The quality of British marketing: A comparison with US and Japanese multinationals in the UK market

This paper presents the findings of an empirical study comparing the marketing strategies and organisations of a matched sample of British companies and their US and Japanese competitors in the UK. Hypotheses about Japanese marketing are tested and provide a framework for the comparative analysis of the marketing effectiveness of the three sets of competitors. The findings highlight significant weaknesses in the marketing effort of British companies, these being exacerbated by excessive focus on short‐run financial gains. The US competitors, equally concerned with short‐term profits, were less committed to the UK market than their Japanese rivals, their market position being in danger of deteriorating further as the Japanese close the technological gap between them. The Japanese were unmistakably aggressive, single‐minded in their pursuit of market share and undeniably more market‐oriented than their US and British counterparts. This research was funded by the ESRC.     

Small-scale industry at a crossroads: U.S. Machine tools in Global perspective

In 1975, the United States was the world's largest producer of machine tools, the second largest exporter, and had the lowest degree of dependence on imports of all major machine tool producing countries. By 1987, the U.S. had slipped into fourth place as producer of machine tools (behind Japan, West Germany, and the U.S.S.R.), into sixth place in exports (behind Switzerland, East Germany, and Italy), and relied on imports for more than half of its supply of machine tools. It is the object of this paper (1) to explain what happened globally in the machine tool industry since the mid-1970s, (2) to examine the arguments concerning the strategic role of the industry in industrial development, and (3) to analyze the implications for the future and to recommend courses of action.     

How Do the Asian Economies Compete With Japan in the US Market? Is China Exceptional? A Triangular Trade Approach

We apply a trilateral trade approach to examine how Japanese exports and investment to China, or seven other Asian economies, affect Chinese, or the seven Asian economies', exports to the US market. The results suggest that while Chinese and Japanese exports are directly competitive in US markets, Chinese exports to the US are supported partly by Japanese exports to China. The positive correlation between Japanese exports to China and Chinese exports to the US is explained by vertical trade between Japanese multinationals and their affiliates in China. Indonesian and Philippine exports are also competing with Japanese exports in US markets, though the extent of the competition is much higher for China than for these countries.     

Wages and additional labour costs

The international competitiveness of German industry, so greatly dependent on exports, is in large measure determined by the level of its labour costs in relation to those of its competitors in the world market, as its spokesmen never tire of pointing out. Dr. Salowski undertakes here an international comparison.     

Exchange rates,labour costs and international competitiveness

The international competitiveness of German industry, so greatly dependent on exports, is in large measure determined both by fluctuations in the rate of exchange and by the level of its labour costs in relation to those of its competitors in the world market. Recent trends in these two factors are discussed in the following article.     

Emerging markets before the 1997 Asia Pacific financial crisis

This study investigates which Asia Pacific markets were driven by the US stock market and which by the Japanese stock market during the 1995-97 period, right before the 1997 Asia Pacific financial crisis. The results show that stock markets of Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia shared a long-run equilibrium relationship with the US stock market. The stock market of the Philippines was linked with both the US stock market and the Japanese stock market, while stock markets of Thailand and South Korea did not appear to be influenced by either. Countries whose capital markets had a co-integrating relationship with the US market pegged their national currencies closely to the US dollar.     

Deutschlands Position in der Weltwirtschaft

In recent years, German exports have increased at a slower pace than before the global financial crisis. Moreover, the growth contribution of foreign trade was significantly smaller. This article examines how German exports have developed since the turn of the millennium, both globally and in specific regions, and relative to world trade. The results are threefold. A look at the most important trade partners reveals that, firstly, the European economies continue to absorb the largest part of German exports. Asia and the US follow as the largest sales markets outside Europe. Secondly, the German world market share is mainly driven by the development of Germany’s market position in the EU and the US; China and the remaining Asian countries play a subordinated role in this respect. Thirdly, a comparison between the growth rates of German exports and world trade is not always useful for statements about the change in the German global market share.     

Market entry in japan—Some problems and solutions 1

Japan is recognised as a major competitor in world markets but is less well‐known as an attractive market in its own right. This paper proposes that with the right strategies it is possible to successfully penetrate the difficult Japanese market. Problems and opportunities presented by the market are discussed, and some of the findings of a survey of Japanese and German managers in Japan and German‐based managers are reviewed. The paper covers the survey findings on market characteristics, barriers to entry, information requirements, factors contributing to success and methods of market entry. German and UK sources of information and advice on the Japanese market are given for those interested in pursuing the matter further.     

