1st Edition

Innovation in Japan Emerging Patterns, Enduring Myths

Edited By Keith Jackson, Phillipe Debroux Copyright 2009
    200 Pages
    by Routledge

    200 Pages
    by Routledge

    The Japanese economy has made a remarkable recovery from the so-called ‘Lost Decade’ of the 1990s. This said, demographic trends suggest that Japan will have to show remarkable powers of innovation if it is to continue to prosper in the global economy. For, around the turn of the last century texts published by prominent strategy analysts such as Michael Porter and colleagues were asking whether Japan could continue to compete at all, and in answering this question they not only gained significant global attention, they also appeared to sound the death knell for strategic innovation in Japan.

    This collection helps put the record straight. It invites authors and editors of previous (Routledge) titles on the topic of ‘Innovation in Japan’ to reflect on how things have moved on – prominent scholars on Japanese innovation such as Martin Hemmert, Cornelia Storz, and Ruth Taplin, all of whom appear in this collection. It brings together fresh perspectives on Japanese-style innovation, from insiders and from outsiders, from scholars and from practitioners, all of whose combined contributions to this book update our understanding of how patterns of innovation in Japan are evolving and thus provide inspiration and guidance for managers and innovators worldwide.

    1. Innovation in Japan: An Introduction Keith Jackson and Philippe Debroux  2. Innovation Management of Japanese and Korean Firms: A Comparative Analysis Martin Hemmert  3. Comparing National Innovation Systems in Japan and the United States: Push, Pull, Drag and Jump Factors in the Development of New Technology Kathryn Ibata-Arens  4. Growing R&D Collaboration of Japanese Firms and Policy Implications for Reforming the National Innovation System Kazuyuki Motohashi  5. Japanese Intellectual Property and Employee Rights to Compensation Ruth Taplin  6. From Vertical to Horizontal Inter-Firm Cooperation: Dynamic Innovation in Japan’s Semiconductor Industry Yoshitaka Okada  7. Innovation, Institutions and Entrepreneurs: The Case of ‘Cool Japan’ Cornelia Storz  8. Expected Roles of Business Angels in Seed/Early Stage University Spin-offs in Japan: Can Business Angels act as Saviours? Masanobu Tsukagoshi  9. Innovation in Japan: What role for University Spin-offs? Philippe Debroux  10. Emerging Patterns and Enduring Myths of Innovation in Japan: Concluding Thoughts Keith Jackson and Philippe Debroux

    Biography

    Keith Jackson is a tutor and researcher at The School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS) – University of London. He also works freelance as an HRM consultant in Europe and Asia. He is book reviews editor of the Taylor Francis journal ‘Asia Pacific Business Review’ (APBR) and co-editor of the Routledge ‘Working in Asia’ series. Recent publications include ‘The Changing Face of Japanese Management’ (2004, Routledge).

    Philippe Debroux is Professor of International Management at Soka University, Japan. He is also international reviews editor of the Asia Pacific Business Review (APBR), one of several journals in which he publishes regularly. Recent publications include ‘Human Resource Management in Japan: Changes and Uncertainties: A New Human Resource Management System Fitting to the Global Economy’ (2003, Ashgate). He is currently conducting research into female entrepreneurship in Japan.