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Papers by Pierre-Yves Donzé
Contemporary European History, 2024
Drawing on corporate and business association archives, this contribution investigates how Swiss ... more Drawing on corporate and business association archives, this contribution investigates how Swiss multinational enterprises from the pharmaceutical industry (Ciba, Geigy, Hoffmann-La Roche, Sandoz) navigated governments’ interventions in France to preserve their profitability. Our analysis shows how diplomatic talks were crucial for Swiss firms having to cope with rising inflation and the freezing of drug prices, as well as increased customs controls targeting multinationals’ transfer prices. In particular, promises of future R&D were used as a tool in negotiations, and secrecy about prices and profits formation
was key in maintaining pressure on the French government. The article also highlights that from the mid-1980s onwards, pharmaceutical multinationals promoted the creation of the Single Market, since it had the potential to enforce supranational rulings over national discretionary pricing policies.
Journal of Evolutionary Studies in Business, 2023
This paper studies the technological innovation and new marketing strategies that enabled firms f... more This paper studies the technological innovation and new marketing strategies that enabled firms from traditional industries to pursue their existence in a disruptive environment. As a case study, we follow an approach from classical business history and industry studies, focusing on the Japanese tea industry to analyse how it has innovated to survive in a fast-changing environment over the last five decades. Based on various resources (official data from Tea Industry Association, patents and trademark data, reports, interviews, etc.), this paper emphasises three marketing strategies that supported its survival: product development based on technological innovation (transformation of the true nature of green tea from a commodity to a branded good), brand management (repositioning of some specific teas in the growing luxury market) and internationalisation (expansion in foreign markets through exports). This research also emphasises the major role played by large corporations to support industrial transformation.
Enterprise & Society, 2020
Over the past two decades, the Japanese apparel industry has lost its competitiveness after exper... more Over the past two decades, the Japanese apparel industry has lost its competitiveness after experiencing a period of fast growth from the postwar years to the early 1990s. In international literature in social sciences, most scholars offer ethnic-based explanations of fashion in Japan, stressing some specificities such as street fashion or star designers in Paris. This article, however, argues that such views are biased and cannot explain the current lack of competitiveness of the Japanese apparel industry. Using the concept of the “fashion system” and following a business history-oriented approach, we offer a new interpretation of the emergence of Western clothing and fashion in Japan during the second part of the twentieth century. This interpretation demonstrates that the characteristics of the Japanese fashion system lie in a focus on the issues of production and technology, both of which led both to an extreme segmentation of the domestic market and to weaker brands.
Management & Organizational History, 2018
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management, 2017
The luxury business has been one of the fastest growing industries since the late 1990s. Despite ... more The luxury business has been one of the fastest growing industries since the late 1990s. Despite numerous publications in management and business history, it is still difficult to have a clear idea of what “luxury” is, what the characteristics of this business are, and what the dynamics of the industry are. With no consensus on the definition of luxury among scholars and authors, the concept thus requires discussion. Luxury is commonly described as the high-end market segment, but the delimitation of the lower limit of this segment and its differentiation from common consumer goods are rather ambiguous. Authors use different terminology to describe products in this grey zone (such as “accessible luxury,” “new luxury,” and “prestige brands”). Despite the ambiguous definition of “luxury,” various companies have described their own businesses in this way, and consumers perceive them as producers of luxury goods and services. Research on luxury business has focused mostly on four topics...
The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 2016
Business History, 2013
This paper focuses on the strategy adopted by the MNE Nestlé in Japan between the establishment o... more This paper focuses on the strategy adopted by the MNE Nestlé in Japan between the establishment of a branch at Yokohama in 1913 and the end of World War II. It highlights the difficulties encountered by the firm in its attempts to open up and operate production facilities due to strong opposition from local condensed milk makers, supported by the state. Eventually, in 1934, Nestlé opened a factory by founding an incorporated company, ARKK, all of whose shareholders were Japanese working for Nestlé. Although the war drastically curtailed the activities of both Nestlé Japan and ARKK, the organisational facilities set up during the inter-war period provided a springboard for Nestlé's post-war success in Japan.
