This book discusses the ways in which characteristics of innovative firms and innovative talents with core competence in Japanese, Korean, German, and American contexts are developed and nurtured, and compares innovative firms with a long history of business operations from these four countries. Firstly, the book examines innovation practices of long-lived Japanese firms and compares them with those of German, American and Korean firms. Based on extensive interviews with executives and field studies, it identifies the essential qualities of each country in which these innovative firms and innovative talents are found. It then focuses on theoretical and practical aspects, using the theoretical framework to define organizational and technological factors for long-term innovation success. Further, the book provides recommendations based on organizational practices for developing innovative talents in Japanese, German, American and Korean contexts. Intended for academics, students and practitioners in the areas of organizational theory and strategic management, this book clarifies the critical practices of long-lived innovative firms and organizational innovators.

After two decades of reinvention, Japanese companies are re-emerging as major players in the new digital economy. They have responded to the rise of China and new global competition by moving upstream into critical deep-tech inputs and advanced materials and components. This new "aggregate niche strategy" has made Japan the technology anchor for many global supply chains. Although the end products do not carry a "Japan Inside" label, Japan plays a pivotal role in our everyday lives across many critical industries. This book is an in-depth exploration of current Japanese business strategies that make Japan the world's third-largest economy and an economic leader in Asia. To accomplish their reinvention, Japan's largest companies are building new processes of breakthrough innovation. Central to this book is how they are addressing the necessary changes in organizational design, internal management processes, employment, and corporate governance. Because Japan values social stability and economic equality, this reinvention is happening slowly and methodically, and has gone largely unnoticed by Western observers. Yet, Japan's more balanced model of "caring capitalism" is both competitive and transformative, and more socially responsible than the unbridled growth approach of the United States.

This book focuses on overlooked contextual factors that constitute the urban creative climate or innovative urban milieu in contemporary cities. Filled with reflections based on interviews with a diverse range of creative actors in various local neighborhoods in Tokyo, it offers a rare glimpse into the complex set of elements that provide long-term, physical, and sociocultural support to urban creativity. Ursic and Imai highlight the interplay between physical and soft (social) factors in the process of place-making and explore how a city’s creativity is influenced by financial support and accessible infrastructure, as well as the sets of informal networks, services, and tacit, locally embedded knowledge that provide the basic layers of stimuli needed for creativity to fully develop. The authors show how the future development of creativity and the overall development of a city depend not only on the (top-down) planning strategies of formal authorities, but also on the appropriate (bottom-up) inclusion of heterogeneous elements that are provided and embedded within the small, hidden context of city spaces.

This book studies the industrial development of Japan since the mid-nineteenth century, with particular emphasis on how the various industries built technological capabilities. The Japanese were extraordinarily creative in searching out and learning to use modern technologies, and the authors investigate the emergence of entrepreneurs who began new and risky businesses, how the business organizations evolved to cope with changing technological conditions, and how the managers, engineers, and workers acquired organizational and technological skills through technology importation, learning-by-doing, and their own R & D activities. The book investigates the interaction between private entrepreneurial activities and public policy, through a general examination of economic and industrial development, a study of the evolution of management systems, and six industrial case studies: textile, iron and steel, electrical and communications equipment, automobiles, shipbuilding and aircraft, and pharmaceuticals. The authors show how the Japanese government has played an important supportive role in the continuing innovation, without being a substitute for aggressive business enterprise constantly venturing into unfamiliar terrains.

As the population ages, which nation will rise to lead innovation in the future? Demographics of Innovation takes a deep, investigative look at the link between economic growth, innovation, vitality and entrepreneurship in an aging population, and provides smart strategy for the future. Written by a Stanford-trained economist and demographics expert, who is also a prominent internet entrepreneur, this book examines demographic trends across nations and digs into the divergence to find awakening innovation. An aging population hampers growth; while many are focused on the care-related financial burden, few have fully explored the ways in which a seismic demographic shift could transform the face of global business. This book charts the trends, connects the dots and reveals which nations will be best placed to build an innovation economy and grow in the future. Global business is set to undergo a revolution as aging populations mired in old thinking become left behind by younger, brighter, more forward-looking generations. Innovation loss is the first step in stagnation, so the question becomes: who will win and who will lose in this new world order? This book presents clear analysis of the coming demographic bomb, and proposes insightful strategy for the short and long term. Delve into the aging of society and the economic issues it creates Learn how shifting demographics affects innovation and prosperity Examine trends in growth, policy and more alongside the rise in average age Make smarter planning decisions in light of the changing population The problems of overpopulation pale in comparison to the problem of aging on a massive global scale. Demographics dictate growth rates, economic equilibrium, interest rates and so much more. Demographics of Innovation provides thought-provoking analysis and strategy for policy makers, business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and everyone concerned about planning for an uncertain future.

