Japan Research Center

The Harvard Business School Japan Research Center (JRC) opened in January 2002. Located in Tokyo, its primary purpose is to support HBS faculty research and case-writing activities in Japan. JRC plays an important role in helping HBS advance its activities. Through its work in Japan, facilitated by the JRC, HBS strives to deepen faculty's understanding of and exposure to Japanese management issues, trends, and practices, as well as developing locally relevant case studies and course materials for use in MBA and Executive Education programs around the world. The School is heavily involved in strengthening ties with important constituencies in Japan (including companies, universities, government, and HBS alumni) - these relationships are critical to ensuring that the School's efforts have an impact. The work of the JRC has enabled the School's faculty to identify and study important management advancements in Japan, or develop and test their ideas within a Japanese framework.

Japanese Version

Newsletter No. 7 March 2006

Summary of activities during the second half of 2005

Cases

Governing Sumida Corporation
Lynn Paine (General Management) developed a case on Sumida Corporation, Japan's top manufacturer of electronic coils, focusing on its governance system. In Japan, the revised commercial code, which became effective in May 2002, allowed companies to select either the traditional, statutory auditor system or a "committee system" inspired by U.S. practice. Sumida was the first company to adopt the latter. The case describes how Sumida's governance system had evolved historically and asks whether further improvements are necessary.

NOK (A)
Das Narayandas (Marketing) developed a case on NOK, a global auto parts company run by President Masato Tsuru (HBS MBA '77). The (A) case is set in 2001, when NOK is trying to change its profit management approach, from managing profits at the firm level to the level of individual products and customers. This was challenging as NOK's two established divisions, auto and electronics, had entirely different sales and marketing structure, development processes, lifecycles and manufacturing requirements. The (B) case is set in the summer of 2005.

Toyota Motor Corporation: Launching Prius
Forest Reinhardt (BGIE) and Dennis Yao (Strategy) developed a case on Toyota's hybrid car, Prius. In 1993, a project team was formed to conceive a car for the 21st century. The team's efforts, combined with other initiatives underway, resulted in development of the world's first commercial hybrid vehicle. The case focuses on challenges facing Toyota, including weak product planning and declining share in the domestic market, and the leadership of its new CEO Okuda.

Transformation of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 2005 (A)
Mike Yoshino (General Management) developed a case on Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., a global leader in electronics appliances. The company suffered poor performance during 1990s and Kunio Nakamura, who became CEO in 2001, sought to transform the company in a fundamental fashion and succeeded in a remarkable turnaround. It is a serial consisting of (A), (B) and (C) cases.

Visitors from Boston

During the second half of 2005, Lynn Paine (General Management), Research Associate Kim Bettcher, Mary Tripsas (Entrepreneurial Management), Giovanni Gavetti (Strategy), Rob Austin (Technology Operations Management) and Rawi Abdelal (BGIE) visited Tokyo to engage in research and case development.

Ed Kelly (Director of Academic Sales, HBS Publishing) visited Japan to meet with their partners and to explore opportunities in Japan. Andrea Kimmel (Assistant Director, MBA Program) visited Tokyo to interview candidates and give presentation on the MBA program and admissions process. Lynton Hayes (Executive Director, Executive Education) visited Tokyo to discuss new executive education programs and explore other opportunities.

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