Business History Review, 2020
Multinational enterprises faced new political risks after World War II in the context of decoloni... more Multinational enterprises faced new political risks after World War II in the context of decolonization and the Cold War. The risks were particularly high in Asia between 1945 and 1970. Although the relevant literature has focused essentially on organizational innovation and strategic choices in explaining how firms dealt with these new political risks, this article explores the informal roles that governments of small, neutral countries played in supporting their multinationals abroad. Looking at the case of Nestlé in Asia, the article argues that the backing of the Swiss federal authorities was crucial for the company to overcome various kinds of risks and ensure a long-term presence in the region.
Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 2022
This paper examines the entry strategies of luxury brands in Japan. It uses the global value chai... more This paper examines the entry strategies of luxury brands in Japan. It uses the global value chain framework and the literature on international business to discuss the entry strategies adopted by European brands on the Japanese market during the last seven decades. Two different business models, the dominance model and collaboration model, which are exemplified by French and Italian companies, respectively, are identified in our analysis. The findings of our analysis suggest Italian luxury fashion brands initially used the collaboration model to enter Japan; however, this approach caused conflict over time, which eventually resulted in the adoption of the dominance model and convergence with the French model. This paper demonstrates that when entering markets with a large psychic distance, Western luxury brands are more likely to face the paradox that the dominance model can only be achieved in a specific set of circumstances through a transitional collaboration with local partners. In our conclusions, we detail the managerial implications for practitioners in the luxury sector.
Shashi: the Journal of Japanese Business and Company History
Although traditional industries are commonly dominated by numerous SMEs focused on their respecti... more Although traditional industries are commonly dominated by numerous SMEs focused on their respective domestic markets, the Japanese tea industry experienced the emergence and rapid growth of large enterprises in the 1990s. This article analyzes the strategy that enabled such a change, focusing on the most important Japanese tea producer, ITO EN, which developed bottled green tea in 1985. Based on an approach of business history and industry studies, the article argues that the shift in the 1990s was made possible by the transformation of the true nature of the tea industry in going from a commodity business to a branded consumer-goods business.
Enterprise and Society
This paper examines the Africanization of human resources in East Africa during the latter part o... more This paper examines the Africanization of human resources in East Africa during the latter part of the twentieth century. Focusing on the case of the East African Airways Corporation (EAAC) and later Kenya Airways, we analyze the long-term development of staffing policy in these companies and the impact of the changing political and managerial environment (colonial rule, joint ownership by three independent states, Kenyan state-owned enterprise, private enterprise with foreign ownership). This research shows that post-independence Africanization was hampered by a lack of specific local expertise. The EAAC solved this difficulty by cooperating with foreign organizations that provided adequate training for African pilots, engineers, and managers. However, indigenization was also used in a less meritocratic way and promoted clientelism.
Scandinavian Economic History Review, 2019
This chapter considers the case of Swiss luxury watch companies in China, with a particular focus... more This chapter considers the case of Swiss luxury watch companies in China, with a particular focus on Omega and Longines. The Chinese market played a major role in the transformation of the watch industry in Switzerland. The access to this market was not only a driving force behind the growth of companies, but also an opportunity for rebranding and moving up to the luxury end of the market. Therefore, the choice of local partners was a major challenge for Swiss watch companies.
The Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business
1 Introduction 2 The Watchmaking Crisis of 1975-1985 3 The Creation of Swatch Group and the '... more 1 Introduction 2 The Watchmaking Crisis of 1975-1985 3 The Creation of Swatch Group and the 'Swatch Legend' 4 Rationalization and Globalization of the Production System (1985-1998) 5 A New Marketing Strategy (1985-1998) 6 The Major Move into Luxury (since 1995) 7 Omega's Choice 8 China: a New El Dorado 9 Swatch Group's Competitors 10 Conclusion
Le mouvement social, 2017
Le M ou ve m en t s oc ia l, ja nv ie rm ar s 2 01 7 © L a D éc ou ve rt e âgée de 55 ans, à se t... more Le M ou ve m en t s oc ia l, ja nv ie rm ar s 2 01 7 © L a D éc ou ve rt e âgée de 55 ans, à se tourner vers le service social. Après deux ans d’études à l’École sociale de l’association des surintendantes, elle est affectée à Tours à la tête du comité. Tout en ayant une approche assez distanciée souhaitant maintenir un équilibre « sans parti pris » (p. 253) dans le cadre de son travail intense (922 inspections en trois ans), Julie Duval est une femme révoltée par l’injustice : elle dénonce les limites du comité pour régler les problèmes rencontrés et l’incurie de l’administration, contre laquelle elle livre, selon ses mots, des « luttes épiques » (p. 254). Elle met aussi en évidence l’épuisement au travail des ouvrières agricoles et voudrait le voir reconnu comme maladie professionnelle. Portant un regard lucide sur les inégalités, elle appelle de ses vœux un code du travail pour le monde agricole qui permettrait de sanctionner les abus d’employeurs qu’elle qualifie d’« esclavagist...
