Research Project
2015
| 1 | Research Name |
Intellectual Diversity and Globalization of Industrial Clusters: Formulation of Collective Intelligence Management | ||||||||||
| Name | Haruo Horaguchi | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
This research aims to define industrial clusters’ process of responding to globalization with new intellectual diversity that leads to innovations. Innovation emergence has received a lot of attention lately as a way to revitalize the Japanese economy. In this research, we will describe ways to revive competitiveness by using innovation management systems with collective intelligence and the creativeness of industries. In industrial cluster research, spatial accessibility has been emphasized through concepts such as workplace organization, relationships within or between companies, assembly transaction network, information exchange and research and development, while spatial distance has been overcome through cyber networks. This paradoxical direction offers different business strategies. For example, if spatial accessibility is identified as an important factor to induce innovation, we can define the conditions for Japanese manufacturers, capture export markets and support business hubs through overseas investments, to operate their business globally in an effective way. How does the link of collective intelligence, which pushes the boundary of tacit knowledge, serve us in the context of globalization? This research investigates this sort of question in light of social science. Field research including interviews will be conducted as a main research method, placing emphasis on communication with subjects as much as possible as action research. |
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| 2 | Research Name |
Micro Distribution Studies (III) | ||||||||||
| Name | Toshiyuki Yahagi | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
The infrastructure of distribution activities such as e-commerce, SNS, electronic money, and delivery services has been dramatically changing. Consumer behavior, including information seeking, practice of buying, paying and receiving products shows different patterns from the traditional way, corresponding to the transformation of distribution systems. This results in reconstruction of the value chain. This research will investigate the phenomenon that the author has coined as “distribution deconstruction studies.” | |||||||||||
| 3 | Research Name |
Environmental Management Method Studies | ||||||||||
| Name | Hirotsugu Kitada | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
The purpose of this project is the technical improvement and development of MFCA (Material Flow Cost Accounting: ISO 14051), which increases productivity while balancing the environment and economy. Although MFCA is recognized and introduced widely through global standardization with ISO, it is often used as a tool only for administrative improvement, but not for environmental management. Also, the potential for coordinating MFCA with other environmental management systems has not been discussed completely. In this project, we will take an engineered approach to improving MFCA as a management and computation tool by constructing an integrated model of CFP (Carbon Footprint) and MFCA in cooperation with a company that is currently exploring the possibility of linking MFCA and another management system which centers on CFP. |
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| 4 | Research Name |
Factors Influencing the Foundation of Startups and Their Subsequent Development Processes | ||||||||||
| Name | Junji Fukuda | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
This project aims to (1) identify what kind of combination of knowledge (such as procedural knowledge and declarative knowledge) is needed for the early stage and development process of a startup, (2) to reveal how this knowledge can be accumulated through hiring, and (3) to define a relationship between development of the knowledge and MCS design, through interviews. Previous research in entrepreneurship has focused on the personal characteristics of entrepreneurs, but the types of knowledge required or the way that knowledge is collected has not received much attention. Also, the development process of company-wide control systems remained unclear. Highlighting these areas gives this project a unique point of view. |
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| 5 | Research Name |
Regional Revitalization Research | ||||||||||
| Name | Junko Kimura | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
The countryside in Japan is battered and deteriorating. We need to restore the image of agricultural products and processed agriproducts from the reputational damage after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and become competitive on the world stage. This research focuses on a geographical indication that functions effectively in Europe. The research purpose is to devise a theoretical framework of geographical indication that creates both producer value and consumer value in the unique context of Japan, and to advocate a practical approach for local revitalization to realize a sustainable society. Three types of approaches will be taken in this research. First, the researcher will learn from case examples from Europe, especially from Italy and will discuss how we can actualize local revitalization. It aims to develop a theory based on data collected by qualitative research including fieldwork and interviews in Italy. Second, the author will gain the cooperation of foreign geographical indication researchers. Third, an interdisciplinary approach will be taken. Although geographical indication research has been accumulated in the field of law, it hasn’t been discussed how it can be applied to local revitalization. There is a compelling need for interdisciplinary research that incorporates theoretical frameworks such as local branding in the field of marketing and regional activation from the perspective of regional sociology. |
