...Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide analysis of the Japanese auto manufacturer’s response to the rapid appreciation of the yen during the period known as Endaka and to offer recommendations to modern day multi-national corporations who are currently operating in a volatile exchange rate environment. The method of analysis includes evaluating the circumstances that led to the rise in the value of the yen as well as the subsequent actions of the Japanese auto manufacturers during this time. The results of this analysis suggest that there are several important lessons that can be derived from the Japanese auto industry’s Endaka experience. These lessons have been used to develop several strategies that can be employed by multi-national corporations in any industry to more effectively manage the operating exposure that fluctuations in exchange rates can create. These strategies include: • Employing cost reduction methods • Increasing operational efficiencies • Investing in research and development efforts • Diversifying the markets in which they participate • Expanding production locations to low-cost sites • Utilizing financial hedging practices. This report recognizes that the method of implementation of the operating exposure management strategies discussed will vary depending upon the size, structure, industry, and nations in which individual multi-national corporations operate. However, these recommendations are presented with the intention of...
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...Tarawa Atoll: Lessons from Betio Abstract The United States began its Central Pacific campaign in November 1943 and named the first campaign Operation Galvanic. The Japanese conquered the Tarawa atoll; part of the Gilbert Islands, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor and immediately started to construct an airfield on its largest island Betio. The seventy-six hour battle for Betio was the first amphibious operation against a well-fortified and defended atoll. The human loss of lives for Tarawa was shocking to the American public. The American public was not prepared for the cost involved in pressing an amphibious assault against a strongly held enemy island. The amphibious assault on the Tarawa Atoll at Betio taught the navy and the marines some vital lessons in amphibious warfare that would save thousands of lives in future campaigns. Tarawa Atoll: Lessons from Betio The United States began its Central Pacific campaign in November 1943 and named the first campaign Operation Galvanic. Operation Galvanic was the United States attack on Tarawa Atoll, which focused on the largest island of Betio. The seventy-six hour battle for Betio was the first amphibious operation against a well-fortified and defended atoll. Prior to Betio, navy, and marine amphibious operations were untested in atoll assaults. The amphibious assault on the Tarawa Atoll at Betio taught the navy and the marines some vital lessons in amphibious warfare that would save thousands of lives in...
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...‘Spirited Away’ is an anime film by Hayao Miyazaki. ‘Spirited Away’ tell us the story about a young girl who has developed from a weak/vulnerable girl to a much more independent and stronger girl. It is highly entertaining and insightful partly because of the education on Japanese culture, but what I believe makes it more entertaining and insightful is the life lessons within the film. Does culture and gender provide entertaining and insightful material for the audience? I don't believe that the culture and gender title is the only factor that makes the film entertaining. Many of other things within the film make it much more entertaining. In my eyes there isn't much of Japanese culture that gives me interest apart from the buildings and more. The gender stereotype is mostly shown in Chihiro not any other characters which doesn't make it a large factor in the film other although it's put in the main character. Many more different factors of ‘Spirited Away’ make it entertaining and insightful, such as life lessons within the film and how some characters are exaggerated also known as a caricature. Life lessons teach more about what we should know more in general rather than Japanese culture which isn't necessarily important for the majority of us in the future. Hayao Miyazaki has used many...
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...to a city, town, or small district rather than an entire state or country. Personal is pertaining to own self-opinion and viewpoint. There are many ways that The Last Samurai offers lessons on a global level. At first, Nathan Algren thinks that Japanese are savages, because they have a strict policy that commanded you kill yourself if you break it. Also, he thinks that he is better than other people just because he is an American. For example, he aggressively killed several Samurai which leads to Katsumoto’s brother in law prepares to kill the wounded Nathan. But he seizes a spear from the ground and stabs Hirotaro through the throat....
