Industries and Global Competition
| Numbering Code |
G-ECON31 6A651 LE38 G-ECON31 6A651 LE44 G-ECON31 6A651 LE43 |
Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
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| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | Target Student | |||
| Language | English | Day/Period | Mon.4 | |
| Instructor name |
KUROSAWA TAKAFUMI (Graduate School of Economics Professor) TANAKA AKIRA (Graduate School of Economics Professor) |
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| Outline and Purpose of the Course |
In this course, students learn about the analytical framework for understanding the dynamics of industries in the globalized economy. Industry is a unit of competition and division of labor. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of industries and the specific characteristics of individual industries from both theoretical and historical perspectives is essential for understanding today's global economy, as well as for understanding the competitiveness of specific firms, countries, and regions. While the word "industry" is used in the field of industrial organization, which understands industry abstractly as a place where competition among firms takes place, it does not go into the technological or historical factors that make each industry different from others. In this course, contrary to the “industrial organization”, we will focus on the characteristics and dynamics of multiple industries and analyses their positions and features from theoretical and historical perspectives. |
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| Course Goals | Students will develop an understanding of the basic analytical concepts used in the field of industry studies, industrial dynamics and industry history, and the basic elements that define the dynamics and competitiveness of industries. They will also be able to understand why and how industries have changed over time, how this has changed the competitive conditions, and how economic agents in different countries and regions have had to respond. Based on this, students will acquire the ability to formulate and analyze their own hypotheses. | |||
| Schedule and Contents |
In this class, Prof. Kurosawa and Prof. Tanaka will be in charge of the entire class, while researchers from other universities will be invited as guest lecturers for specific cases of individual industries. This course consists of five classes (labeled "Theory" below) on theoretical issues, general frameworks of analysis, phenomena across many industries, comparative issues among different industries, and relationships among multiple industries, and eight classes ("Case" below) on individual industries that serve as examples of important concepts and issues. 1. Introduction: Ontology of the industry. What is industry? Why is industry a problem? 2. [Theory #1] Industry heterogeneity and boundaries of industries: intra-industry relationship; inter-industry relationship; alternative concepts; SIC. 3. [Theory #2] Temporal dimension of the industry: diverse lifecycles, innovation. 4. [Theory #3] Spatial dimension of the industry: industrial geography; global value chain; clustering, national innovation system and competitiveness. 5. [Theory #4] Principles of Manufacturing: Why manufacturing now? Goods and services; heterogeneity in manufacturing; processing and assembly; theory of production system. 6. [Case #1] Automobile Part 1 [Prof. Li]: Production system of the assembly industry: history & key issues 7. [Case #2] Automobile Part 2 [Prof. Li]: De-maturation of technology & products; emerging economy as markets 8. [Case #3] Steel & iron: Features of process/installation industry and value chain 9. [Case #4] PC/Smartphone & Semiconductor [Prof. Kawakami] Dynamism of high-tech devices and end products; GVC; R&D; case of Taiwan 10. [Theory #5] Principles of service industries and industrial dynamics of digitization 11. [Case #5] Retail Part-1 [Dr. Shi] Dynamics of retail formats: historical trajectory & theory 12. [Case #6] Retail Part-2 [Dr. Shi] E-commerce and the changing boundary of industries 13. [Case #7] Fashion & luxury [Prof. Donzé] From manufacturing to branding & storytelling 14. [Case #8] Healthcare [Prof. Donzé] Interaction among technology & public policy 15. Feedbacks *The exact contents and sequence of the above are subject to minor variation. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
Methods of evaluation: There will be no assignment at the end of the semester, but students will be evaluated based on their performance during the semester: -Preparation based on the assigned reading material (30%) -Contributing to in-class discussions (30%) -Reflection using the feedback sheet after class (40%) Policy (viewpoints) of evaluation: Whether the student can understand and use the basic concepts of each module. Criterion: Whether the student can understand and analyze industry-related articles in economic and business journalism from a scholarly and critical perspective. |
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| Course Requirements | No prerequisite knowledge or skill required other than English language ability sufficient to interact actively in class. | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) |
【Learning before class】 For each module, several references (journal articles, handbook chapters, etc.) will be assigned. These references will be uploaded to PandA at least two weeks before the class. Participating students are expected to read these references in advance based on the instructions of the instructor of each module before attending the class. Students will be asked to submit a brief comment/questionnaire based on their prior reading by the day before each class. 【Learning after class】 After the class, students will be asked to submit a feedback sheet that includes a very brief assignment asking them to reflect on the content of the class. |
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| Textbooks | Textbooks/References |
No specific textbook is used. However, one or two pieces of mandatory reading material and several other related references will be assigned for each class. You are required to read the former before the class. The list of required readings and references will be presented in PandA by the beginning of the semester, and some additions and changes will be made, if necessary, at least two weeks before each class. These materials will be uploaded to the PandA resource section at least two weeks before the class, or I will announce how to obtain them on PandA. |
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| References, etc. |
As indicated in the textbook section above, references for each session will be announced in PandA. The following is a partial list. 1.Kurosawa, T. (2018). “Introduction. Industry History: Its Concepts and Methods” in: Industries and Global Competition : A History of Business Beyond Borders, edited by Bram Bouwens, Pierre-Yves Donze; and Takafumi Kurosawa, Routledge, New York, pp. 1- 24. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/22355 2.Kaplinsky, R. (2015). “Global value chains: where they came from, where they are going and why this is important” in Routledge Handbook of Industry and Development, edited by John Weiss, and Michael Tribe, Taylor & Francis Group, pp.184-203 3.Hollander, S. C. (1960). “The wheel of retailing” in Journal of Marketing, 25(1), 37-42. 4. Donze;, P.-Y. & Fujioka R. (2020). “The Formation of a Technology-Based Fashion System, 1945-1990: The Sources of the Lost Competitiveness of Japanese Apparel Companies” in Enterprise & Society, online pre-publication, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/enterprise-and-society/article/formation-of-a-technologybased-fashion-system-19451990-the-sources-of-the-lost-competitiveness-of-japanese-apparel-companies/083B0F626BA81F23804EE9DAC6A3A1E8 5. Tumasjan, A (2021). “Industry Emergence between Technology and Zeitgeist: The Case of Blockchain and Crypto” in Oxford Handbook of Industry Dynamics, Oxford University Press, online publication https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190933463.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190933463-e-16 |
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