Abstract
The Japanese Car Industry is aiming to expand its market share across the world. The major manufacturers operate on all continents with production facilities spread all over the world. They have expanded throughout the past 20 years with a combination of Greenfield Investments, Joint Ventures and Acquisitions. Although technology and design are still major factors in competitive advantage, there is a much greater level of cooperation from the top Japanese manufacturers with European and US firms. Most Japanese automotive firms lean towards a multinational structure, with manufacturing, sales and administration occurring in geographic areas, but usually with Japanese top management brought in from the head office. The Japanese have famously brought new work practices into the car industry such as quality circles and Just In Time, which have influenced other commercial organizations as well. Culture has been a key success factor for many Japanese firms, with a trend towards team work. This has proved extremely successful in the manufacturing sectors. However, not all Japanese firms have been successful; Nissan has been ?taken over' by Renault structurally. In this document, we will look into the various aspects as to how this will affect the strategy and have an impact on production and design. With the blend of two different organizations, the resulting hybrid will surely have a distinct character.
