Japanese Management and International Studies – serie

Sustainability is a concept that unifies the environment, economy, and society, and has spread as a key concept in enterprise management. The United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, which require worldwide efforts to reach a sustainable society, and also applies to private enterprises.Sustainability should be developed in connection with management strategy, and Asia's role, including that of Japan, is important to improve global sustainability. This book addresses how sustainability management in the Asian context is currently practised and proposes practices for the future.Investigation of the effect of business domain characteristics on the integration of sustainability and management, and elucidation of the process and features of EMCS (Environmental Management Control System) inside and outside of companies have been indicated. The book points that companies need to use and design Sustainability Management Control Systems in order to implement a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategy and match employees' behavior to CSR activities.MFCA (Material Flow Cost Accounting) has started to expand rapidly into other Asian industries from Japan as a method of Environmental Management Control. The fundamental idea and procedure of MFCA and many case examples of Japanese MFCA have been reported. These findings help us to consider a policy for continuous use of MFCA. Moreover, the relationship between Toyota Production System and MFCA has been explained and 'Material Flow Time Costing' as a new management accounting concept is proposed.Based on the literature review, the study has made recommendations for Asian companies' strategic management and governmental policy-making to improve both quality and quantity of sustainability disclosure in Asia. One of the papers has identified the development and implementation of social and environmental accounting by Indonesian state-owned enterprises and their determining factors. In a Japanese manufacture, the effect of smoothed production has been analyzed as an example of environmental management. This led to an increase in production quality without additional capital spending.

This book clarifies the theory and practice of management control for strategy changes through the study of profit organizations, non-profit organizations, manufacturing and service industries. The relationship between strategy and management control is clearly elucidated in the book, which enables readers to understand how to implement management control systems for strategic changes in their organizations. The unique topics covered in this book include the methodology for continuing existing businesses and spreading the risk in the business portfolio, the management control systems for the new platform business models such as IT hardware and SaaS (Software as a Service) needed for business structure transformation, as well as management controls that are functioning in various industries and organizations.

Japan has achieved the world's highest life-expectancy under a universal health coverage system. The purpose of this book is to discuss effective management accounting methods for solving various issues now faced by the healthcare system in Japan (low birth-rate and aging society, issues in medical public finance, issues attendant to advancements of healthcare services, etc.). This book is written by Japanese researchers who are active and at the forefront of management accounting research for healthcare, such as Takami Matsuo, Kazunori Ito, Yutaka Kato, and so on. This book shows the actual use of cost information, cost-management, and management-control methods for healthcare organizations in Japan, and examines how to adopt management accounting methods used by companies in healthcare management, which would be a useful reference for future healthcare management in countries that might face similar issues as Japan in the future.

The authors focus on the problem of sustainability from the standpoint of corporate management in this book. They propose that "sustainability management not only earns profits, but also fulfills social responsibilities while considering the environment, people, and society, and enables management to continue to have the potential to survive in the future". In that sense, it is also related to the Sustainability Development Goals. To fulfil this aim, the authors focus on how companies should implement sustainability management through considering both the theoretical aspects and practical aspects of actual companies.From a theoretical perspective, the authors consider the construction of a business model that achieves both economic and social value, the implementation method of governance control, and the performance evaluation method. From a practical perspective, the current state of sustainability management in Japanese companies is analysed by focusing on the cases of two manufacturing companies and two service companies. In addition, since cooperation with other companies and other organizations is necessary for implementation, the authors explore the ideal form of cooperation between companies and cooperation between the private sector and local governments.

This book provides a broad overview of revenue management and examines this topic from different perspectives. It is divided into three major parts. The first part deals with issues related to business model changes; the second part deals with customer, market and marketing issues and the third part examines revenue management and related issues from various other perspectives.The book is dedicated to the theory and practice of revenue management. Although cost management tends to focus on expenditure, it is important to pay attention to revenue as well. If a company is unable to generate sufficient revenues, it will not be able to generate a profit no matter how hard it tries to reduce the costs, thereby threatening its long-term existence. For this reason, revenue management, along with cost management, is essential. In addition to costs, research on cost drivers has made progress in recent years. However, systematic research on revenue is still incomplete. There is thus a need for theoretical and empirical research on various issues related to revenue management and to systematize them.

The management control framework that originated in large-scale manufacturing-oriented industries has now expanded its scope in a variety of ways. It has expanded from a focus on manufacturing companies to service companies, non-profit companies and so on. The target group for applying the framework has also broadened from managers to employees. The framework is also examined in terms of how it should be applied to promote sustainability in companies.In this book, Japanese researchers discuss the situations in which management control, a tool born in Europe and the US, is utilized in Japan. Specifically, the book focuses on various types of management control systems, from manufacturing companies, innovation companies, service companies to non-profit companies, and explains the characteristics of these systems-based Japanese organizations.Readers of this book will understand how Japanese researchers are using the management control framework in the context of diversification and, from there, the application of the framework in Japanese organizations.