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...groups, the history of Chinese and Japanese Americans has not been easy as they have been met with conflicting views from the European settlers. On one hand, Chinese and Japanese immigrants were welcomed in the United States because they were seen as a mean for cheap and efficient labor while on the other hand, they were viewed as a threat because they represented an alien culture and economic competition for the European settlers. Evidently, the anti-Asian sentiments of the country resulted in an ongoing battle for the Chinese and Japanese settlement and acceptance in the U.S. As a measure to make immigration and economic success difficult for the Chinese and Japanese legislatures were passed such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Alien...
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...Guadalcanal, 1942 “General Vandegrift noted that the Japanese soldier "was trained to go to a place, stay there, fight and die. We train our men to go to a place, fight to win, and to live. I can assure you, it is a better theory." (Henry I. Shaw, 1992) World War II was possibly the largest and bloodiest war (John Miller, 2003) that America has been a part of. The war was engaged on land, on sea, and in the air, and lasted close to six years (Henry I. Shaw, 1992). The Battle of Guadalcanal was a decisive victory during WWII, and a turning point for the Americans and the Allies in the Pacific theater (staff, 2009) in 1942. America was forced into action when on December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese forces attacked the Asian waters into the Pacific with coinciding attacks on Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, Wake, Guam, Hong Kong, and the Malay Peninsula (John Miller, 2003). The US maintained the "German first" course they had set against the Axis, but were immediately forced to stop the Japanese momentum; the Guadalcanal was a key piece of territory because it was part of the Solomon Islands, located north-eastern of Australia. Failure to stop the Japanese would threaten the lines of communication to Australia and New Zealand (John Miller, 2003). On August 8th, the Marines landed at Guadalcanal; with no resistance from the Japanese; the Marines wasted no time; they joined their positions and seized the airfield the Japanese started (Trueman, 2000), and forged a new beachhead (Henry...
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... Kongo Gumi in the 20th Century 23 Meiji restoration 23 The Mid War Period 24 World war 11 24 KONGO GUMI WOULD HAVE SURVIVED IF: 25 WOULD KONGO GUMI HAVE SURVIVED IF IT MADE IT THROUGH TO THE ABENOMICS ERA? 26 LESSONS FROM KONGO GUMI 27 CONCLUSION 28 REFERENCES 31 Appendix 1 – Infographic of Japan’s timeline EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Kongo Gumi was a success as it operated in a stable industry. The belief system has survived for thousands of years and has many millions of adherents. With this firm foundation, Kongo had survived some tumultuous times. The temple construction had until recently been a reliable mainstay, contributing 80% of Kongo Gumi's $67.6 million in 2004 revenues. The story of Kongo Gumi suggests that firms should blend elements of conservatism and flexibility. This means that firms should stay in the same business for more than a millennium and vary from the principle of succession as needed to preserve the company. Experts felt that Kongo Gumi's demise too held many valuable lessons for family-owned businesses. Family-owned businesses could learn a lot from the business practices followed by Kongo Gumi. Lessons from Kongo Gumi's long tenure and ultimate failure suggest that firms need to pick a stable industry and create flexible...
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...disseminate of communist thinking, however, was interrupt by the World War II, during which the Japanese Imperial Troops invade British Malaya. The MCP affiliate strength with the British Troops to beat the Japanese occupant by shaping the Malayan People’s Anti Japanese Army (MPAJA), while the British offer arms and and device training MPAJA members. When the war end, the communist guerrillas began to oppose their ci-devant British ally, now appellative themselves the Malayan People’s Anti British Army (MPABA). The communists were surely the foe of British Imperialism but anybody who did not order to their thinking was serve as the foe. The guerrillas damage the life of the people. They take their vengeance on local Malayans that are working straight or indirect with the British. The communists call this is ‘the war of the running dogs’ The MCP, leadership by Chin Peng, used horror as arms. Their purpose was want the country turn into a communist state. As the outrage committed by the communists upgraded, a State Emergency was statement in June 1948. At first, the Chin Peng obtain tactical merit over a weariness and the foe haven’t get ready, but the British government persist and perform a active bounce back with a new and energetic leadership and dynamic double-edged strategy from the likes of Briggs and Templer, who had service with difference anti the Japanese in the World War II, and Tunku Abdul Rahman, who in time became Malaya’s...
