Research projects

The results of this research project are the following three points. Firstly, this project produced the theoretical basis of Business Ecosystem research as the review paper published on the global leading academic journal. Business Ecosystem is the one of the new research field in the business strategy theory. Secondly, on the basis of theoretical research, the multiple studies on specific case has published. Thirdly, the research project developed the methodology for the visualization of Business Ecosystem. Based on the visualization of the dynamics of the business ecosystem, the mechanism of the Business Ecosystem evolution has discussed. In the future, further theoretical development and methodological development are needed in policies and businesses that are becoming more complex, and applications to UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), AI (Artificial Intelligence) and autonomous driving are expected.

This study investigated why organizations could not change. At first we tried to consider it theoretically. We analyzed the interactions between individual's decision and organizational activities, and we found they bounded each other. Thus, to overcome the rigidity, we can suggest that organizations have to replace both conventional way of decision making and that of organizational management simultaneously. As a second stage project, we executed empirical research for organizational rigidity. We used both quantitative and qualitative approaches: statistical examination of Japanese overseas subsidiaries in emerging markets and case analysis of Sharp Corporation. Both indicated our theoretical considerations would be valid, and the way to escape from rigidity were also examined.

The focus of our research is the innovations of the existing industries where the frequent interactions with science are observed as the recent phenomena. The preliminary case studies we carried out in those industries suggest that their interactions with science are ‘localized’. In other words, the industry is interacted with science mostly through a certain area of their mutual penetration. Based on the quantitative analysis and the descriptive case studies, many interesting implications are brought out.