This chapter discusses the dynamics of the Japanese medtech industry since the 1960s, based on an... more This chapter discusses the dynamics of the Japanese medtech industry since the 1960s, based on an analysis of patents, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) databases. It demonstrates the stability of the structure of this industry despite the growth of the market since the 1970s and the increasing presence of imported foreign products since the 1990s. Few large multinational enterprises of the electronics industry (e.g., Hitachi, Panasonic, Toshiba) and specialized medical companies (e.g., Olympus, Shimadzu, Terumo) have maintained their domination over time. M&A is a strategy adopted since the mid-1990s to internalize new knowledge and to expand internationally. Another important feature of Japan’s medtech industry is the low presence of foreign companies. They access the Japanese market through export but rarely invest directly in research and production. This chapter argues that this restraint results from the specificities of the Japanese hospital market, which is based on a large...
This article discusses the dynamics of innovation through a comparative business history of a Swi... more This article discusses the dynamics of innovation through a comparative business history of a Swiss watch company and a Japanese watch company. The design and production of quartz watches were major technological elements that enabled Japanese watch companies to strengthen their positions on the world market and challenge the traditional dominance of Swiss enterprises. A comparative analysis of the research and development activities at Longines (Switzerland) and Seiko (Japan), both of which promoted electronic watches in their respective countries, makes it possible to emphasize organizational differences and thereby shed light on the origins behind the competitiveness of Japanese watchmakers in the 1980s. This contribution argues that the dynamics of innovation resulted both from institutional differences between Switzerland and Japan, from the perspective of the Varieties of Capitalism and National Innovation Systems approaches, and from industry-specific and firm-specific instit...
The design and production of quartz watches were an essential technological issue which enabled J... more The design and production of quartz watches were an essential technological issue which enabled Japanese watch companies to strengthen their position on the world market and to challenge the domination exerted by Switzerland until then. The comparative analysis of R&D activities within the two companies Seiko (Japan) and Longines (Switzerland), both promoters of electronic watches in their home countries, makes it possible to emphasise organisational differences, which shed light on the origins of the competitiveness of Japanese watch makers in the 1980s.
Contemporary European History, 2024
Drawing on corporate and business association archives, this contribution investigates how Swiss ... more Drawing on corporate and business association archives, this contribution investigates how Swiss multinational enterprises from the pharmaceutical industry (Ciba, Geigy, Hoffmann-La Roche, Sandoz) navigated governments’ interventions in France to preserve their profitability. Our analysis shows how diplomatic talks were crucial for Swiss firms having to cope with rising inflation and the freezing of drug prices, as well as increased customs controls targeting multinationals’ transfer prices. In particular, promises of future R&D were used as a tool in negotiations, and secrecy about prices and profits formation
was key in maintaining pressure on the French government. The article also highlights that from the mid-1980s onwards, pharmaceutical multinationals promoted the creation of the Single Market, since it had the potential to enforce supranational rulings over national discretionary pricing policies.
Journal of Evolutionary Studies in Business, 2023
This paper studies the technological innovation and new marketing strategies that enabled firms f... more This paper studies the technological innovation and new marketing strategies that enabled firms from traditional industries to pursue their existence in a disruptive environment. As a case study, we follow an approach from classical business history and industry studies, focusing on the Japanese tea industry to analyse how it has innovated to survive in a fast-changing environment over the last five decades. Based on various resources (official data from Tea Industry Association, patents and trademark data, reports, interviews, etc.), this paper emphasises three marketing strategies that supported its survival: product development based on technological innovation (transformation of the true nature of green tea from a commodity to a branded good), brand management (repositioning of some specific teas in the growing luxury market) and internationalisation (expansion in foreign markets through exports). This research also emphasises the major role played by large corporations to support industrial transformation.