This book investigates how different types of Japanese management systems are able to motivate stakeholders, including employees, top management, stockholders, customers and transaction partners, to participate actively in the organizational behavior that improves business performance.The various systems motivating stakeholders are examined in five sections: Strategy and Business Restructuring for Enhancing the Business Value; Management Control Systems and Budgeting; Cost Management; Management Accounting for Supply Chain and Shared Services; and Process Management.

In the 1990s, Japanese companies experienced a deflationary recession called the “lost ten years”. To survive the recession, they looked for solutions in the kaikaku (innovative reforms) of business management, organizations and technology, whilst struggling to regain their global competitiveness. Successful companies all had one thing in common — they applied a new project management paradigm which this book refers to as Kaikaku Project Management (KPM).This book provides a comprehensive look at the features of KPM, including its emphasis on creativity and teamwork, its broader “open value system” as opposed to a “closed technical system”, its close links with corporate strategy and human resource development, and the support infrastructure needed for advancing KPM. Chapters cover both the theory and practice of KPM, citing cases of information and communications technology (ICT) and pharmaceutical companies, among others. KPM holds special relevance today as global competition is increasingly reducing the lifecycle of organizations. Managers will find in KPM not only a way to survive the shake-up, but also a framework of value creation for the next generation.

In the interests of globalization, many companies today are establishing theories and practices for international management accounting. This book discusses the current status of international management accounting in Japan through interviews with three major electronics companies. By tracing the history of the business expansion of the three companies, as well as their transition of strategies and accompanying organizational structure, key features and details of international management accounting are faithfully described. The book is divided into two parts. Part I describes general concepts of international management accounting in global companies, while Part II analyzes the experiences of three leading electronics companies — Matsushita, Sharp and Sanyo — in international management accounting. Written in a scholarly yet accessible manner, this book will benefit both academics and industry professionals practising in the field.

Today's business environment is characterized by hypercompetition and the development of the Internet. Fierce competition between suppliers and the availability of abundant information have caused a shift in bargaining power from producers/suppliers to buyers and consumers. Consequently, Business Process Management (BPM) — i.e. management tool to optimize and control operations flows by viewing the transactions within and outside corporations as processes, with the focus on speedily meeting customers' needs — has emerged as a popular management framework.However, recent research on BPM has put too much emphasis on information sharing and the visualization of business processes using IT innovations. This book argues that BPM must be linked with existing management tools. Based on survey results of Japanese and Korean companies' BPM practices, the book demonstrates how to build BPM as a holistic management model by addressing the importance of BPM views, the effectiveness of its approach, and the latest research trends.

In the 1990s, Japanese companies experienced a deflationary recession called the “lost ten years”. To survive the recession, they looked for solutions in the kaikaku (innovative reforms) of business management, organizations and technology, whilst struggling to regain their global competitiveness. Successful companies all had one thing in common — they applied a new project management paradigm which this book refers to as Kaikaku Project Management (KPM).This book provides a comprehensive look at the features of KPM, including its emphasis on creativity and teamwork, its broader “open value system” as opposed to a “closed technical system”, its close links with corporate strategy and human resource development, and the support infrastructure needed for advancing KPM. Chapters cover both the theory and practice of KPM, citing cases of information and communications technology (ICT) and pharmaceutical companies, among others. KPM holds special relevance today as global competition is increasingly reducing the lifecycle of organizations. Managers will find in KPM not only a way to survive the shake-up, but also a framework of value creation for the next generation.

Holistic Business Process Management focuses on building business process management (BPM) as a model to address the importance of BPM views, analyze the effectiveness of the approach, and study the research trends in BPM. The book includes case studies of Japanese and Korean companies and BPM models suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) anywhere in the world.

This book is the first in the management accounting framework literature to provide readers with insights on how to manage revenue and profit models by developing relationships with customers. The Principal Editor, Professor Kenichi Suzuki, is the founding father of Fixed Revenue Accounting (FRA) and his inputs offer invaluable insights on how businesses can increase revenue and adopt preventative measures to deal with the fluctuations in the economy.FRA is a new management accounting tool that evaluates and manages the impacts of fixed customers on a company's financial health. 'Fixed customers' refer to frequent or regular customers who are expected to repeat their purchases. Their repeated purchases produce stability of revenue which in turn creates a stable profit environment and certainty. The profitability and stability generated by fixed customers can be utilized for strategic management, planning, and decision making to encourage investment for future growth.This book provides a deep understanding of the usefulness of the new management accounting tool, and covers both the introduction of the concept of FRA and accompanying case studies in the contexts of Japanese manufacturing and service companies adopting the FRA model by examining profitability, stability, and growth analysis.