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...format come from? What lesson for international business can be drawn from this? -First of all, Starbucks’s strategy was to provide their own premium-roasted coffee and freshly brewed espresso-style coffee beverages, along with a variety of pastries, coffee accessories, teas, and other products. When they spread to Japan coffee market, they used Japan’s local retailer, Sazaby Inc. Even Starbucks joined with Japan Venture Company, they didn’t lose their own coffee shop style. Finally they could get the success in the Japan market. In the international business, companies who want to invest to other country have to research and get a lot of information because they don’t know about foreign rules and regulations of business. 2. What drove Starbucks to start expanding internationally? How is the company creating value for its shareholders by pursuing an international expansion strategy? -Starbucks expects the foreign opportunities. At the 1990’s, Asia didn’t have any coffee shop markets. Moreover, coffee culture is not friendly to Asian. Someone thought Starbucks’s adventure doesn’t achieve. However, Starbucks used the “Starbucks experience” in North America, which coffee stores became places for relaxation, chatting with friends, reading the newspapers, holding business meeting, or browsing the web. This experience smashes to Asian customers. 3. Why do you think Starbucks decided to enter the Japanese market via a joint venture with a Japanese company? What lesson can you...
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...stagnant. Why has the Japanese economy stagnated? The Japanese has stagnated due to Japanese banks. The banks over lent, made it easy to borrow and in turn created bad debt, it make it difficult to replace the money borrowed and cause a deficit causing the deflation in the country. “The Nikkei average plunged from nearly 39,000 points in December 1989 to about 14,300 points in August 1992, thereby losing about 60% of its value. As a result, investors lost the equivalent of (U.S.) $2 trillion and property values plummeted by about $10 trillion. Property values in certain parts of the country declined by 70% and plunged Japan into a deep recession for 10-years.” (Alston, 2013) To summarize the stock market collapsed, property prices dropped, banks curtailed the easy lending practices the created the economic boom, consumer spending halted- recession created, deflation, and the Japanese government was unsuccessful 2. What lessons does the history of Japan over the past 20 years hold for other nations? What can countries do to avoid the kind of deflationary spiral that has gripped Japan? Other nations can learn from what happened with Japan. Strict lending practices should have been in place to begin with, this would help decrease the amount of bad debt. The Government need to watch its spending. Japan is stuck because its debt is so high, it is extremely difficult to become strong again. 3. What do you think would be required to get the Japanese economy moving again...
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...anime became the latest trend for all teenagers and having a good storyline that makes the students hook up. Another one is due to cool animation, which has a vibrant color that tickles their eyes every time they watched a single episode. Next is peer pressure, which influences a person to watch anime, when your group is expose to anime it will surely influence you. Last is boredom buster. As an expert say, "Boredom is not the lack of sensory stimulation: It is just a lack of imagination or creative thinking, so students tend to watch anime more often and surf the internet to read online manga.” Discussion I. Anime Anime is a term for Japanese animation. The word is the abbreviated pronunciation of "animation" in Japanese, where this term references all animation. In other languages, the term is defined as animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style often characterized by colorful graphics,...
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...Japanese Management Style 505 Fundamentals of Business Enterprise Japanese Management Style: Still Relevant Today? Cultural norms and business practices vary throughout the world. It would be foolish for an American businessman to travel to Africa or Asia and believe that the manner in which they conduct business in the States will translate effectively to interactions with their foreign counterparts. Peter Smith’s 1984 article titled, “The effectiveness of Japanese styles of management: A review and critique,” details the similarities and differences between the accepted management styles in America and Japan. The impetus behind the article concerned the growing number of American subsidiaries in Japan. Smith attempts to analyze the distinctive qualities of Japanese work organizations, whether there are consistent or universal themes across all Japanese organizations, and what tends to happen when the distinctive qualities in Japanese business come into contact with Western business practices. As a result, there are several interesting lessons provided within this article that managers from all corners of the world can learn from. Japanese work organizations are structured In terms of exhibit rigid hierarchical organizational structure. Nonetheless, while organizations in Japan are less functionally specialized, the Japanese stress the collective unit rather than individual responsibility, as reported by Yoshino in 1975 when he discusses the ringi method that...