Enterprise & Society, 2020
Over the past two decades, the Japanese apparel industry has lost its competitiveness after exper... more Over the past two decades, the Japanese apparel industry has lost its competitiveness after experiencing a period of fast growth from the postwar years to the early 1990s. In international literature in social sciences, most scholars offer ethnic-based explanations of fashion in Japan, stressing some specificities such as street fashion or star designers in Paris. This article, however, argues that such views are biased and cannot explain the current lack of competitiveness of the Japanese apparel industry. Using the concept of the “fashion system” and following a business history-oriented approach, we offer a new interpretation of the emergence of Western clothing and fashion in Japan during the second part of the twentieth century. This interpretation demonstrates that the characteristics of the Japanese fashion system lie in a focus on the issues of production and technology, both of which led both to an extreme segmentation of the domestic market and to weaker brands.
Management & Organizational History, 2018
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management, 2017
The luxury business has been one of the fastest growing industries since the late 1990s. Despite ... more The luxury business has been one of the fastest growing industries since the late 1990s. Despite numerous publications in management and business history, it is still difficult to have a clear idea of what “luxury” is, what the characteristics of this business are, and what the dynamics of the industry are. With no consensus on the definition of luxury among scholars and authors, the concept thus requires discussion. Luxury is commonly described as the high-end market segment, but the delimitation of the lower limit of this segment and its differentiation from common consumer goods are rather ambiguous. Authors use different terminology to describe products in this grey zone (such as “accessible luxury,” “new luxury,” and “prestige brands”). Despite the ambiguous definition of “luxury,” various companies have described their own businesses in this way, and consumers perceive them as producers of luxury goods and services. Research on luxury business has focused mostly on four topics...
The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 2016
Business History, 2013
This paper focuses on the strategy adopted by the MNE Nestlé in Japan between the establishment o... more This paper focuses on the strategy adopted by the MNE Nestlé in Japan between the establishment of a branch at Yokohama in 1913 and the end of World War II. It highlights the difficulties encountered by the firm in its attempts to open up and operate production facilities due to strong opposition from local condensed milk makers, supported by the state. Eventually, in 1934, Nestlé opened a factory by founding an incorporated company, ARKK, all of whose shareholders were Japanese working for Nestlé. Although the war drastically curtailed the activities of both Nestlé Japan and ARKK, the organisational facilities set up during the inter-war period provided a springboard for Nestlé's post-war success in Japan.
Business History Review, 2020
Multinational enterprises faced new political risks after World War II in the context of decoloni... more Multinational enterprises faced new political risks after World War II in the context of decolonization and the Cold War. The risks were particularly high in Asia between 1945 and 1970. Although the relevant literature has focused essentially on organizational innovation and strategic choices in explaining how firms dealt with these new political risks, this article explores the informal roles that governments of small, neutral countries played in supporting their multinationals abroad. Looking at the case of Nestlé in Asia, the article argues that the backing of the Swiss federal authorities was crucial for the company to overcome various kinds of risks and ensure a long-term presence in the region.
Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 2022
This paper examines the entry strategies of luxury brands in Japan. It uses the global value chai... more This paper examines the entry strategies of luxury brands in Japan. It uses the global value chain framework and the literature on international business to discuss the entry strategies adopted by European brands on the Japanese market during the last seven decades. Two different business models, the dominance model and collaboration model, which are exemplified by French and Italian companies, respectively, are identified in our analysis. The findings of our analysis suggest Italian luxury fashion brands initially used the collaboration model to enter Japan; however, this approach caused conflict over time, which eventually resulted in the adoption of the dominance model and convergence with the French model. This paper demonstrates that when entering markets with a large psychic distance, Western luxury brands are more likely to face the paradox that the dominance model can only be achieved in a specific set of circumstances through a transitional collaboration with local partners. In our conclusions, we detail the managerial implications for practitioners in the luxury sector.
Shashi: the Journal of Japanese Business and Company History
Although traditional industries are commonly dominated by numerous SMEs focused on their respecti... more Although traditional industries are commonly dominated by numerous SMEs focused on their respective domestic markets, the Japanese tea industry experienced the emergence and rapid growth of large enterprises in the 1990s. This article analyzes the strategy that enabled such a change, focusing on the most important Japanese tea producer, ITO EN, which developed bottled green tea in 1985. Based on an approach of business history and industry studies, the article argues that the shift in the 1990s was made possible by the transformation of the true nature of the tea industry in going from a commodity business to a branded consumer-goods business.