The design or reorganization of a corporate organization should be discussed from the perspective of the supply and demand equilibrium in the market. But it is quite difficult to balance supply and demand by relying on the price mechanism of the market. The book investigates the impact of a takeover on a management's incentives to increase reported earnings. The book also analyzes the type of effects reorganizations have on the laws and regulations, while weighing the company law, accounting standards for financial instruments, tax law, other accounting principles and international standards such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Financial Reporting System (IFRS).Proposing a new institutional fundamentalism based on the merits of market competition, the book clarifies the features of public-to-private buyout in Japan, explaining the advantage of going-private transactions. The trend of public-to-private buyouts in Japan and the theoretical framework of public-to-private buyout deals are also dealt with in detail.

With increased competition among business groups, companies need to enhance the value of their business and effectively manage individual firms. This book explores and elucidates business group and inter-firm management in Japanese environments, both theoretically and practically through case studies, survey research and other methodologies. In considering the concept of the “Keiretsu” in Japan, as well as other management methods employed by Japanese companies, this book provides extensive coverage on uniquely Japanese management methods. Examples are the application of evaluation system, execution of M&A, utilization of segment information, management of inter-firm relations, and organizational learning. The analyses, hypotheses and conclusions presented in this book will be useful for business practitioners and scholars.

This book focuses especially on financial and/or managerial accounting aspects of inter-firm network in three phases: (1) strategy for forming the inter-firm network; (2) management control of inter-firm network; and (3) task control of production, sales and logistics of inter-firm network.

With the service industry taking up the largest portion of its GDP, Japan has much to share in the area of managing service industry. This book explores and elucidates the unique management styles in non-manufacturing industries or service industries in contemporary Japan, both practically and theoretically through case studies. These specially selected cases are the management of the world No.1 convenience store chain of Seven-Eleven, the sales finance business and auto sales business of Toyota, application of TPS (Toyota Production System) to life insurance company, performance evaluation of local government, BSC (balance scorecard) in local government hospitals, cost and pricing policy of telecommunication company, Japanese-style “hospitality” in the retail industry, service level agreement (SLA) in IT and shared service companies, and ICT (Information & Communication Technology) applied to BPN (Business Process Network) of service industry.The analyses presented in this book were carefully laid out in regard to the business in general. It will be useful for business practitioners in service industry and beneficial to the scholars, students or general readers interested in this area.

This book focuses on various business practices to manage ailing companies during economic depression or in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters. The methods implemented by various Japanese enterprises, such as Japan Air Line, Tokyo Electricity Company, Nissan and Toyota, to overcome their challenges are elaborated in this book. The scope of the book covers: restructuring under government financial support; private turnaround management of huge conglomerates; reorganization of business domains; accounting for risk management, and robust supply chain management in the aftermath of disasters.

This book focuses on the importance of entrepreneurship in sustaining the prosperity of society and uses the case studies from Taiwan, Japan as well as China, to provide an insight into Societal Entrepreneuring in Asia, and the construction of an entrepreneurial society. In order to provide a comprehensive and complete picture on entrepreneurship, the authors have also included both case studies of commercial endeavors as well as non-profit making business endeavours. These collective experiences would be invaluable to readers who are seeking to understand the role of entrepreneurship in Asian society.

This book is the first among many books in supply chain management, which provides the readers with insights on how to select the best global supply chain out of inter-firm network, fables system or market firms. This process is clearly expounded in the book through case studies, which include Apple, Toyota, BMW, IKEA and Taiwan TSMC. The main editor, Prof Yasuhiro Monden, is the founding father of Lean Production Management who published Toyota Production System from IIE in 1983, which is called the classic of Lean System. This book will explain how the global supply chain (GSC) could be organized by considering causal relationships of the stage differences in (1) market needs, (2) product design architecture, and (3) product life-cycle, for the purpose of reducing the total costs of GSC.

Traditionally, innovation has been considered difficult to manage, as it occurs through contingent discoveries and inventions. For effective innovation management, it is necessary to determine what provides new value to customers and achieve this new value efficiently, while solving the technical problems. This book explores how innovation management for industrial revitalization and activation are conducted in Japanese companies. "Innovation" has diverse definitions, but the editors of this book have adopted the one proposed by J A Schumpeter. The features of innovation management in Japanese companies are considered systematically in the book. Positive analyses using questionnaires and innovation management strategy in individual industries and companies is also explored in detail.

Japanese manufacturing companies were at their most productive until the year 2000. Many companies have continued to use prototypes and successor models in the management of their companies. To date, Japanese have experienced many adversities in management which are specific to Japan. The Japanese have proved their patience, good teamwork, originality and ingenuity each time. In this book, the authors present time-based measures of technology management methods to improve productivity in Japanese companies. The authors are eminent scholars and directors who have managed businesses for a long time.