我国电子信息业的国际市场势力:一个实证分析

本文运用Goldberg & Knetter(1999)的剩余需求弹性模型,选取SITC(Rev.3)76222这一典型电子信息产品,对其在美、日、德三国市场上的国际市场势力进行了检验。研究结果表明,受产品需求弹性和竞争对手供给替代弹性较大等因素影响,我国SITC(Rev.3)76222产品的出口企业未能形成价格加成能力,陷入了国际市场势力缺失的困境。基于实证研究结论,本文亦有针对性的提出了增强我国电子信息业国际市场势力的对策建议。     

America’s shifting emphasis to the Pacific

East Asian nations, which not long ago were counted among the more backward, are emerging as dramatically expanding markets as well as tough competitors for the United States. Predictions are that the Pacific-rim economy will expand twice as fast as the rest of the world. Professor Jens Biermeier shows that there has been a shift in the trading pattern of the United States away from Europe towards Asia as well as a shift of US political and strategic interests from the Atlantic to the Pacific in recent years.     

Made in America? us steelmaking in the 1990s: An American resurgence?

This article examines the improved competitiveness of the U.S. carbon steel industry, a sector that has suffered extreme economic difficulty over the last three decades. The article argues that despite the lack of a coherent national steel policy, the US steel industry has significantly increased its competitiveness relative to foreign steel competitors. Four reasons stand out. First and foremost, domestic minimills have provided intense competition for the domestic integrated sector. Secondly, the falling value of the dollar has improved the international position of all US steel firms. Thirdly, US labor costs have been reduced sharply, both through wage concessions by the United Steelworkers and massive layoffs. Finally, joint ventures with Japanese firms have provided traditional firms with cash and new technical innovations.     

Evans,W. A. Advertising Today and Tomorrow. Great Britain: George Allen and Unwin, 1974

Abstract

This study reports on developments in the international advertising agency business during the 1970s. Findings suggest that U.S. agencies remain the dominant force in international advertising in contrast to the declining performance of U.S. industry in other sectors. Specifically, American agencies have found faster growth in their overseas markets leading to continually larger shares of their total billings; there has been a growing concentration in the international business of U.S. agencies and in the industry internationally; and, the international experience of U.S. agencies has led to a growing penetration of foreign markets, to growth in productivity, and to increasing domestic market power. Results of the study indicate however, that U.S. agencies may be facing increasing challenges from non-U.S. agencies in the future; notably from the West European, Japanese, and some developing countries.     

Export Market for Australian Beef Industry

Abstract

The aims of this paper are to examine the constraints and potentials for Australian beef industry on world export markets, and to identify the implications for other beef exporting countries. The survey of beef export constraints suggested that the effect of world beef price and cost of feed grains reduced beef export returns. The relative importance of these variables was tested using a linear regression model. The coefficients of these variables are statistically significant at 10 and 1 per cent levels, and the results suggest that world beef price and cost of feed grains are important determinants of Australian beef exports. The findings of this study also reveal that Australia is highly restricted in its access to world beef markets by the impact of rigid import controls, tariffs and other trade barriers including export subsidies provided by foreign countries for their own exports. Australia needs to give priority to diversification of export markets, particularly in the emerging markets in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, where reduced tariff barriers are expected to improve market access. Australia also needs to increase productivity, improve cost efficiency, and undertake market research and promotion in order to be more competitive in the long run and to capture a sizeable market share from its major competitors.     

Trade deflection and trade depression

This is the first paper to empirically examine whether a country's use of an import restricting trade policy distorts a foreign country's exports to third markets. We first develop a theoretical model of worldwide trade in which the imposition of antidumping and safeguard tariffs, or “trade remedies,” by one country causes significant distortions in world trade flows. We then empirically test this model by investigating the effect of the United States' use of such import restrictions on Japanese exports of roughly 4800 products into 37 countries between 1992 and 2001. Our estimation yields evidence that US restrictions both deflect and depress Japanese export flows to third countries. Imposition of a US antidumping measure against Japan deflects trade, as the average antidumping duty on Japanese exports leads to a 5-7% increase in Japanese exports of the same product to the average third country market. The imposition of a US antidumping measure against a third country depresses trade, as the average US duty imposed on a third country leads to a 5-19% decrease in Japanese exports of that same product to the average third country's market. We also document the substantial variation in trade deflection and trade depression across different importing countries and exported products.     

