Werner Pascha - Böcker

Should Japan and Germany strive to restructure their institutional fabric and arrangements to make them more similar to Anglo-American standards? Where will systemic change lead? This book offers fresh insights by collecting Japanese and German contributions to this scholarly discussion both from theoretical and empirical viewpoints. A major conclusion of several papers is that the forces of differentiation are frequently underestimated. Important thematic issues include: contingency, path dependence and complementarity. Examinations of economic globalisation and rapidity of technological change pose questions about the nature of socio-economic system analysis in the future.

Should Japan and Germany strive to restructure their institutional fabric and arrangements to make them more similar to Anglo-American standards? Where will systemic change lead? This book offers fresh insights by collecting Japanese and German contributions to this scholarly discussion both from theoretical and empirical viewpoints. A major conclusion of several papers is that the forces of differentiation are frequently underestimated. Important thematic issues include: contingency, path dependence and complementarity. Examinations of economic globalisation and rapidity of technological change pose questions about the nature of socio-economic system analysis in the future.

From the commercial and industrial transformation of Osaka in the late 19th century to the role and status of Japanese multinationals in Europe: these two themes represent both the time-span and the breadth of this volume.

The Northeast Asian security environment is closely linked to Korea’s growth perspectives for the future. The spectacular rise of the South Korean economy in the past half century, also known as “Miracle on the Han River,” has been duly highlighted as one of the most successful cases of economic development worldwide. However, among the factors curbing South Korea’s growth perspectives has been, from the very beginning of its rise, the coexistence of the difficult neighbour to the North, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. While in the cold war this coexistence has been taken as inevitable, after the end of the cold war there were hopes to overcome this obstacle to further growth either through collapse or enhanced cooperation with the North, neither of which became reality. North Korea’s unprecedented aggressiveness and development of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear devices, made this threat truly an international question with multilateral talks coming into existence as ad-hoc measures to cope with the nuclear crisis. It was then that the idea of a Northeast Asian Security Community was born. The contributions in this book discuss how a peaceful solution of the security problems could not only enhance stability of Korea’s economy and reduce the defense burden considerably (the so-called peace dividend), but would facilitate regional investments safer and regional solutions for common economic problems. When discussing the possibilities of a security framework or, in an institutionalized form, security community, in Northeast Asia, the authors in this volume are realistic as to not fall into the trap of wishful thinking, which so often has characterized approaches to North Korea resulting in disappointment. The past two years again saw the rising of tensions in Northeast Asia and the masterful way in which even an impoverished and isolated country can play its cards. While it seems a new ice age between the two Koreas is possible,nevertheless and maybe even more than ever the search for a stable security framework for Northeast Asia as a precondition for peaceful economic cooperation and development will go on. The chapters in this volume contribute to the ongoing debate to secure peace and development in Northeast Asia, making this book of interest to both academics and policy-makers alike.

The Northeast Asian security environment is closely linked to Korea’s growth perspectives for the future. The spectacular rise of the South Korean economy in the past half century, also known as “Miracle on the Han River,” has been duly highlighted as one of the most successful cases of economic development worldwide. However, among the factors curbing South Korea’s growth perspectives has been, from the very beginning of its rise, the coexistence of the difficult neighbour to the North, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. While in the cold war this coexistence has been taken as inevitable, after the end of the cold war there were hopes to overcome this obstacle to further growth either through collapse or enhanced cooperation with the North, neither of which became reality. North Korea’s unprecedented aggressiveness and development of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear devices, made this threat truly an international question with multilateral talks coming into existence as ad-hoc measures to cope with the nuclear crisis. It was then that the idea of a Northeast Asian Security Community was born. The contributions in this book discuss how a peaceful solution of the security problems could not only enhance stability of Korea’s economy and reduce the defense burden considerably (the so-called peace dividend), but would facilitate regional investments safer and regional solutions for common economic problems. When discussing the possibilities of a security framework or, in an institutionalized form, security community, in Northeast Asia, the authors in this volume are realistic as to not fall into the trap of wishful thinking, which so often has characterized approaches to North Korea resulting in disappointment. The past two years again saw the rising of tensions in Northeast Asia and the masterful way in which even an impoverished and isolated country can play its cards. While it seems a new ice age between the two Koreas is possible,nevertheless and maybe even more than ever the search for a stable security framework for Northeast Asia as a precondition for peaceful economic cooperation and development will go on. The chapters in this volume contribute to the ongoing debate to secure peace and development in Northeast Asia, making this book of interest to both academics and policy-makers alike.

This illuminating book broadly addresses the emerging field of 'diversity of capitalism' from a comparative institutional approach. It explores the varied patterns for achieving coordination in different economic systems, applying them specifically to China, Japan and South Korea. These countries are of particular interest due to the fact that they are often considered to have developed their own peculiar blend of models of capitalism. The expert contributors take a common institutional approach, focusing on institutions at the macro level. They present case studies to demonstrate the diversity of institutional patterns at the advent of the 21st century, both within the East Asian region and elsewhere. Examples of stability within existing institutions are illustrated alongside examples of comprehensive institutional change. Underpinning the case studies are a set of theoretical and empirical challenges for researchers concerned with national institutional settings, path dependence and endogenous dynamics. Institutional Variety in East Asia will prove a fascinating read for academics and students with an interest in Asian studies, institutional theory, political economy and heterodox economics.

Only inadequately perceived by the Western public, Korea has transformed into an economic heavy weight during recent decades. The Korean government believes it can turn it into one of the top 10 competitive economies until 2010. This goal does not sound overambitious as Korea has undergone tremendous efforts in order to forge ahead in the field of research and development. In some high tech industries, Korean firms have advanced into leading players in the global market place and are increasingly challenging their international competitors. Against this background, the volume offers an in-depth analysis of the Korean innovation system and shows how its science and technology policies actually work. As Korea’s economy is now reaching the status of a newly advanced economy, the book also takes a close look on ongoing structural changes in the course of economic globalization.

Only inadequately perceived by the Western public, Korea has transformed into an economic heavy weight during recent decades. The Korean government believes it can turn it into one of the top 10 competitive economies until 2010. This goal does not sound overambitious as Korea has undergone tremendous efforts in order to forge ahead in the field of research and development. In some high tech industries, Korean firms have advanced into leading players in the global market place and are increasingly challenging their international competitors. Against this background, the volume offers an in-depth analysis of the Korean innovation system and shows how its science and technology policies actually work. As Korea’s economy is now reaching the status of a newly advanced economy, the book also takes a close look on ongoing structural changes in the course of economic globalization.

South Korea has attained spectacular economic success in recent decades. It has reached the status of a Newly Advanced Economy, with challenges increasingly mirroring those faced by other advanced economies. These include the necessary upgrading of the labor force, the frictions of switching to a national system of innovation adapted to leadership in R&D, market-based economic policies that reflect the government’s difficulties in foreseeing future technological developments, and the consequences of social change for the innovation system and policy-making. In the forthcoming book the parallel challenges for innovation and technology for the Republic of Korea and other advanced economies will be analyzed more thoroughly with an international perspective in mind. This comparison and international benchmarking will allow policy makers and scholars to better appreciate how much the country has already moved into the circle of globally leading economies and what can be done to consolidate and strengthen its position.

It has reached the status of a Newly Advanced Economy, with challenges increasingly mirroring those faced by other advanced economies.