative prices, in part triggered by the bursting of the asset price bubble. Such changes in relative prices include movements in both intertemporal and cross-sectional dimensions, which interacted crucially to lower the economy's trend growth. This aspect of Japan's asset price bubble, with its consequences for structural adjustments since the 1990s, is important because it illustrates the specific environment in which the Bank of Japan has to conduct monetary policy: namely, not a standard stabilization policy around a stable growth trend. Rather, it has operated in an environment of unanswered policy management questions coupled with hampered sustained growth.

Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams: An exploratory study.

Modern organizations face many significant challenges because of turbulent environments and a competitive global economy. Among these challenges are the use of information and communication technology (ICT), a multicultural workforce, and organizational designs that involve global virtual teams. Ad hoc teams create both opportunities and challenges for organizations and many organizations are trying to understand how the virtual environment affects team effectiveness. Our exploratory study focused on the effects of cultural diversity and ICT on team effectiveness. Interviews with 41 team members from nine countries employed by a Fortune 500 corporation were analyzed. Results suggested that cultural diversity had a positive influence on decision‐making and a negative influence on communication. ICT mitigated the negative impact on intercultural communication and supported the positive impact on decision making. Effective technologies for intercultural communication included e‐mail, teleconferencing combined with e‐Meetings, and team rooms. Cultural diversity influenced selection of the communication media

R&D activities and technical information flow in Japanese electronic corporations

The paper analyzes R&D-activities of Japanese electronic corporations in the context of the firm’s performance for the period 1986 to 1996. Compared to the R&Dexpenditures- to-sales ratio the profit-on-sales ratio is remarkably low for the whole industry. This stresses the problems which the electrical machinery is facing in a time of growing diversification, extremely high costs for new developments and stiff competition with non-patent-protected products. -- Die Studie untersucht die FuE-Aktivitäten von japanischen Elektrounternehmen in Zusammenhang mit dem Erfolg der Unternehmen im Zeitraum von 1986 bis 1996. Auffällig ist, daß die Umsatzrendite verglichen mit den FuE-Ausgaben in Prozent vom Umsatz bei allen Unternehmen erstaunlich niedrig ist. Das verdeutlicht die Probleme, mit denen diese Branche in einer Zeit zunehmender Diversifikation, extrem hoher Kosten für neue Produktentwicklungen und hartem Wettbewerb im Bereich von nicht patentierten Produkten zu kämpfen hat.

The Impact of Production Fragmentation on Industry Skill Upgrading: New Evidence from Japanese Manufacturing

This paper examines the hypothesis that industries engaged in international fragmentation of production experience greater skill upgrading using a panel dataset of Japanese manufacturing over the period 1980-2000. The novelty of the study comes from the use of an index newly constructed using data on trade in parts and components to measure inter-industry variations in the degree of international vertical specialization (fragmentation intensity of trade). It also employs a methodology designed to embody peculiarities of Japan's fragmentation trade pattern. While the findings of existing studies are inconclusive, we find that the expansion of fragmentation trade with developing East Asian countries has had a significant impact on the skills composition of Japanese manufacturing employment. By contrast, trade with high income countries seems to have had a skill downgrading effect.International Fragmentation of Production, Skill Upgrading, Japanese Manufacturing

Economic Slowdown in Japan and the Role of Intangible Assets on the Revitalization of the Japanese Economy

The Japanese economy has stagnated since the economic bubble collapsed in 1990. The paper points out two reasons for the long-term stagnation of the Japanese economy: the slow growth in capital accumulation including ICT assets and the decline of entrepreneurship. In the advanced countries, intangible assets play a crucial role in the growth at the aggregate and firm levels. To revitalize the Japanese economy, we need policies which promote accumulation in intangible assets.bubble, non-performing loans, ICT investment, MFP, intangible investment

Industry Life Cycle and the Evolution of an Industry Network

This paper addresses the problem of the general validity of models of the industry life cycle, which have been proposed to analyse the long-term evolution of many industries, exhibiting a typical pattern of shakeout. We study a case of non shake-out in the commercial jet aero-engine industry, marked by a small number of entry events distributed over 40 years of industry evolution, by no exits and by a resulting slowly increasing number of firms. We argue that the vertical structure of the industry, as represented by the network of vertical relations between aero-engine suppliers and aircraft manufacturers, "regulated" the process of entry and exit and posed the conditions for a non shakeout to take place.industry life cycle; entry, exit; network; vertical relations

Space biology initiative program definition review. Trade study 6: Space Station Freedom/spacelab modules compatibility

The differences in rack requirements for Spacelab, the Shuttle Orbiter, and the United States (U.S.) laboratory module, European Space Agency (ESA) Columbus module, and the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) of Space Station Freedom are identified. The feasibility of designing standardized mechanical, structural, electrical, data, video, thermal, and fluid interfaces to allow space flight hardware designed for use in the U.S. laboratory module to be used in other locations is assessed