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...Facts Toys “R” Us first told the public about their decision to enter the Japanese toy market in 1989. A lot of critics worried that Toys “R” Us would not be successful in this new and foreign market. They raised several issues that they believed proved the Japanese market was not ready for the marketing and retailing strategy that Toys “R” Us offered. They stated that the Japanese culture and beliefs were too different from that of the United States and Europe for Toys “R” Us to be successful. Toys “R” Us incorporates a “category killer” strategy (Johansson 181). In this marketing strategy they use mass advertising in order to make brand recognition, which in turn helps consumers remember and want to shop at their store. They also discount some of the popular items at certain times which give the consumer the impression that everything at their store is inexpensive or discounted. Some critics said that this strategy would clash with the Japanese consumers, since Toys “R” Us competes on price and the Japanese culture links quality with price. Another concern was that Toys “R” Us Japan would not be able to get ample permission and space to build their large toy stores. Toys “R” Us has a policy that none of their stores can be less than 3,000 square feet. This is a problem when entering the Japanese market because they have laws against big stores and land is so expensive. Also some Japanese toy manufacturers said that they would not sell directly to Toys “R” Us, but...
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...Case: Anglo American PLC in South Africa (from Lesson 5) 1 Who are the various stakeholders that Anglo American needs to consider as it adopts an effective HIV/AIDs strategy? - Anglo American employees and their families - Government bodies - Non- Profit organizations (NGOs)/ World Health Organization (WHO) - Competitors/ Other large mining concerns or companies operating in South Africa - Pharmaceutical companies - National Union of Mine Workers - Financial Institutions - Shareholders 2 What are the pros and cons of Anglo American’s adoption of an aggressive strategy in combating HIV/AIDS among its South African workforce? What recommendations would you give the company concerning its HIV/AIDS policy? Pros: - Prevented further operating loss and increased productivity. - Bright future as government started national strategic plan to combat HIV/AIDS. - By adopting the strategy, the company achieves trust and commitment from ethical minded shareholders. - It got good response from WHO, Global business council for HIV/AIDS and other NGOs, this makes the company a socially responsible organization in Global business. - It became a trend setter for other major companies operating in South Africa, thus gaining a goodwill among other companies Cons: -This program had spiraling costs for the company as the distribution of the medicines remained high. - It was unable to determine if its efforts are making a difference in underlying problem as one...
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...Global and International Management MGT Section The Globalization of Starbucks Case Study Question Responses De’kante E. Nah Where did the original idea for the Starbuck’s format come from? What lesson for international business can be drawn from this? Howard Schultz’s visit to Milan, Italy in the 1980’s while he was the marketing director of the company is where he experienced the warm and pleasant atmosphere of Italy’s cozy Italian coffeehouse. Schultz’s positive experience with the personalization and warmth of the coffee house is where his inspiration to create the same atmosphere for the Starbucks Corporation was originated Schultz was able to persuade the owners of the company to implement the process and cultural experience from Italy’s coffeehouses into their store. Howard Schultz’s innovated process came form him having the opportunity to experience a different culture and observing how they do business. Schultz was intrigued and inspired by how the Italian coffee bars were organized, as well as, their unique characteristics of having a relationship with their customers. By learning and studying their practices and processes to the Starbucks stores, which has been instrumental to their success. As stated in our textbook “innovation not only includes the production of new products but entails new processes, new organizations, as well as the implementation of new practices, strategies and procedures.” His decision to re-create the Italian coffee house...
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