Enterprise and Society
This paper examines the Africanization of human resources in East Africa during the latter part o... more This paper examines the Africanization of human resources in East Africa during the latter part of the twentieth century. Focusing on the case of the East African Airways Corporation (EAAC) and later Kenya Airways, we analyze the long-term development of staffing policy in these companies and the impact of the changing political and managerial environment (colonial rule, joint ownership by three independent states, Kenyan state-owned enterprise, private enterprise with foreign ownership). This research shows that post-independence Africanization was hampered by a lack of specific local expertise. The EAAC solved this difficulty by cooperating with foreign organizations that provided adequate training for African pilots, engineers, and managers. However, indigenization was also used in a less meritocratic way and promoted clientelism.
Scandinavian Economic History Review, 2019
This chapter considers the case of Swiss luxury watch companies in China, with a particular focus... more This chapter considers the case of Swiss luxury watch companies in China, with a particular focus on Omega and Longines. The Chinese market played a major role in the transformation of the watch industry in Switzerland. The access to this market was not only a driving force behind the growth of companies, but also an opportunity for rebranding and moving up to the luxury end of the market. Therefore, the choice of local partners was a major challenge for Swiss watch companies.
The Routledge Companion to the Makers of Global Business
1 Introduction 2 The Watchmaking Crisis of 1975-1985 3 The Creation of Swatch Group and the '... more 1 Introduction 2 The Watchmaking Crisis of 1975-1985 3 The Creation of Swatch Group and the 'Swatch Legend' 4 Rationalization and Globalization of the Production System (1985-1998) 5 A New Marketing Strategy (1985-1998) 6 The Major Move into Luxury (since 1995) 7 Omega's Choice 8 China: a New El Dorado 9 Swatch Group's Competitors 10 Conclusion
Le mouvement social, 2017
Le M ou ve m en t s oc ia l, ja nv ie rm ar s 2 01 7 © L a D éc ou ve rt e âgée de 55 ans, à se t... more Le M ou ve m en t s oc ia l, ja nv ie rm ar s 2 01 7 © L a D éc ou ve rt e âgée de 55 ans, à se tourner vers le service social. Après deux ans d’études à l’École sociale de l’association des surintendantes, elle est affectée à Tours à la tête du comité. Tout en ayant une approche assez distanciée souhaitant maintenir un équilibre « sans parti pris » (p. 253) dans le cadre de son travail intense (922 inspections en trois ans), Julie Duval est une femme révoltée par l’injustice : elle dénonce les limites du comité pour régler les problèmes rencontrés et l’incurie de l’administration, contre laquelle elle livre, selon ses mots, des « luttes épiques » (p. 254). Elle met aussi en évidence l’épuisement au travail des ouvrières agricoles et voudrait le voir reconnu comme maladie professionnelle. Portant un regard lucide sur les inégalités, elle appelle de ses vœux un code du travail pour le monde agricole qui permettrait de sanctionner les abus d’employeurs qu’elle qualifie d’« esclavagist...
This chapter discusses the dynamics of the Japanese medtech industry since the 1960s, based on an... more This chapter discusses the dynamics of the Japanese medtech industry since the 1960s, based on an analysis of patents, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) databases. It demonstrates the stability of the structure of this industry despite the growth of the market since the 1970s and the increasing presence of imported foreign products since the 1990s. Few large multinational enterprises of the electronics industry (e.g., Hitachi, Panasonic, Toshiba) and specialized medical companies (e.g., Olympus, Shimadzu, Terumo) have maintained their domination over time. M&A is a strategy adopted since the mid-1990s to internalize new knowledge and to expand internationally. Another important feature of Japan’s medtech industry is the low presence of foreign companies. They access the Japanese market through export but rarely invest directly in research and production. This chapter argues that this restraint results from the specificities of the Japanese hospital market, which is based on a large...
This article discusses the dynamics of innovation through a comparative business history of a Swi... more This article discusses the dynamics of innovation through a comparative business history of a Swiss watch company and a Japanese watch company. The design and production of quartz watches were major technological elements that enabled Japanese watch companies to strengthen their positions on the world market and challenge the traditional dominance of Swiss enterprises. A comparative analysis of the research and development activities at Longines (Switzerland) and Seiko (Japan), both of which promoted electronic watches in their respective countries, makes it possible to emphasize organizational differences and thereby shed light on the origins behind the competitiveness of Japanese watchmakers in the 1980s. This contribution argues that the dynamics of innovation resulted both from institutional differences between Switzerland and Japan, from the perspective of the Varieties of Capitalism and National Innovation Systems approaches, and from industry-specific and firm-specific instit...
