Research on the Internationalization of Corporate Activities and Competitiveness

2009 - 2010

The globalization of economic activity and the rapid catch-up of developing countries such as China and India have brought about a drastic change to Japan's economy and its enterprises. Japan needs to further intensify efforts to internationalize its economy and industry in order to utilize globalization as an opportunity to promote the development of Japanese firms and the economy as a whole. Previous studies have shown that firms engaged in exports or foreign direct investments enjoy higher performance than those that constrain their activities to the domestic market. This research aims to observe the internationalization of firms, not only by their trade or offshore production but from broader perspectives such as their innovation activities, to clarify the mechanism through which internationalization shapes such advantage. It also aims to provide a policy recommendation for the internationalization and growth of broader Japanese firms including small and medium enterprises.

July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010