일본 강소기업의 경쟁원천에 관한 연구

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to identify the source of competitive advantage of Japanese ‘Hidden Champions’ in business. More specifically, it is to examine the way strong small companies in Japan evolve, and to identify the reasons behind their successful growth. To this end, an analytical framework that outlines how products and technologies are developed when a company is in crisis is proposed. In addition, using this framework, the cases of five companies are analyzed to verify their trajectories. The results indicate that strong small companies in Japan have been able to evolve by improving their existing products, achieved by optimizing their use of technology. In some instances, new technologies have been introduced to improve existing products, but even during the most difficult times, companies have not ultimately developed types of new product that they were not already familiar with. To overcome changes in the business environment such as a shrinking market or increasing competition, the chosen path for these companies has been to consider how to improve the products that they are already making. Moreover, the process of evolution identified in the study is reflective of GODAWARI (拘り) and NOREN (暖簾). Japan’s unique corporate culture, which holds in high regard a business’s longevity and a company’s stubborn attention to detail, makes it possible for these Hidden Champions to grow while simultaneously maintaining a focus on their main product or business.