The design and production of quartz watches were an essential technological issue which enabled J... more The design and production of quartz watches were an essential technological issue which enabled Japanese watch companies to strengthen their position on the world market and to challenge the domination exerted by Switzerland until then. The comparative analysis of R&D activities within the two companies Seiko (Japan) and Longines (Switzerland), both promoters of electronic watches in their home countries, makes it possible to emphasise organisational differences, which shed light on the origins of the competitiveness of Japanese watch makers in the 1980s.
This book offers an analysis of the dynamics of the global medical device (medtech) industry from... more This book offers an analysis of the dynamics of the global medical device (medtech) industry from the 1960s until the present, using the approaches of business history and industry studies. While most of the publications in the corresponding field have focused on particular countries/regions or actors, this research is unique in its scope. First, it explores the formation and development of medtech business both globally and in the major countries engaged in this industry (the United States, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, France, and China). Second, it tackles a broad range of actors and organizations, from individual entrepreneurs, medical doctors, and engineers to small family firms, start-ups, and large multinationals, as well as universities and research centers. Hence, for the first time, this book both provides a general understanding of the formation and transformation of the medtech industry throughout the world and sheds light on the main features of a fast-growing business in the twenty-first century. This book will be of value to historians, industry professionals, and analysts.
Changes in the dynamics of economic activities since the last decades of the 20th century have yi... more Changes in the dynamics of economic activities since the last decades of the 20th century have yielded major changes in the composition of industries and the division of labor and production across different regions of the world. Despite these shifts in the global economy, some industries have remained competitive even without relocating their operations overseas.
Industries and Global Competition examines how and why the specificities of certain industries and firms determined their choice of location and competitiveness. This volume identifies the major drivers of this process and explains why some firms and industries moved to other parts of world while others did not. Relocation was not the sole determinant of the success or failure of firms and industries. Indeed some were able to reinvent themselves at their original location and build new competitive advantages. The path that each industry or firm took varied. This book argues that the specific characteristics of each industry defined the conditions of competitiveness and provide a wide range of cases as illustrations.
Aimed at scholars, researchers and acadmeics in the fields of business history, international business and related disciplines Industries and Global Competition exmaines the unique questions; How and why did the specificities of certain industries and firms determine their choice of location and competitiveness?
Malgré le prestige incontestable dont jouit l'horlogerie de Genève à travers la planète, son hist... more Malgré le prestige incontestable dont jouit l'horlogerie de Genève à travers la planète, son histoire contemporaine n'avait jamais fait l'objet d'une étude approfondie. Aussi, pour la première fois, ce livre propose-t-il une analyse historique qui offre un regard sur l'évolution de l'industrie de la montre dans la cité lémanique de 1815 à nos jours. Il porte aussi bien sur les mutations du tissu industriel et la vie des principales manufactures que sur les institutions, tels l'École d'horlogerie et le Poinçon de Genève, et les grandes manifestations culturelles. Il montre ainsi comment Genève s'est imposée, au cours des deux derniers siècles, comme la capitale mondiale de l'horlogerie de luxe.
Depuis une vingtaine d’années, l’organisation hospitalière est un enjeu politique majeur. Alors q... more Depuis une vingtaine d’années, l’organisation hospitalière est un enjeu politique majeur. Alors que les coûts de la santé explosent et que la Suisse est l’un des pays du monde avec la plus grande densité d’hôpitaux, toute réforme en profondeur des systèmes hospitaliers semble vouée à l’échec. D’où viennent ces difficultés ? Pourquoi existe-t-il autant d’hôpitaux dans notre pays ? Sur quelles bases se sont-ils développés ? Pour répondre à ces questions, cet essai propose une analyse historique de l’évolution des politiques hospitalières en Suisse romande du milieu du XIXe siècle à nos jours. Une contribution essentielle aux débats contemporains.
The phenomena of Japan emerging as one of the most competitive industrial nations in the twentiet... more The phenomena of Japan emerging as one of the most competitive industrial nations in the twentieth century and the general shift of competitiveness to East Asia since the 1980s have been widely studied by many scholars from different fields of the social sciences. Drawing on sources from Japanese, Swiss, and American archives, the historical analysis of this book tackles a wide range of actors and sheds light on the various processes that enabled Japanese watch companies to transfer technology and expand commercially starting in the second half of the nineteenth century.
