Japanese inward investment in UK car manufacturing

Author(s)
    • Kim, Young-Chan
Bibliographic Information

Japanese inward investment in UK car manufacturing

Young-Chan Kim

(Explorations in Asia Pacific business economics)

Ashgate, c2002

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [288]-310)

Description and Table of Contents

Description

The single European market movement since the early 1980s put non-member countries under pressure. Under the name of globalization Japanese companies flooded into the European Union. As contrasted with the strategy in the US, Japanese multinational enterprises moved towards the EU were haromised with political action by the Japanese government. Dumping accusations and voluntary export restraints made the Japanese government urge on her MNEs more positive action towards the EU, a "push" factor" for foreign direct involvement. While the Japanese government pushed her MNEs into the EU, all European industrial problems such as the high rate for unemployment, de-industrailization, and shrinking consumer markets were expected to be solved by the new wave from the East, the "pull" factor. Within the "push" factor, the Japanese government, especially MITI, was brought into action again as a business negotiator. Because of the strong incentive from member countries (pull factor), the policy towards inward foreign direct involvement was matched to the Japanese "push factor". There was a small pin-hole in "fortress Europe", namely Japanization. The UK had a strong pull factor policy toward foreign investors, especially Japan. Ironically, while the UK lost her nationalized car manfacturers, the big three Japanese car makers arrived in the UK. The British car industry was in turmoil and government intervention toward car manufacturing sectors was not supported by a clear industrial policy for the sector itself. As far as Japanese car makers were concerned, the UK had, then, a weak nationalized car maker, open-minded consumer taste, relativly free market competition, well-organized components industries and most of all, a strong government incentive policy. The Rover and Honda collaboration, and the Nissan greenfield investment, show us good comparative examples of Japanese strategy towards the EU> Because of the failure of the succesive inward investment from the components industry, the lack of techincal collaboration, and mis-mangement from UK government (Rover and Honda case), the Japanese car makers in the UK are just assembly warehouses rather than manufacturing sites. Chapters in this book include: Japanese industrail policy and foreign direct investment in Europe; EU-Japanese economic relations and car manufacturing in Europe; a comaprative analysis of industrial policy and inward investment in four European countries; car manufacturing in the UK 1945-1977; government, industrial decline and Japanese involvement in the UK domestic car industry; and Nissan in the UK - a case study in the politics of making and regional economic development.

Table of Contents

  • Japanese industrial policy and foreign direct investment in Europe
  • EU-Japanese economic relations and car manufacturing in Europe
  • a comaprative analysis of industrial policy and inward investment in four European countries
  • car manufacturing in the UK 1945-1977
  • government, industrial decline and Japanese involvement in the UK domestic car industry
  • Nissan in the UK - a case study in the politics of FDI decision making and regional economic development
  • what is to be done.

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