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| 6 | Research Name |
Comparative Research between the French and Japanese Labor Markets | ||||||||||
| Name | Yoshio Okunishi | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
International comparison is indispensable to highlight the characteristics of the Japanese labor market. However, it has been mainly compared with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, and there are only few comparison studies with France in existing research. France is similar to Japan in terms of its internal labor market developed by large companies. On the other hand, France is quite different regarding the strength of its national regulation, the importance of its social security and so forth. In addition, recently both countries have taken a growing interest in the increase of irregular employment, widening of the economic gap, and poverty. This research focuses on important aspects of the labor market of each country (employment patterns, labor movements, wage systems, wage gaps, development of skills, work consciousness, etc.). To illustrate the points in common and the differences between the two countries and find out what causes these similarities and differences, comparable statistical data will be analyzed as much as possible. The “Employment Status Survey (2007 and 2012)” will be mainly used to analyze the Japanese labor market and “Enquête Emploi (2007 and 2012)” for the French labor market. |
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| 7 | Research Name |
Entrepreneur History Studies | ||||||||||
| Name | Naoya Hasegawa | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
The author will take over the research group “Entrepreneur History Studies” from Professor Udagawa. The group has released working papers, offered open lectures, and published a series of books, covering the history of the auto industry (2010), the financial business industry (2011), and the foods industry (2012). Under our new leadership, the group will continue to work on working papers, open lectures and other publications with same level of focus and commitment that our group has become known for. |
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| 8 | Research Name |
CSR Studies (Cooperation between Enterprise and NPO: Empirical Research by Historical analysis, Metrics and Case Analysis) | ||||||||||
| Name | Naoya Hasegawa | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
This research will be conducted in accordance with the following schedule. The investigation objects are companies listed on the first and second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, SMEs in the capital sphere, and companies and NPOs that practice collaborative business. Literature reviews, questionnaire surveys, and hearing surveys will be conducted in an integrated manner.
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| 9 | Research Name |
Sports Team Management Studies | ||||||||||
| Name | Hirokazu Arai | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
This research will focus on “collective outcome prediction” which is a constituent variable of social cognitive theory. For valid team management (team building) based on data and theory, we’ll investigate the situation and define the relevant factors of collective outcome prediction by analyzing athletes who belong to a sports team. Specifically, we will cross-reference in order to reveal the relevant factors of collective outcome prediction in a cross-sectoral and longitudinal manner by using the scale for outcome prediction. This research project will be conducted based on the development of the scale for collective outcome prediction and reality check as the findings of our previous Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research supported research project: “Clarification of the actual situation of and relevant factors to outcome prediction for a sport team, with the focus on athletes.” |
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| 10 | Research Name |
Brand Management Research | ||||||||||
| Name | Kosuke Ogawa | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
Every month the study group members will have an opportunity to read articles about brand management, give a research presentation, and carry out a case study. Specifically, the members will have a meeting every month and give a research presentation about each project. The study group has published a Japanese translation of “Marketing Across Cultures” in 2011 as a study outcome. In 2015, the group is going to publish a book about service industries. Instructors are invited to hold a seminar as a preparation for the publication. Since 2013, the group has been engaged in a research project whose theme is “Business expansion of Japanese companies to the Asian market and theorization of an actual practice,” to investigate the move of Japanese brands into the Asian market. This project has been supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research. |
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| 11 | Research Name |
Where Do Innovations Come From? A Case Study of Biopharmaceuticals | ||||||||||
| Name | Shiaw Jia Eyo | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