By exploring the case of the watch industry, this book serves to establish a better understanding of the origins of the competitiveness of Japanese manufacturing and its evolution until its decline in the post‐bubble economy (in the 1990s and 2000s).
1980年代瀕死の状態にあったスイス機械式時計産業を、見事V字復活させたスウォッチグループ。 その奇跡の経営戦略を描いたスイス原書の日本語版。
Research on the international transfer of technology in economics and management literature has p... more Research on the international transfer of technology in economics and management literature has primarily focused on the role of countries and that of companies, in particular multinational enterprises (MNEs). Similarly, economic and business historians have tended to view international technology transfer as a way for economically ‘backward’ countries to acquire new technologies in order to catch up with more developed economies. This volume provides a more in-depth understanding of how the international transfer of technologies is organized and, in particular, challenges the core-periphery model that is still dominant in the extant literature.
By looking beyond national systems of innovation, and statistics on foreign trade, patent registration and foreign direct investment, the book sheds more light on the variety of actors involved in the transfer process (including engineers, entrepreneurs, governments, public bodies, firms, etc.) and on how they make use of a broad set of national and international institutions facilitating technology transfer. Put differently, the volume offers a better understanding of the complexity of global technology flows by examining the role and actions of the different actors involved. By bringing together a number of original case studies covering many different countries over the period from the late 19th to the 21st century, the book demonstrates how technology is being transferred through complex processes, involving a variety of actors from several countries using the national and international institutional frameworks.
While it was declining at the beginnings of the 1980s, the Swiss watch industry effortlessly domi... more While it was declining at the beginnings of the 1980s, the Swiss watch industry effortlessly dominates the global market today. This remarkable comeback is the topic of this book, which focuses on the development of the Swatch Group, the world's largest watch company, since its founding in 1983.
A Business History of the Swatch Group offers a detailed and full analysis of the strategy which enabled the Swatch Group to establish itself on the world market. In particular, it tackles the issues of production restructuring, with the opening of subsidiaries in Asia, and the implementation of a new marketing strategy, characterized by the move towards luxury. Special attention is paid to the brand management of Omega, the Chinese market, and the Swatch Group's competitors, such as Richemont, LVMH, and Fossil.
Au cours des années 1960, le Japon s’est imposé comme l’une des principales nations horlogères du... more Au cours des années 1960, le Japon s’est imposé comme l’une des principales nations horlogères du monde. Obtenant le chronométrage officiel des Jeux Olympiques de Tokyo (1964), remportant des succès retentissants aux concours chronométriques des Observatoires de Neuchâtel (1967) et de Genève (1968), puis lançant sur le marché la première montre à quartz du monde (1969), il a mis en cause la position de domination exercée depuis près d’un siècle par la Suisse. Comment expliquer le phénoménal essor de l’industrie horlogère dans ce pays qui fut le dernier à s’ouvrir au commerce mondial ? Quels sont les facteurs
technologiques, organisationnels, politiques et commerciaux qui ont rendu possible cette croissance industrielle ?
Ce livre offre pour la première fois une histoire complète de l’industrie horlogère japonaise, depuis l’ouverture du pays dans les années 1850 jusqu’à nos jours. L’analyse porte aussi bien sur les principaux fabricants de montres nippons (Seiko, Citizen et Casio) que sur d’autres types d’acteurs, comme l’État, les universités et les organismes de recherche collective. Il met parfaitement en lumière les processus de la croissance industrielle, du rattrapage avec l’Occident, puis du déclin économique contemporain.
This book tackles the history of the Swiss watch industry in a global perspective: it gives parti... more This book tackles the history of the Swiss watch industry in a global perspective: it gives particular attention to rival nations such as the United Kingdom, the USA and Japan. The author demonstrates how Swiss watchmakers succeeded in facing various challenges: the industrialization of production at the end of the 19th century, the delocalization of production in the interwar years and globalization since the 1960’s. These challenges helped Switzerland to maintain and strengthen its position as a leader on the world market. This study shows how innovation and new technologies, the industrial policy of the Swiss authorities, the industrial district organization and the relations with trade unions explain the worldwide success of the Swiss watch industry.
