Long-range strategic planning in Japanese R and D

Until the early 1970s Japanese industry did not employ strategic corporate planning. Rather, a working textbook setting out national industrialization goals provided the basis for government and industrial policy, and its influence persists. Through a historical analysis this article traces the development in the past decade of long-range strategic planning in Japanese R and D, and identifies the distinction between ‘leader’ countries (such as the USA) and ‘follower’ countries (like Japan) as being more vital to understanding Japanese industrial policy/structure and corporate strategy, than cultural factors.