Publisher's Synopsis
In this book the strengths and weaknesses of typical U.S. and Japanese companies are identified and two different models of organizational adaptations (rational-strategic and organic-evolutionary) are proposed on the basis of a quantitative comparison of the largest 1,000 firms both in the U.S. and Japan. Strategies, organizational structures and management processes of large corporations in the U.S. and Japan are compared. An intensive longitudinal analysis of 36 large firms within the sample found both (a) consistent differences in strategy, organizational structure, and management process among the sample companies in general and (b) remarkable commonalities among high-performing companies in the two countries. An evolutionary model, which is drawn out from typical Japanese companies, is applicable to high performers in both countries with certain modifications.
