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Porter's business strategies in Japan

Richard S. Allen (UC Foundation Associate Professor of Management based at the College of Business Administration, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.)
Marilyn M. Helms (Sesquicentennial Endowed Chair and Professor of Management based at the Business Administration Division, Dalton State College, Dalton, Georgia, USA.)
Holly Jones (College of Business Administration, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.)
Margaret B. Takeda (Global Management Consultant and Associate Professor of International Business based at the College of Business and Public Administration, California State University San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California, USA.)
Charles S. White (Hart Professor of Management based at the College of Business Administration, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.)

Business Strategy Series

ISSN: 1751-5637

Article publication date: 1 January 2008

6946

Abstract

Purpose

–

The Japanese government is promoting a move towards a variety of generic business strategies based on the Porter Prize as a way to regain global competitiveness and end their long economic recession. The purpose of this paper is to report on the current state of Japanese business strategies to a practitioner audience based on the authors' previous academic‐oriented research.

Design/methodology/approach

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A survey of 101 Japanese respondents was conducted to determine their relative use of Porter's generic business strategies. Examples of implementation are presented to illustrate use of the critical strategies.

Findings

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The Japanese are using two of Porter's generic strategies, namely cost leadership and differentiation and they are using two variations of Porter's focus strategies.

Research limitations/implications

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As is typical with all survey research, the convenience sample of organizations used in this survey may not be representative of all Japanese organizations.

Practical implications

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Managers, consultants and policy makers will gain insights into the impact national policy can have on corporate strategy. This understanding is important when conducting business in a global environment. More specifically, readers will gain a better understanding of how Japanese firms are presently implementing competitive strategies as a result of a Japanese national strategy to promote the use of Porter's generic strategies.

Originality/value

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This article is a practitioner‐oriented translation of an academic research study. The value of the current article is to share findings with the practitioner community and present examples of strategic implementation to managers, consultants and policy makers in a less technical format than a typical academic journal.

Keywords

Citation

Allen, R.S., Helms, M.M., Jones, H., Takeda, M.B. and White, C.S. (2008), "Porter's business strategies in Japan", Business Strategy Series, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 37-44. https://doi.org/10.1108/17515630810850109

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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