地域の競争優位-国際比較産業史の中のヨーロッパと東アジア-

Competitive Advantage of Regions: Comparative Studies of Industries in Europe and East Asia

JSPS　[Japan Society for the Promotion of Science] Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A) , KAKENHI project
MEXT/JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number : 23243055

CARIS : Competitive Advantage of Regions & Industries (Study)

The purpose of this research is to elucidate how historical fundamentals in Europe and East Asia are associated with dynamics of post-war business history, in particular, those of competitiveness. The following three agendas are major issues to be handled.

1. Historical Mapping concerning business competitiveness in Europe and East Asia. Businesses and Distribution of those competitiveness by multiple indices and observation time periods are figured out to elucidate intra- and inter- regional business types and those mutual associations (transfer and connections between various businesses).
2. Systematization of business history analysis. From the perspective of technology, goods, market, and division of labor, and value-added chain, the business theory is organized to mark the new and old analysis concept and to make analysis based upon the viewpoint, which is unique to historical science (offering positive significance on “absolute time”(=time periods) and multiple “time” concerns and revealing “substantial grounds” [M. Weber]).
3. “Region” including Europe and East Asia is regarded as a unit for analysis to elucidate business dynamics and competitiveness factors. While utilizing the accumulated research on Japanese business history and focusing on competitiveness factors of “competitive business in Europe”, the blind angle hidden in the research of Japanese business theory (history) is to be overcome.

This research also aims at responding to the following five agendas (1~5) and two methodological issues (6, 7).

1. A unit for analysis is shifted from a country to a “region” and the internal structure of a “region” by business types is analyzed.
2. By referring Europe as a target for comparison, new findings are to be added to existing business history studies, which have so far mainly focused on North America, Japan, and East Asia.
3. Issues that existing studies on “European enterprises” and “East Asia competitive businesses”, for instance, those of inter-regional type comparison, inter-regional model transfer, and global positioning of intra-regional types, have not yet addressed, are to be elucidated.
4. Clarification of comparative standards which enables inter-business comparison and inter-regional comparison, meaning methodological systematization of the business theory and re-assessment of the past studies on business theory are to be attempted.
5. As noted above, the methodological significance unique to historical science is well aware of and is applied into the studies.
6. Disruption by national borders and languages are to be overcome by dense international collaborative organizations.
7. Comparing and adjusting the concept and the analysis method, uses of economies of scales and ranges, mutual exchanges and learnings between researchers on overseas and Japanese histories are to be realized.