This research seeks to take a closer look at the sources of biopharmaceutical drugs. Biopharmaceutical drugs are medical drugs produced using biotechnology. This research aims to answer the following research questions: 1. Over the last 30 years, has there been a decline in the role of small firms as originators of biopharmaceuticals? 2. How did the role of large firms in developing biopharmaceuticals evolve over the last 30 years? This research will analyze the “originator” of biopharmaceutical drugs approved by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administrator) from 1982 to 2012. The starting date is 1982 because that is the year the first biotechnology drug, produced by Genentech, was approved by the FDA. Indentifying the “originator” of the approved biopharmaceuticals is a complicated task because the FDA database contains only the name of the company (marketer) responsible for marketing the drug upon its initial approval. The process of drug development takes at least 10 years and during the process, the drug is often licensed-out or acquired by a bigger pharmaceutical company. Therefore, this research requires a detailed examination of the history of each of the approved drugs. Based on the FDA’s database, there are approximately 347 approved biopharmaceuticals drugs from 1982 to 2012. The “originator” of the biopharmaceutical drugs will be coded based on the type of organization (Fortune 500 companies, medium and small sized non-biotech companies, biotechnology star-ups, collaborations among two or more firms, supported spin-offs, public research institutes, universities, etc.). Once this research is completed, the same methodology will be applied to investigate biopharmaceutical drugs approved in Europe by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as well as in Japan by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW). This will allow us to conduct comparative studies between the US, Europe and Japan in the role of organizations in producing biotechnology innovations. Finally, this research aims to contribute to the literature on national innovation systems specifically on the correlation between technological development and the role of institutions. |
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| 12 | Research Name |
Logistics Cluster Research | ||||||||||
| Name | Ruixue Li | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
Logistics clusters (geographically concentrated sets of logistics-related industry) have been gaining greater recognition in the globalized world economy. In addition to the conventional logistics cluster whose bases are major ports, many countries promote development of a grand-scale logistics park, whose core is inland transportation nodes such as cargo stations and airports, and try to court logistics-related industries. Focusing on these logistics parks, intentional creation of a logistics cluster has been attempted in various countries and regions. Although the function, advantages and economic effect of logistics clusters has been noted in a number of existing research publications, the mechanisms of the formation of clusters are yet to be defined. This research seeks to determine the processes and mechanisms for formation of a logistics cluster by fieldwork and investigation into major clusters in Japan, China, Korea and the US. Also, the role of logistic facilities (e.g. logistics centers), organizational links between logistics-related companies, and the logistical service innovations that occur within a cluster will be discussed. In the first year, a pilot survey will be conducted on logistics clusters in Japan (e.g. the Okinawa International Logistics Hub) with an in-depth review of the preceding study in this field. |
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| 13 | Research Name |
Relationship Between Professional Sport Spectators and Professional Sport Clubs | ||||||||||
| Name | Takahiro Inoue | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
This research aims to obtain new knowledge and suggestions for long-term, positive relationship building between professional sports spectators and professional sports clubs. Preceding research in the field of sports management has discussed the relationship between a team and customers mainly focusing on spectators’ motivation and loyalty. However, with recent changes in watching behavior and life style, the consumption behavior of sports audiences has become complicated and hard to understand with conventional variables. In this research, variables to measure the relationship between a customer and a team will be introduced from marketing fields, such as brand relationship and engagement. The research will also take a close look at social media that has grown in importance recently as a communication channel between a professional sport team and customers, and investigate the effect of social media marketing and interactive relationships through social media. |
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| 14 | Research Name |
Extension of Accounting Disclosure through an Events Approach | ||||||||||
| Name | Manabu Sakaue | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
The disclosure of accounting information using the “events approach” advocated by Sorter (1969) has been mainly developed centered around database theory (data modeling theory). However, technical problems are yet to be solved to bring it into practice. Recently XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) has been introduced to the electronic disclosure systems of countries all over the world. This could provide clues to how to realize accounting disclosure using the events approach. This research will review historical development of accounting data modeling theory and identify the factors that hinder the use of the events approach. It will also investigate how XBRL could solve these problems. |
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| 15 | Research Name |
Research on Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy | ||||||||||
| Name | Takashi Niikura | |||||||||||
| Research Content |
This research aims to seek solutions for problems of various marketing strategies using the basic framework of consumer behavior studies. Based on the findings of consumer behavior studies, this research will look at aspects of consumers’ dynamic cognition and attitude, and their effect on actual consumer behavior. This will allow us to obtain new answers to solve contemporary marketing problems. This research will define a marketing strategy by taking approaches that are used in consumer behavior studies, considering application to marketing strategy problems. Interviews with business practitioners, experimental studies, data analysis and various other methods are scheduled to be employed over the course of the investigation. |
