일본 전기･전자산업 ‘잃어버린 20년’의 재검토

Abstract

In general, there is an approach named “product architecture” which is used to analyze competitiveness of Japanese manufacturing industry. The success of Japanese manufacturing industry lies in the organizational ability to integrate･mutually adjust factors that are difficult to be quantified such as teamwork, information sharing, fine tuning, dealing with demanding customers and artisan spirit. In the past, when a Japanese company launched a new product by succeeding in technological innovation, they were able to secure stable profits based on strong international competitiveness. However, this premise has not been valid during the “two lost decades” when long-term recession took place. Ironically, Japanese companies were in possession of numerous patents and world-class technology but they did not ensure expansion of market share and profit creation. The electrical･electronics industry in Japan was an representative example. During the 20 years after the collapse of bubble, several factors have been noted as the cause for recession and deteriorated competitiveness of Japanese electrical･electronics industry including economic factors (long-term recession, rapid price decline, strong yen), technological factors (expansion and generalization of digital technology, innovation, excess quality) and monozukur structural change (failure in response to standardization strategy, expansion of horizontal division of labor, vertical integration dilemma, limitation of integrated monozukuri). Based on investigating the findings from previous studies, the present research aims to examine the causes for business failures of Japanese electrical･electronics industry despite their world-class technology. In particular, I focus on examination from a business management perspective to identify the cause of competitiveness decline in Japanese electrical･electronics industry and business management agendas, by comparing between electrical･electronics industry and semiconductor industry.