Title: Capability transfer in the Pacific Rim nations: the case of Japanese electrical and electronics firms

Authors: Yasunori Baba, Hiroyuki Hatashima

Addresses: Research into Artifacts, Center for Engineering (RACE), The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, Japan. ' African Development Bank, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Abstract: This paper illustrates how Japanese electrical and electronics firms are transferring their technological capabilities, particularly in the area of product development and design, to the Pacific Rim nations. Given the industrial uncertainty caused by the extent of technological change, it is noticeable that the importance of enclosing a multinational firm|s technological capabilities in the home country is declining. Rather, it is necessary for multinational firms to incorporate dynamics in product development in the host countries. These dynamics can only be sustained by capability transfer.

Keywords: technology transfer; capability transfer; Japan; manufacturing firms; Singapore; Malaysia; Korea; Thailand; Hong Kong; China; Taiwan; electrical and electronics firms; product development; product design; technological change; technology management; multinational corporations; MNCs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1995.025653

International Journal of Technology Management, 1995 Vol.10 No.7/8, pp.732 - 746

Published online: 23 May 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article