Creativity and Strategic Innovation Management was the first book to integrate innovation management with both change management and creativity to form an innovative guide to survival in rapidly changing market conditions. Treating creativity as the process, and innovation the result, Goodman and Dingli emphasise the importance of a strategic approach to management through fostering creative processes. Revised and updated for a second edition, this ground-breaking book now includes: A new section on contemporary themes in innovation management, such as the use of social media and sustainability. More coverage of entrepreneurship, ethics, diversity issues and the legal aspects of technology and innovation management. More international cases and real life examples. The book is also supported by a range of new tutor support materials. This textbook is an ideal accompaniment to postgraduate courses on innovation management and creativity management. The focused approach by Goodman and Dingli also makes it useful as supplementary reading on a range of courses from management of technology to strategic management.

Research-based investigations of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship have the potential to inform each other and enrich our knowledge of each of these areas, particularly with regard to cognitive processes and effective behaviors. Yet, while these research streams have increasingly received a great deal of attention, they have developed largely independently of one another. The Oxford Handbook of Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship addresses the critical need to integrate these three interrelated literatures. The handbook features contributions from the leading scholars in these research areas. As a group, the chapters examine the intersections of these topics to synthesize contemporary research and provide direction and stimulation for further interdisciplinary investigations of organizational creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

"Wu focuses on how urban policies and the clustering of creative industries has influenced urban outcomes. The set of creative industries include those with output protectable under some form of intellectual property law. More specifically, this subsector encompasses software, multimedia, video games, industrial design, fashion, publishing, and research and development. The cities that form the basis for the empirical investigations are those where policy-induced transitions have been most evident, including Boston; San Francisco; San Diego; Seattle; Austin; Washington, D.C.; Dublin (Ireland); Hong Kong (China); and Bangalore (India). The key research questions are: What types of cities are creative? What locational factors are essential? What are the common urban policy initiatives used by creative cities? The author explores the importance of the external environment for innovation and places it in the larger context of national innovation systems. Based on a study of development in Boston and San Diego, he isolates the factors and policies that have contributed to the local clustering of particular creative industries. In both cities, universities have played a major role in catalyzing the local economy by generating cutting-edge research findings, proactively collaborating with industries, and supplying the needed human capital. In addition, these two cities benefited from the existence of anchor firms and active industry associations that promoted fruitful university-industry links. Many cities in East Asia are aspiring to become the creative hubs of the region. But their investments tend to be heavily biased toward infrastructure provision. Although this is necessary, the heavy emphasis on hardware can lead to underinvestment in developing the talents and skills needed for the emergence of creative industries in these cities. This paper--a product of the Development Research Group--was prepared for the East Asia Prospect Study"--World Bank web site.

Traditionally, innovation has been considered difficult to manage, as it occurs through contingent discoveries and inventions. For effective innovation management, it is necessary to determine what provides new value to customers and achieve this new value efficiently, while solving the technical problems. This book explores how innovation management for industrial revitalization and activation are conducted in Japanese companies. 'Innovation' has diverse definitions, but the editors of this book have adopted the one proposed by J A Schumpeter. The features of innovation management in Japanese companies are considered systematically in the book. Positive analyses using questionnaires and innovation management strategy in individual industries and companies is also explored in detail.

This book addresses the status quo of Corporate Social Responsibility practices and their development since 2008. How have things changed in the practice of CSR? What new opportunities and challenges have arisen? The book reports on an international set of cases and case studies on how CSR is practiced at business and organizations in various countries. It analyzes country-specific and industry-specific issues, as well as general global issues in connection with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The contributions gathered here provide comprehensive information on CSR for both practitioners and researchers around the globe.