Japanese multinationals in the post-bubble era: new challenges and evolving capabilities

Since the bursting of Japan's bubble economy, from 1990 onwards, Japanese multinational companies (MNCs) have faced new competitive challenges and questions about the management practices on which they had built their initial success in global markets. Japanese engagement in the international economy has undergone a number of phases. In the period before the Second World War, Japanese companies learnt from foreign MNCs in trading, shipping, and manufacturing, frequently through strategic alliances, and leveraged their capabilities to succeed in overseas and largely Asian markets. In the immediate post-war decades, during the Japanese ‘economic miracle’, there were notable examples of MNC investment in raw materials and labour intensive production, but both inward and outward foreign direct investment were not significant. Japanese companies achieved leadership in management and technology, in order to support a strategy of export-orientated industrialization. Changes in government policies in the developed economies of the US and Western Europe forced leading Japanese manufacturers to convert themselves into MNCs and to transfer their home-grown capabilities to overseas subsidiaries. The period after 1990 marked declining Japanese competitiveness and it asked questions about the ability of Japanese MNCs to be more responsive and global in their strategies, organization and capabilities.     

Different evolutionary paths: Technological development of laser diodes in the US and Japan, 1960–2000

Exploring the technological development of laser diodes from 1960 to 2000, this study examines how US and Japanese firms diverged from the same technological target to take separate evolutionary paths over time and came to be competitive in the different areas. Scrutinising the level of vertical integration, entrepreneurial start-ups, scientists' mobility and research networks, it shows that R&D efforts were scattered over different technological domains, giving US firms the chance to obtain technological advantages in customised and small markets. R&D efforts were concentrated in the same targeted markets in Japan, giving Japanese companies the opportunity to capture the markets offering the highest sales volumes.     

Market entry in Japan barriers,problems and strategies

The global strategic importance of the Japanese market can hardly be overemphasized. The presence of Western companies is in sharp contrast to this role. This paper presents the results of an empirical study on entry barriers and entry strategies in the Japanese market. German expatriates in Japan and Japanese managers perceive the overall difficulty of entry and specific barriers as being relatively high. German managers in Germany possess a biased perception of the barriers to entry, they perceive institutional barriers as being more and marketing barriers as being less important. The Japanese market is highly dynamic and competitive. A transfer of experiences from Western markets involves high risk. Endurance and commitment are the most important success factors, short term orientation and lack of flexibility are likely to lead to failure. The marketing performance of German companies is not well geared to the needs of the market. While German companies have strengths in quality, image and innovativeness, their position with regard to service, delivery and distribution is very weak. Market entry in Japan certainly is worth while the devotion of substantial resources and management capacity. But only an attack which is full-hearted and committed is likely to succeed.     

Advertising and Economic Development

In this article it is argued that West Germany has developed into the largest advertising market with the highest productivity per employee in Western Europe. We observe a continuous increase of net advertising turnover during the 1970s. Some extraordinary characteristics of the German advertising market (such as the structure of the TV advertising market and the printed media industry), which set it into sharp contrast to other European advertising markets, are discussed. Furthermore, we analyse the relationship between advertising and the business cycle movement (procyclical v. anticyclical advertising strategies) and we find that the majority of German business firms still pursue a procyclical advertising strategy although evidence seems to prove that an anticyclical advertising policy adopted during recessions will result in higher market shares and strengthened market positions of advertised brands.     

The impact of the US stock market opening on price discovery of government bond futures

We examine price discovery in sequential markets for the 10-year US Treasury note, German bund, and UK gilt futures over the period 2010–2017. We find that price discovery increases after the opening of the US stock market. Order flows in the bond futures markets are more informative for permanent price changes in the 30-min period after the US stock market opens. A placebo test using US statutory holidays confirms our findings. A cross-market analysis suggests that the increased price discovery in the bond futures is related to returns and net order flows of the US stock market.     

When can Chinese competitors catch up? Market and capability ladders and their implications for multinationals

Chinese companies have been more successful in catching up with and sometimes surpassing, their global competitors in some industries but not all of them. This holds true for markets in China and international markets. In this article, we show how both the demand and the supply sides of an industry explain these differences, in terms of the existence of market and capability ladders that can help a new competitor climb from the low end, though the middle, and to the top. We then propose several alternative strategies that multinational companies can follow to respond to growing Chinese competition and recommend strategies with the most potential for a particular market and industry.