Japan's Computer and Communications Industry

Summary

This work draws on and extends the theoretical framework developed by such authors as Richard Nelson, Sidney Winter, David Teece, Alfred Chandler, Nathan Rosenberg, and Christopher Freeman, through an empirical analysis of the evolution of the Japanese information and communications (IC) industry. Particular attention is paid to the development of a theory of the firm which is consistent with this empirical objective. The Japanese IC industry contains three main segments: computers and software, thelecommunications equipment, and semiconductors. The work asks: How did such Japanese companies as NTT, NEC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Toshiba, and Sumitomo Electric manage to catch up and become some of the largest companies in the world. Why have they not been as successful in global markets as their counterparts in consumer electronics and automobiles? What role was played by NTT's system of controlled competition and by MITI? Based on over 600 personal interviews over eight years with Japanese leaders, this book provides new analyses and empirical material on this crucial industry.