John R. Sparkes

Knowledge transfer and human resource development practices: Japanese firms in Brazil and Mexico

This paper is based on case studies from the subsidiaries of Japanese manufacturing firms in Brazil and Mexico. It presents empirical findings on the influence of human resource development (HRD) in knowledge transfer, using the case studies in an attempt to delineate appropriate emphases in HRD practices that enhance the transfer of knowledge. The paper examines the proposition that the provision of both on-the-job and off-the-job training constitutes best practice to enhance knowledge transfer. The findings are related to the theory of human capital as a basis for refining the research framework.

Direct foreign investment in japan as a means of market entry: The case of European firms 1

Japan, one of the worlds largest and strongest economies, attracts a tiny level of inward direct investment. This neglect is particularly true of European multinationals. This article examines a sample of European companies which have Japanese manufacturing affiliates, to assess direct investment as a means of access to the Japanese market. It examines the objectives and strategies of entry and evaluates the outcome in terms of successful penetration of the Japanese market. The joint venture route is a preferred means of initial entry and the research allows evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of this mode of entry to the Japanese market.

Contrasting Perspectives on American and European Direct Investment in Japan

CONCERN in the United States, and increasingly in Europe, with regard to barriers facing foreign companies in Japan has heightened interest in the trade and investment climate for foreign firms seeking greater access to the Japanese market.

Swimming Against the Tide? The Strategy of European Manufacturing Investors in Japan

The last two decades have witnessed the internationalisation of the Japanese economy at a spectacular pace (see Table 8.1). In the 1970s, this process was especially evident in the rapid expansion of visible and invisible trade (both exports and imports); but in the 1980s, partly as a consequence of this trading success, the baton has passed to international investors and financial institutions. Table 8.1 shows that long-term capital outflows from Japan (be these direct investment, portfolio investment, or international bank loans) soared over the period between 1980 and 1986. This expansion overseas is increasingly aggressive, e.g. in 1986, Japanese takeovers in the USA exceeded US

Recent Developments in American and European Direct Investment in Post-Bubble Japan: Contrasting Perspectives

2 billion in value,2 and there is no sign of a slowdown. The Export-Import Bank of Japan predicts a further expansion in outward foreign direct investment;3 and the outflow of long-term capital from Japan during 1987 (at US

Awareness and use of forecasting techniques in british industry

170 billion) boosted the stock of such foreign assets by 36 per cent (the 1986 stock was US

European Direct Investment in Japan

476 billion).4

A note on Japanese pricing policy

Although Japan’s trade surplus with the U.S. and Europe tends to gain the headlines, the country also has a sharp imbalance in terms of capital flows, not least in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Indeed, in recent historical terms, the trend of foreign investment between the U.S. and Japan has been towards greater imbalance. Between 1980 and 1990 U.S. direct investment in Japan rose by 210% from a minimal level in 1980 to

Government-industry relations in Japan: Some contrasts with the UK and Europe

19.3 billion in 1990. This pales in comparison with Japanese investment in the U.S. which grew steadily over the same decade from

New multinationals for old? the political economy of Japanese internationalisation

4.2 billion in 1980 to